Joining the bandwagon, my 4L OHV build

im far enough in this to not turn back, so ill start this thread now.

starting with a truck that hasent been driven in 2 years before i got it. so its really dirty, ticks, needs some help.
im going for a mild top end rebuild. just a nice cleaning and new parts, upgraded performance parts. with a nice coat of paint to finish it up.
update: turned into full rebuild


parts list:

• 2643 ANCHOR - drivers motor mount (rockauto)
• 2641 ANCHOR - passenger motor mount (rockauto)
• SP432 MOTORCRAFT - spark plugs (autozone)
• WR4062 MOTORCRAFT - plug wire set (rockauto)
• KS2358 FELPRO - full gasket set (autozone)
• PR422 DNJ/ROCK ENGINE - pistion ring set (rockauto)
• m328 MELLING - high flow oil pump (summitracing)
• 432217 VISTA-PRO - ready rad radiator (summitracing)
• E71531 DAYCO - upper radiator hose (autozone)
• B71532 DAYCO - lower radiator hose (autozone)
• 200-87684 DAYCO - heater-to-thermostat hose (autozone)
• 200-87715 DAYCO - heater-to-water pump hose (autozone)
• 58390 A-1 CARDONE - reman waterpump, they sent a 97tm (rockauto)
• 300-942 DORMAN - water pump pulley (rockauto)
• 300-004 DORMAN - power steering pulley (autozone)
• 49237 GOODYEAR - belt tensioner (rockauto)
• 5968 HAYDEN AUTOMOTIVE - idler pulley (rockauto)
• 49-410-8 COMP CAMS - camshaft (summitracing)
• R1092 SEALED POWER - rocker arms (rockauto)
• VS1630 SEALED POWER - valve springs (rockauto)
• sev-2027 SI VALVES - exhaust valves (sivalves.com)
• sev-2028 SI VALVES - intake valves (sivalves.com)
• UP94172S ULTRAPOWER - timing chain kit (rockauto)
• 25053 CRANKSHAFT SUPPLY - reman crankshaft with bearings (rockauto)
• 70mm 94/95 Mustang GT Cobra 19/24lb MAF (ebay)
• ebay link - 90tm/93tm cylinder heads
• ebay link - matched set of injectors
• EF link - modded stock throttle body
• GM3115200 chevrolet HHR electric fan from EF member
• FAN-PWN-V3 SPAL fan controller from EF member
• 1633S-1 JBA - headers and y-pipe used from EF member

later upgrades: 200amp alternator, underdrive/overdrive pulleys. maybe other stuff as i get ideas

 

[Dono]

hmm, rusty and sludgy. ****ty.

On the up side, it looks green and warm there.

 

[Turdle]

The "scratches" running up and down are your issue. Looks like the rings did not "break in" and seal, or, metal shavings got into the oil. re hone and re ring should get it.

 

[Xeek]

ah. well i think i had 700 miles on it and went off roading. didnt do many high revs until i got stuck, tried for a few mins then gave up. when it got to about 2000 miles i took a road trip and beach in 4lo. no OD, 3k at 65mph most of the way.

so i guess that explains it. i burned/leaked 1 quart of oil every ~150 miles. leaked some from the bolt that was screwed up in the timing cover.
valves, intake, heads are all covered in oil/crud from the oil vapor coming in from the tube off the valve cover to the intake.

its gonna be bored this time. how much and what pistons will be a secret for now

 

[Dono]

boring out to 4.0 ?
Standard sized pistons then. Have to love it!

Id have done that, except my block's cylinder walls are a bit thin, and its not recommended.

A forged, off the shelf piston. love it! I hope you can do it! (If Im right on your secret, that is).

 

[jd4242]

The "scratches" running up and down are your issue. Looks like the rings did not "break in" and seal, or, metal shavings got into the oil. re hone and re ring should get it.

agree and disagreei totally agree he did not break that motor in right and the walls should have been honed in the first place.but think those up and down scratches are from hydrolocking.water and mud getting into the cylinders.the walls are worn REALLY BAD compared to what it was when put it together.they looked new,nice smooth hatching then.they look like polished glass now and you can almost see ring worn step marks.ill be going over sat and probably know a little more then

 

[Xeek]

what one looked like when i built it:

 

[jd4242]

what one looked like when i built it:

Those are bad pics!!i don't remember any with flash rust either

 

[Xeek]

those are the only two i have from before. and i had the heads off with nothing covering the pistons i think for like a month. so thats why.

 

[Xeek]

i wish i had marked what cylinders and valve the lifters came from. might of made more sense of things.

took all the lifters apart, two of them were a PITA to get the first cup out(that the pushrod touches) and once the 2nd cup was out i found this:

 

[Dono]

Holy shi*

You found your ticking issue. Congratulations

 

[Dono]

That has to be from water, lack of lubricationb, and heat.
Did the lifter look colapsed?

 

[Xeek]

i have no idea what a collapsed lifter looks like. but if its as simple as the outer plunger being below the lifter body lip, then yes. those two were a pain to take apart due to that. i had to spray stuff in the hole on the side of the lifter in small bursts to try and force the plunger out.

i had a set from the junkyard that was just as much of a pita to take apart and those springs werent broken. so this surprised me lol

 

[Xeek]

so i further found out the 2nd piston comes apart even more... a cap with a TINY TINY TINY TINY spring and a ball bearing.... id really love to match up some spares and make a set of 12 refurbished by me. cause i know theyre expensive...

this is how the outside of all of them look like:

and i think once i completely finish the 'teardown' and nothing else exists to learn from and its moving towards starting from scratch ill make a new thread.

 

[Dono]

Yes, if that plunger is sitting lower than the others, there's an issue.
I'm always impressed by the way you jump right in to stuff.

 

[Xeek]

yea you can see the lip i meant in the last pic. 10 had the plungers past that, those two didnt.
im just wondering if mine are good to reuse.. due to all the wear on the bodies

 

[Anime]

Light surface scratches on lifters are going to happen, even to brand new ones. As long as they aren't gouged or dinged they will be fine to re-use.

You'll still be using old springs though. I wonder if there's any way to get a kit of all the replacement springs. A rebuilt set of factory lifters with all new springs would be great and be a nice way to get out of the cost of replacement lifters, and probably better too, as long as the new springs are better than the ones that were in there.

Nice going on taking apart the lifters. I'd guess the busted springs are what causes these to collapse.

 

[Dono]

Do you have a link for a 'how to' on getting the lifters apart? What's the best thing to soak them in first?

I'm sure I stumbled upon that how to to somewhere

 

[Xeek]

hell if i could find where to buy new internals id do it. im not paying $350~ for 12 sealed power lifters.. and from someone elses experience the $100 ebay ones werent that great..

dono, i remember seeing one, but it was just text. i may aswell do a picture write up. itd be easier if i had someone with me to take the pics. so i may wait on doing it

 

[Dono]

I just picked up some paint thinner, and set the doner motors lifters in the liquid.
This motor was a low miler, it probably would have been nice if it had an oil change in the first 100,000 Kilometers(guessing, but probably a good guess).

Toomorrow I'll try to get one apart.

 

[Xeek]

Well I just got my granny to take the pics for me lol. So ill make a write up for it.

Honestly, take then apart then soak them in teanny fluid.
I let mine soak in diesel kleen for a week before I took then apart. Just cause I had a bottle in the garage and didn't own a diesel anymore lol.