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redidbull

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2018
Messages
754
Location
South West CT
I have always wanted to build an engine. It is a kind of bucket list thing I guess. I see people building engines all the time. For those that have done it can the average backyard mechanic build their own motor? I have a tired 302 in my 89 F150 and thinking about giving it a shot. Any guidance? Is there a book that would help or youtube videos? I have pulled heads from engines, replaces intakes, changed cams, but never did rings, pistons, crank. Thanks for any info. Jim
 
There are many levels of "rebuilding" an engine. It can range all the way from a ring and bearing rebuild, where you do not do things like hot tanking and machining the block and heads, all the way to a blueprint rebuild, where every component is redone to factory specs.

Even the most basic "rebuild" is going to require some specialized tools, and these can sometimes be rented from auto parts stores, things like ridge reamers, cylinder hones, torque wrenches, and things like that. For a more serious rebuild you will need to take the block and heads to a machine shop to be cleaned, bored and or honed, new freeze plugs, a valve job, etc.

For the first one, I would suggest picking up one of the many books on the subject like " How to rebuild small block Fords" and books like that. I have done engines in my basement without a lot of machine work, and they generally end up running ok........not perfect, but ok.

These days I just buy a crate motor because for the money you can not rebuild one as cheap as you can get one all done. But that is just me.
 
Thank you for the info. I was thinking of bringing the block to the machine shop and just a somewhat factory spec rebuild. I was always curious about a crate engine vs rebuild pricing. I agree though for 2500 bucks you can get a mid 200hp fully assembled with a warranty. Something to really consider. Thank you. Jim
 
Didn't mean to turn you against wanting to do a rebuild yourself, Jim, doing one can be fun and a great learning experience. And, with today's internet you can find a ton of videos on what to do, especially on a small block Ford or Chevy.

But I will relay this story. My one son has a rpu with a 455 Olds bored out to 468 cubic inches. We had a local machine shop do all the machining, and we assembled it with the best parts we could buy. Right off the bat it was burning oil in a couple of cylinders. So, we tore it down to see what was up.

We found a couple of questionable piston rings, but nothing real obvious, so we rebuilt it a second time. This time it smoked out of several different cylinders. By this time my son was getting discouraged and we were tired of pulling and tearing down the engine so often, so we decided to use a local race engine builder, Mike Thompson Race Cars, to build the engine for him.

When it came back we installed it and it ran like a clock, no smoke and tons of HP. I asked him what he found wrong, and Mike, being kind of a quiet, gruff guy said " A lot of little things !"

Same with the 306 cubic inch small block Ford in my son Don's T bucket. After we built that motor a valve stem broke off and it swallowed a valve. We took it to Mike and he built that motor for us too, and it makes good HP and doesn't use a drop of oil.

So, it just shows that while we have built cars from the ground up, we are not engine builders. The 331 stroker in my 27 was one we built, and it has been good, but more and more we lean toward just letting someone who knows this stuff do it, or buying a crate motor.
 
My 2 cents....
If it’s on your bucket list. DO IT.😎
Don brings up many good points but none are out of the realm of a back yard builder.
Yes. You need a few specialty tools and a reputable machine shop is a must, but as far as disassembly and then putting it back together again it’s all fairly straight forward .
Bought my first car at age 14. One month later I had the engine in pieces on the garage work bench. I learned a lot from working on the engine.
And all of this was way back before the internet or you tube. 😜
I’m currently helping a friend build a old school 301. That’s a 327 block with a 283 crank in it. High RPM motor.
Torchie
 
Like Don said, getting help from people with the right knowledge is key. It's easy to go wrong with the rings and cylinder prep. Rings need proper end gap and the ring material needs to be matched to the right hone finish. Another common error is not indexing the rings properly so that the end gaps do not line up which can cause excessive leakdown and oil burning. Whatever route you go, cleanliness is of major importance, hot tanking the block and heads and cleaning oil galleries properly is top of the list.
 
If you're concerned about a safe bet, buy a crate. If you want to have fun and try your hand at something new, build it. The worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work out and you are down a few bucks, and you have to try again, or maybe buy a crate.

Read up, find a friend that knows what they are doing to help you out, and give it a shot.

A good used engine is also an option that includes neither of the above.

I do this for fun. My next engine project is a 350 with a 2x4 tunnel ram that actually works. I have much research to do. :D
 
Over the years I've done all three... full rebuild, freshen up & crate motor! Luckily my dad was a great mechanic & had a lot of really experienced friends that saved my lunch many times. Full rebuilds are expensive in my experience, partials can be a crap shoot IMO & today's crate motors are fairly inexpensive & a reliable way to go. But if it's on your bucket list... go for it! [P

Pretty hard to beat something like this though...
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hpe-hp99f?seid=srese1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2-_QgcqW6wIVwpFbCh2WdA_1EAQYASABEgJGKvD_BwE

Let us know which way you go!

BoB
 
I used to work in dealerships. I left that rat race in 1992. At the time it wasn't cost effective to rebuild an engine at the dealer. Off shore rebuilds were a crap shoot and the only way could guarantee one was new from the factory. That being said I've reringed and bearings a few V8s for myself They got me by for a while. Usually til I did something dumb or sold them. It's great to try something new and learn. Go for it.
 
If you decide to do it yourself, make sure you start with a complete engine with all pulleys, manifolds, flexplate, etc. Fords aren’t like Chevys where almost everything will swap and work together, Ford is known for what was known as engineering changes, sometimes in mid year, and all parts don’t always play well together. If you are going to do the one that is in your pickup now, take a lot of pics before and as you tear it down, will save you lots of time and grief when you put it back together. Large clear sandwich bags to keep bolts in that you can label with a sharpie is good too. One bag for intake bolts and stuff, one for exhaust bolts, one for head bolts, etc. Makes it easy to keep up with them , you can clean them and put the back in the bag until you need them.

A good manual with torque specs is a must have. You can buy kits that have all the bearing inserts and rings and gaskets pretty reasonably. You can slap on a set of stock rings and bearings and it will last a while, but if you have access to a machine shop, you are better off to take the block, heads, and crank to them and have it vetted and cylinders honed or bored and the valves ground in the heads.
If it’s too bad worn, there are plenty of used blocks out there. When you start boring cylinders and buying pistons, the costs go up fast.
 
Thanks all. Maybe I should start with something smaller but I just have no need for anything like a motorclcle engine. Need to do some thing. Thanks again. Jim
 
Thanks all. Maybe I should start with something smaller but I just have no need for anything like a motorclcle engine. Need to do some thing. Thanks again. Jim

Nah, don't give up, as long as you take your time and learn some things along the way you will be fine. We didn't mean to discourage you, and as long as this truck is not something you need to depend on for daily transportation, you should be able to get the engine freshened up and put back together.

One thing you are doing right is asking questions. That is the smart thing to do. We all started someplace ourselves and we made a lot of mistakes along the way, but we got better and we learned. That is what you can do too.
 
take your time, do your research and go for it!! we are building a super charged ls right now and the very first motor I ever built is sitting right next to it. it is a 289 ford. I rebuilt it in high school with the knowledgeable eye of my dad. it has been tortured for sure. I ran it in a 68 Fairlane that was daily driven, race on the weekends with a hundred shot of nitrous push through it. It is still running today in our 28 Model A gasser! We braced it a handful of times and plan on driving it over 1,500 miles in one shot next year. It's something very cool to say that you have built an engine I think. Not a lot of people do it. Like stated before it is cheaper to buy a crate engine.
 
Bull, Go for it. Read up on the topic and then start rebuilding your motor. You will be building your experience and your confidence, too. All of this is good. Go for it.
I hope you post a picture or two when you get it finished and running.
 

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