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Well, I may have to rethink this, as I found some pretty serious water damage in cylinder 6. It seems water has been leaking into it for a while and each time I parked, water accumulated, and seemed to have corroded the cylinder wall. The other cylinders look fine.
If I ignored this and just ran it, I'm sure it's just going to blow-by and send more crud into the crank case.
But fixing it means having it bored out significantly, and having the whole engine rebuilt. But before that, I'll have to pull the engine, through the front, as dropping it down the bottom means dropping the cross-member with all the suspension bits. Argh!!!
Is the only way to determine if the block is still usable to bore it out to its limit, and see if the defects can be machined out? Or can measurements be taken somehow to see if it's worth even trying?
Is the only way to determine if the block is still usable to bore it out to its limit, and see if the defects can be machined out? Or can measurements be taken somehow to see if it's worth even trying?
A good machinist can probably look at your block and tell you how much needs to be taken out before it happens. Usually. However, have you priced oversized pistons for the Aerostar lately? I guess I could say it about anything, but oversize 4.0 pistons are expensive. And I've also had some machinists bore a block out to where a larger oversized piston will work, but then tell me that he can't find rings for that size. (That was fun....finding oversized rings from some mom-and-pop shop in California that hadn't been touched for a few decades) Anyway, before you get deep into this project, budget how much you are willing to pay and if all parts are available ahead of time.
As it turns out, Rockauto has a couple choices of oversized pistons, either as just a set of 6 for about $97, or part of a rebuild kit for about $290. They're made by Engine Tech (any good?).
As it turns out, Rockauto has a couple choices of oversized pistons, either as just a set of 6 for about $97, or part of a rebuild kit for about $290. They're made by Engine Tech (any good?).
I would have no problem using that brand, especially since this isn't an engine that will ever be revving at 6K. But I'd probably use a set of rings that have a better reputation. As far as their gaskets set, buy Motorcraft (if available), FelPro or Victor Reinz. I've seen the EngineTech brand missing some necessary pieces on their engine overhaul kits. My $.02.
Fyi for the audience, within LA / Orange County / SoCal, there is no lack of options.
Long after legacy aerospace quit out of here in the mid 70's, a half dozen piston manufacturers are at your service, you decide the spec.
You only need to bring a check book.
I will conjecture that a set of bespoke with rings to be in the $800 range.
Not my strategy, I would recommend procuring a rebuilt and be done with it, and that is exactly what I did in engine #2 out of 3. $1700 iirc.
On the other hand...
In #4 To Be Decided TBD, I'll be buying bespoke pistons sohc 4L, cost absolutely unimportant to this hobbyist.
I'm sure if cost were no object, and I was building a suped up power house, I would probably do that EcoBoost 2.3L transplant. That would give about double the power of the 4.0 v6, and maybe 100+ lbft of added torque.
But now, all I want to do is to fix the engine reliably at as low cost as possible. The local machinist says he can do the whole thing for about $1200. I've use him before, and he did great work each time.
I haven't found a rebuilt for the price you quoted. Can you share?
I am tempted to add Tom Morana's valve train, with the 1.8:1 rockers. He claims an increase of 25hp, at a cost of about $1000.
Well, the current prices for a rebuilt 4.0 v6 is probably +1000 more. That's probably using rebuilt stock heads, that have the weak castings that are prone to cracks, like mine.
leading to a long journey of removing the heads to find more leakage and damage, then the removal and overhaul of the short block. I'm slowly re-assembling the engine, and maybe ready to re-install this weekend.
The engine pictures are interspersed with pictures from the auto to manual conversion. Maybe I'll create separate albums some day.
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