94 4.0 Out and Apart - Where to go from here?

[Number4]

So I started working on my 94 4x4 Manual with 130k on it (The spare vehicle) thinking it would be a weekend project. When did I start again?

Pulled the intake to replace the gaskets (due to pinging under load once engine heated up) then thought, what good is that if I don't remove the heads and de-carbon them.

So, removed the heads, had them surfaced, inspected and cleaned.

Then, I realized cleaning the block surface in the car was a major PITA. So, I pulled the engine. The clutch needed replaced anyway as well as the oil pump. At one point, I ran sea foam in the crank case, after doing this my oil pressure was always on the low side.

So, engines had the heads off for a bit. Garaged and each weekend I'd oil up the piston cylinders and exposed block. Covered it with wax paper.

Just this weekend I dropped the oil pan and pulled all the paper I'd stuffed in the ports when I'd planned on cleaning the engine in the car. The water jackets seem to have a little rust in them and the oil galleries a little crud. From what I've read online, I could use a pressure washer to clean out the oil galleries and water jackets.

Aside from the pinging under load once warm, the engine ran fine. The lifters, cylinders, cams, pushrods and rockers all seem fine. Nothing stands out as abnormal wear. I'm now wondering what I should do. Mainly the cleaning of the galleries. I really don't want to pull the pistons or redo any bearings. Which from what I can tell, the crank and pistons would have to come out to have the block hot tanked. At which point, I might as well bore out the cylinders and so forth.

Any opinions? Anyone been down this road? How do I keep the block from rusting while it's exposed? Right now I've used fresh oil and WD40. But that's because I know I'm going to clean the block. Once the block is clean, I don't want to be hitting it with WD40.

I know a couple of you have done some if not all of this. I just don't want to put a lot of money in this engine rebuild as It's just a back up car. Been family owned since factory ordered, so it's a little sentimental. Otherwise, I could buy another newer back up vehicle for 2k.

 

[vq5speed]

When I once had a SB Chevy on a stand I just wiped the walls down with motor oil then cover over the whole engine with a black garbage bag when I stored it. If the cylinder walls have oil on them its not going to dry up. You shouldn't need to keep oiling it everyday. But back to your Pinging issue bad gas low octane gas can cause the engine to ping or knock. I know when I had a distributor engine you could retard the timing a tad. On our motor there is a Octane adjuster switch its located near the OBD connector. With the grey jumper plug In the timing is normal. With the jumper plug removed it retards the timing 3 degrees.

 

[Number4]

When I once had a SB Chevy on a stand I just wiped the walls down with motor oil then cover over the whole engine with a black garbage bag when I stored it. If the cylinder walls have oil on them its not going to dry up. You shouldn't need to keep oiling it everyday. But back to your Pinging issue bad gas low octane gas can cause the engine to ping or knock. I know when I had a distributor engine you could retard the timing a tad. On our motor there is a Octane adjuster switch its located near the OBD connector. With the grey jumper plug In the timing is normal. With the jumper plug removed it retards the timing 3 degrees.

I plan to wheel it into a climate controlled room in the basement off the garage. I'll do the black plastic bag idea.

First thing I did back in 2007 was remove the grey plug thing. Didn't help the ping at all.
Then, I went to premium gas. It helped at first (not my pocket) but eventually the ping came back. I always use either Chevron or Shell. I even tried adding an octane boost to no avail.

Then I read that the intake gaskets on these leak. IIRC it was back on cylinders 3 or 6. When I removed the intake, you could see where oil was seeping past the gasket. The plugs are all the same, no fouling. I probably could have gotten away with not pulling the heads, but I did.

Another member found his issue in the rocker arms, but mine don't look bad at all. I've even read where the push rods wear and mine don't seem to have that either.

 

[vq5speed]

Looks like you've done everything. Well since you got the engine out I would replace the pan gaskets and rear seals. I have a engine pull in my future to fix my oil leaks.

 

[Number4]

I got a Victor full gasket set for free a few years ago. So all gaskets etc will be getting replaced.

 

[Anime]

If there's no indentations on the valve side of the rocker arms at all, you either got lucky and got a good set, or 130K isn't enough mileage to where they will show any wear.

The timing chain, gears, and tensioner is another good wear item to replace with a removed engine, but again, at 130K the stock stuff might be fine. Plenty of 4.0L OHVs have gone to 200K and beyond with nearly stock everything.

If you want to flush the block, you could always pull the stock freeze/expansion plugs and then wash it out like that, and replace them with brass plugs. It's rare to have a plug pop out, but some members have had a stock plug either rust enough to leak or just come loose, so it might be worth it. I wouldn't use a pressure washer though, I'd say just a regular hose is fine.

Otherwise you can probably just go through and clean the inside of the intake, perhaps paint the block, valve covers, and any other rusty parts before throwing on all new gaskets and seals, and have it ready to go another 130K or until some major issue shows up.

 

[the_don]

i know you said you didnt want to do bearings, but i would at least plasti-guage them, just to see how healthy they are, and it might explain why the oil pressure is low. and the timing set.

 

[jd4242]

i know you said you didnt want to do bearings, but i would at least plasti-guage them, just to see how healthy they are, and it might explain why the oil pressure is low. and the timing set.

X2..rock auto sells a crank thats been turned/balanced and comes with bearings, pretty cheap..