Engine block back from shop...check out the cam bearings!!!

[pmoore4321]

Thank you! That is exactly the info I was looking for.

 

[charlief1]

Thanks Lee. I didn't know this and you may have saved me some trouble when I put mine in.

 

[earlbrown]

Charlie, if you're talking about your 4.1 build make sure you have at least one of the 3 grooves.
I had to manually groove my block on my 4.1 as I'm running a roller.

 

[49-blues]

Good thing you didn't let that machine shop Install your cam as well!

 

[pmoore4321]

I broke out my newly acquired cam tool this morning and had the bearings installed in about 15 minutes. Dropped the old cam in for a check and it spun like it was on ball bearings.

If a machine shop cannot put cam bearings in properly then they should close their doors. It ain't rocket science!

 

[charlief1]

Charlie, if you're talking about your 4.1 build make sure you have at least one of the 3 grooves.
I had to manually groove my block on my 4.1 as I'm running a roller.

I was thinking about groving my blocks as well Earl. How hard was it?

 

[orangeapeel]

Nice looking engine pics!

 

[tttype]

Watch that AC fitting on the end of your fuel rail. They can crack at the small tube joint .
Potential mushroom cloud action.

 

[turboc87gn]

....

 

[pmoore4321]

Dropped the crank in last night and got clearances between .001 and .0015 on the Plastigage on all except the #4 bearing. The #4 clearance is between the .0015 and .002 and this is the same position which had a "+.001" bearing from the factory. Leave it be or order a new +.001 bearing?

In regards to the earlier post, I probably won't run the fuel rail fitting at all. I ended up getting a fuel pressure gauge with the hose attached. Where do they usually leak? At the threads or the solder joint?

 

[pmoore4321]

A re-check of the clearances yielded different results. It's not a good idea to check tolerances with a beer buzz. I am going to double check the clearances once more just to make certain everything is right.

​

 

[JDEstill]

I was thinking about groving my blocks as well Earl. How hard was it?

Instead of grooving the block you can get the cam bearings that TA Perf sells that are grooved on the back side. Seems like an easier solution to me.

John

 

[pmoore4321]

I'm getting there. I got the cam installed and the front cover in place. I went ahead and torqued the knock sensor to the suggested 14 ft/lbs. Anything else I should be aware of at this point? Any "gotchas"?

 

[JDEstill]

I'm a big believer in porting the oil passages in the timing chain cover. Is yours ported? If not I'd pull it off now and do that. Setting the oil pump gear clearance is important too. It needs to spin freely but with a minimum of up and down clearance. I also make sure there is no timing chain cover gasket overhanging the two oil passages that run between the timing chain cover and the block. It seems like every gasket I have ever used has holes smaller than the passages and I have to trim the gasket to keep it from being a restriction.

Using a roller cam or hydraulic? If roller, got the end play all set?

When installing heads, I had 3 pushrods that would kiss the heads. I never noticed it until I was doing a cam swap and wondered why there was a shiny spot on a few of the pushrods. I had to open up 4 of the pushrod holes in the heads, two on each side, with a rat tail file. Would have been a lot easier to do that before I had the heads bolted down for good!

For that matter, I have head studs, and apparently one of the bolt holes in the block isn't quite perpendicular to the deck surface, because when the studs are installed the head on that side wouldn't sit down flat. I had to open up that one bolt hole in the head so it would sit flat on the block. I didn't want part of the head bolt torque going into pushing the head down over the stud, instead of doing its job of clamping things together.

Did you remember to put the oil slinger back on before you got the timing cover on?

That's all that comes to my mind at the moment - hope it helps

John

 

[pmoore4321]

I'm a big believer in porting the oil passages in the timing chain cover. Is yours ported? If not I'd pull it off now and do that. Setting the oil pump gear clearance is important too. It needs to spin freely but with a minimum of up and down clearance. I also make sure there is no timing chain cover gasket overhanging the two oil passages that run between the timing chain cover and the block. It seems like every gasket I have ever used has holes smaller than the passages and I have to trim the gasket to keep it from being a restriction.

Yep, I did all the mods suggested by Earl Brown including matching the gasket to the cover.

Using a roller cam or hydraulic? If roller, got the end play all set?

Probably going to catch some flack on this, but I just used the roller button with the spring. I did some research and it seemed like many were running without the adjustable button.

When installing heads, I had 3 pushrods that would kiss the heads. I never noticed it until I was doing a cam swap and wondered why there was a shiny spot on a few of the pushrods. I had to open up 4 of the pushrod holes in the heads, two on each side, with a rat tail file. Would have been a lot easier to do that before I had the heads bolted down for good!

Good point. I am going to put the heads on tonight and I will make sure I check for the push rods for clearance.

For that matter, I have head studs, and apparently one of the bolt holes in the block isn't quite perpendicular to the deck surface, because when the studs are installed the head on that side wouldn't sit down flat. I had to open up that one bolt hole in the head so it would sit flat on the block. I didn't want part of the head bolt torque going into pushing the head down over the stud, instead of doing its job of clamping things together.

I am using the ARP bolts. I actually got the thread chaser kit from Orielly Auto Parts and went through every bolt hole on the block. Well worth doing especially because they loan the kit for free.

Did you remember to put the oil slinger back on before you got the timing cover on?

I did remember to put the slinger back on. I used the guides on the "vortex buick" site which really helped.

That's all that comes to my mind at the moment - hope it helps

John

Thanks for the help! I just picked up my driver side header from the machine shop. I had them straighten the flange after I warped it when repairing the crack.

 

[pmoore4321]

I put the heads and the rest of the valvetrain on lastnight. Picked up a loaner priming tool from Autozone this morning and it looks like I have good pressure. The pressure gauge is only good to 60 lbs.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSXzVa4Vlow[/YOUTUBE]

 

[pmoore4321]

Finished up today. It's raining, so the install will have to wait.

 

[pmoore4321]

Is this location OK for the water temp sender? I removed the sensor that was in that location. Is that going to throw an idiot light on the dash?

 

[bmackinnon]

Is this location OK for the water temp sender? I removed the sensor that was in that location. Is that going to throw an idiot light on the dash?

One of 'em sends the temp info to the ecm, and can't be removed.... I 'think' that is the one.... someone who knows for sure will chime in, but make certain because you will likely want to resolve that issue while the motor is still out.... i'll search around and see if I can find the definitive answer....

edit: that location is all good, idiot lite will be non-functional.... quote from one of my own posts:

"There are 3 temp sender/switches on the intake...

1) hi-temp fan overide switch (top of intake, behind AC compressor),

2) temp sensor for data to the ecm (front of intake, on the rite looking from the front), and

3) 'hot' idiot lite temp switch (front of intake, directly to the left of the upper rad hose)... you can use this one for a gage sender location (adapter may be required) but of course you lose the idiot lite functionality... this is where my mech. temp gage sender is installed... some people 't' a gage sensor in here also, so as to retain the idiot lite, but it's kinda cheesy with a 't' connection and not that easy to fit it all in there as I recall.."

 

[pmoore4321]

Thanks for the reply. I am glad I got that right because I already put the motor back in. Went it no problems at all with just a little "wrestling" with the transmission. I am going to fire it tomorrow afternoon. I still need to get the top bellhousing bolts in and hookup a few more things. The only bolts I cannot locate are the long ones that hold the A/C compressor to the bracket.

I did this in a small two car garage with another car next to the GN!

Also, thanks to the guy who advised to mate the trans to the engine before installing the motor mounts. I installed with the headers and turbo attached.