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1500 rebuild - some questions
- Thread starter tosoutherncars
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OP
tosoutherncars
Jedi Knight
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Or if you're REALLY cheap, you can leave it, let it drip and enjoy free undercoating & rust protection! :wink: Thanks Morris, I'll get out the tap set (again) tomorrow. Both thermostat housing bolts already done...
OP
tosoutherncars
Jedi Knight
Offline
Up and running! 
1) Is it normal that I'm getting some smoke on accelleration? Should go down as the rings bed in? (He asked hopefully!)
2) How much do I need to baby it (i.e. break-in period?) Keep it under 2500, 3000?
The electric fan is in. Seems to be blowing a lot of air out the top, I definitely need a new sheet metal cover to redirect air through the rad. Also, the temp sensor doesn't seem to work, thankfully I've wired in a manual switch too. Keyed power, so it can't be left on by mistake.
Phew.
1) Is it normal that I'm getting some smoke on accelleration? Should go down as the rings bed in? (He asked hopefully!)
2) How much do I need to baby it (i.e. break-in period?) Keep it under 2500, 3000?
The electric fan is in. Seems to be blowing a lot of air out the top, I definitely need a new sheet metal cover to redirect air through the rad. Also, the temp sensor doesn't seem to work, thankfully I've wired in a manual switch too. Keyed power, so it can't be left on by mistake.
Phew.
OP
tosoutherncars
Jedi Knight
Offline
Just to close this off... I was *very* surprised and happy to see that the smoke, which had been quite plentiful on start-up, decreased gradually over the initial 100-200 miles, and has completely disappeared.
After only a few hundred miles, and due in part to a 'miss' (ignition-based, I think) I'm still not taking it above 4000 or 4500, but the car has noticeably more power. I attribute this to a) the bump in compression ratio, and b) increased compression due to the hone & rings, in that order.
During the assembly, I noticed that my cam followers were fairly heavily pitted. I chose *not* to replace them, however, as the purpose of this rebuild was to get me through the rest of the driving season, and perhaps next year. A complete, proper engine build (on a spare engine) will follow when I'm not so pressed for time.
Given that a full rebuild will likely require oversize pistons, and given that flat-top pistons are much less expensive and more widely available than oversize low-compression pistons, it is unlikely that I will be able to re-use my high-compression milled head. (I'd end up with 11:1 or something, impractical for a street car.) In retrospect, and in looking at this as a cheapie freshen-up, I probably could have skipped that step.
All in all... so far, so good. And if it gets me through a season or two, I will consider it money (and time) well spent. Of course, if it breaks next week, I'll kick myself for being so half-arsed about it! :wink:
After only a few hundred miles, and due in part to a 'miss' (ignition-based, I think) I'm still not taking it above 4000 or 4500, but the car has noticeably more power. I attribute this to a) the bump in compression ratio, and b) increased compression due to the hone & rings, in that order.
During the assembly, I noticed that my cam followers were fairly heavily pitted. I chose *not* to replace them, however, as the purpose of this rebuild was to get me through the rest of the driving season, and perhaps next year. A complete, proper engine build (on a spare engine) will follow when I'm not so pressed for time.
Given that a full rebuild will likely require oversize pistons, and given that flat-top pistons are much less expensive and more widely available than oversize low-compression pistons, it is unlikely that I will be able to re-use my high-compression milled head. (I'd end up with 11:1 or something, impractical for a street car.) In retrospect, and in looking at this as a cheapie freshen-up, I probably could have skipped that step.
All in all... so far, so good. And if it gets me through a season or two, I will consider it money (and time) well spent. Of course, if it breaks next week, I'll kick myself for being so half-arsed about it! :wink: