Checking a rebuilt engine

[NIB]

I bought my car a year ago. When I bought it, the seller claimed it was fully rebuilt, but couldn't provide any paperwork.
I decided to take off the oil pan to have a look, I took some pictures and hope you can help me have a look at them.

I noticed the engine looked quite clean inside, the pistons look shiny, the camshaft also quite clean. The oil pump filter is stuck right at the bottom of the pan, since it has been damaged, maybe that is not a problem. There was some kind of sludge in the oil pan, it wasnt hard material, it was like some kind of grease you can squeeze between your fingers, perhaps some leftovers from the rebuilt.

You can see the pictures here:
https://healey.850r.dk/albums/Picture%20Album/album/Engine%20Oil%20Pan/index.html

 

[Superwrench]

Oil looks awfully dirty ! Shouldn't be that much sludge on a rebuilt engine. I guess the Jury is still out on this one ? Good luck :hammer:

 

[Keoke]

Oil looks awfully dirty ! Shouldn't be that much sludge on a rebuilt engine.

However, it might be of more significance to consider, how did the car perform??? and how many miles were on the car 's speedo when you received it.May just be the result of poor Maint. Dirty oil and can be flushed out of an engine---Keoke

 

[andrea]

I see that your engine probably mount the Denis Welch oil gear pump with increased efficiency and pressure
https://www.bighealey.co.uk/category/catalogues/austin-healey/engines/3000-bottom-end?page=1
a Compression Test can be exhaustive for engine conditions
Strange oil, you can change to a Synthetic-- 20-50 RED LINE have also High Zinc aditive
Cheers
Andrea

 

[mjobrien]

Always hard to say but my experience would be that unless the block was boiled out even a rebuilt engine will look dirty and the sludge could be typical of a engine that got up to temp and flushed the sludge, the question is what went through the bearings.

I agree a compression test, change of oil, maybe two quick cycle on the oil and run it for a while. No need to fix what's not broken. Good luck.

Michael.

 

[shorn]

What is the oil pressure when the engine is warm to hot, both at idle and at higher rpm's? Low oil pressure can indicate worn bearings. I would think you should have 25-30 at idle and around 45-55 at higher rpm's on a rebuilt engine.

 

[NIB]

Ok, perhaps I should mention the engine was redone in 2008, the previous owner used it only 200 miles after that. He sold it to a dealer where i bought it in may 2010. The dealer has switched oil, it was clear when i picked up the car. It remained clear for perhaps 800 miles, then it started to get black. It looked like this, this weekend when i decided to change oil. I have driven perhaps 2000 miles in it in total.
The oil pressure is great, around 75 at cold engine going down to 30 at idle and 60 at running. The oil is Castrol Classic 20W50, mineral.
The oil pan doesn't empty that well because of the damage to it, perhaps that gives faster black oil.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

I'd fix the damage to the pan and clean it up well and put it back together. If the power , oil pressure and oil consumption are good why worry? It doesn't look to be an overly thorough job . Just a rebore , and bearings (maybe). Its ok, like the others have said change the oil frequently for awhile and it will clean up.

 

[Keoke]

The oil pan doesn't empty that well because of the damage to it, perhaps that gives faster black

Straighten the pan out or have it done then do all the things stated above--Keoke

 

[Bob_Spidell]

For peace of mind, you could pull the rockershaft, the pushrods, the generator and the lifter covers and have a look at the lifters. Camshaft looks OK--from what we can see--if the lifter surfaces are smooth with just a bit of a rounded surface I'd say that engine is probably OK. Test the lifter surface by putting the lifter against a perfectly flat surface and shining a light behind it--you should see no light on the center and some on the sides. Be sure to put everything back where it came from.

You could also do oil analyses (for a few oil changes anyway).

 

[red57]

Since you have already done the hard part, I would definately check at least a couple of rod bearings (preferably all 6 to see if there is any scoring or other wear - if they look good, I'd clean everything you can get at, straighten the pan, install, and then a oil & filter change after 5 hundred miles and again at 1000 miles or so.

Although it does look a bit dirty inside, that, as others have said, could be from just not having cleaned it completely when the work was done. But I would not put the pan back on without checking a few bearings....

Dave

 

[tahoe healey]

I don't think I've ever seen a pan not dented. Yours doesn't look so bad. If you do take the dents out, be careful not to pound to hard. It probably will just get dented again.

 

[elrey]

Looks good from here, but just to make sure, I'd crate that baby up and send it post paid to elrey @ P.O. BOX 4232 San Luis Obispo Cal. U.S. A... I'll take it from there

--elrey

 

[bob hughes]

Looks good from here, but just to make sure, I'd crate that baby up and send it post paid to elrey @ P.O. BOX 4232 San Luis Obispo Cal. U.S. A... I'll take it from there -

Elrey you are a tease!
The poor man is worried about the state of his engine. Like they say above, if it is not burning oil and you have good pressure then do an oil filter and oil change. Crack a bearing or so, seeing you have the sump off, and check the state of the journals, but otherwise leave things as they are.

Bob

 

[NIB]

Im not worried about the state of the engine, it runs good and hasn´t given me problems. The car dealer said it was rebuilt, and without some paperwork to prove it, I decided to see for myself if he was being honest or not. How big the rebuilt is I will never know, because then you have to disassemble to much.
I recall the dealer said a full rebuilt including pistons, bearings, head with lead free valve seats, and improved rear engine oil seal. The dealer that sold it to me, didnt have anything to do with the rebuilt, it was the former private owner that had it done, a person that i have no contact with. He somehow lost all his money and had to sell the car, and he didnt give all the paperwork to the car dealer.
I will try to straigthen the oil pan if possible and do a few more oil changes to clean the engine a bit inside.
I have found a good Austin Healey friend living close to me, who is a bit of a carburettor and engine specialist, he tuned my carburettors last year, and he just said he would help me look at a valve adjustment etc.

 

[Legal Bill]

If you really want to know, just remove one of the rod bearing caps and take a look at the bearing half. You can slip it out of the cap and read the backside to see who made it and if it is undersize. The condition of the facing surface will tell you quite a bit about how long it has been in use, too.