I have not, but, I'm thinkin of picking up an old 350 (I know but they're cheap) putting it on a stand going thru it top to bottom just for the education. I can identify all the parts to a straight engine block and know where they go. However I'd imagine its not that simple. Any tips/ideas?

 

There's a BIG difference in assembling an engine and rebuilding one. You can assemble an engine with the most basic of hand tools. But to rebuild one properly it's gonna take paying a machinist to bore cylinders, replace valveguides, grind seats, install new cam brgs, turn crank, deck the heads/block ect ect. Reassembly is the easy part.

 

its not to bad the only real hard part is setting up the valves and the timming

 

i built a boss 351 for my mustang when i was 20. it was an assembley i had the all the machine work done at a machine shop it was pretty easy (if you know where everthing goes) my dad couldnt believe it when it fired right up...lol

 

I've assembled two, a 289 and a Nissan 4. The real work is the boring, the rod resizing, checking the clearances. I'm surprised the 289 held together now that I look back on it. Don't know about the 4, as it went down the road the day I got it running.....

If you are planning on doing this as a hobby or for money:

--for money, go to tech school and get on board with a shop

--hobby, go at it.

 

Its a good education just to disassemble an engine, if it was not running, so you can figure out how it failed. No Fords, but I have rebuilt
several air-cooled VW's,
90cc Yamaha,
305cc Honda,
283ci Chebby,
273ci Dodge,
and currently doing a Corvair experimental aircraft conversion.

Most engines do require a few special tools you may be able to rent or borrow, like valve spring and piston ring compressors, dial indicator and micrometers.

Jim

 

Hobby, absolutely. Like I said just an education. But you guys hit on waht I was thinkin. There's alot of little things that go into it. To take a dead motor and bring it back to life, Thanks!

 

The way I learned, and also was taught at tech school, is take an engine, tear it down, then reassemble it and see how it all works. Then you are ready to take it on for the actual rebuild. If you want to rebuild it with the full intent of making it run, I would suggest doing it to an engine you have a use for, otherwise, you have invested in something that you can't use, other than for the learning experience. You can take one that you pick up cheap, and throw it back together and make it fire if you want to do that. I wouldn't suggest doing that on one you want to use afterward of course though. But it is helpful in learning. I did my first one from a Chilton's, which can be a bit tricky. I did learn from that one to be sure not to mix up the rod caps... oops.

 

Tear it down and put it back together, dont bother freshening up the walls or anything if its just for learning experience. And hey if you mess up and cant fix it its only a chebby engine...and you get a free boat anchor and a learning experience out of the deal!

Its fun

 

I got a 302 long block in South La you can rebuild for a learning experience :P

I have rebuilt a 351C, and helped with a carb'd 302. The valves, setting the lag is prolly the hardest part, the rest of it is pretty straightfoward, get a manual to refer to for proper torques and tolerances. To do it right you wil basically put the engine together, take it apart then reassemble it, but you will do it in pieces, i.e. put in the bearrings, put in the crank, tighten the caps, pull the caps, pull the crank, check the tolerancing (varios things you can use for this, we used a little string gague thing that gets pressed in place when you tigthen it and the amount it flattens out tells ya how tight it gets) , oil up the bearings, and then you put the crank back, pout the caps back on, then on to the next part. etc.

but it has been about 6 years since I rebuilt a motor.

 

I have done a few over the years, most of them for other people.
235 Chevy 6
216 Chevy 6
350 Chevy

360 Ford
390 Ford - mine
292 Ford - mine

With the proper tools, and the patience to follow instruction and not cut corners, it is something you should be able to do.

Very important- KEEP EVERYTHING SPOTLESS.

 

O well if we are listing......

400 from a 1968 Firebird 400
360 For a Dodge Dart drag car (ET unknown)
350 stroker for a 1977/78 Camaro drag car (runs 8.5-8.99 ET's in the 1/4)
440 Mopar big block from a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner
383 Mopar out of a 1969 Dodge Challenger
And one that i tore down but didnt finish due to schedule issues a 426 Hemi from a 1970 Dodge Charger

Now before you go thinking ive got the sweetest garage known to man i have to say that none of them are mine, i rebuilt them for others (along with other restoration work on the cars)

lol guess i better put my money where my right foot is and tear into a ford engine soon! A 408 stroker for the F150? I think yes!

EDIT: Also i had help with all of these, and some took some time, and extra few pairs of hands can come in really handy!
PS. TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!

 

Like godblessmud said take lots of pictures.

I learned the way most people already said, by taking a engine apart and putting it back together. I like to label everything and lay it out on a piece of cardboard, that way you know which rod, bearing, push rod, ect ect goes to which cylinder it goes to.

If your pulling the engine out of a vehicle be sure to label all your electronic connections and wires, nothing like putting a engine together and cranking the key only to get nothing, or having something spark and start a fire.

Be careful when dealing with cheap valve spring compressors, I would of lost a eye if I wasn't wearing goggles, those springs will fly outta there if you let them.

I know its been said 100 times but keep it clean.

I like to let my lifters, valve springs, push rods, lifters, and bearings float around in assembly lube. Normally I'll throw them in there over night, and lay everything out for reassembly the next day.

Take your time and don't over stress yourself. There really is no experience like building a engine and hearing it fire to life for the first time, almost brings a tear to the eye. I've built a few on my own, and a few with the help of my friends, the feeling never gets old.

Good luck and have fun.

 

First engine swap / rebuild was in my buddy's '68 Firebird.

Took out the old, tired OHC 6 (remember those??) and a PowerGlide, and rebuilt a Chevy 350 cu in. mouse motor, and installed it w/a Turbo 400 trans.



Everything went well, until we were cleaning up the bench and found ONE wrist pin keeper!

The engine was on a stand, waiting on the trans to arrive when we discovered the problem.

Fortunately, I was just helping out. Basically, I was the 'go-fer'.

 

if you do rebuild it to use make sure to get a glaze break tool or you will have blow by, poor compresion, and bad lobercation

ihave rebult:
350 chevy
455 pontiac
403 olds
429 cobra jet
and a boos 502