Attempt an engine rebuild with no prior experience Y/N

[thechuckster]

no expensive tools are needed:

1/2" Force brand socket set from TradeTools (or similar)
1/2" drive supacheap torque wrench
open/closed-ended spanners from TradeTools or supacrap (10/12/14/17/19/22 will pull apart most jap engines)
hex driver for headbolts if required (or cut up a hex key and put into suitable socket)
screw-drivers (bunnings were selling a 10 or 12? piece set for $29 last weekend)
engine stand (radum.com.au)
loan an an engine crane
hydraulic car jack (supacrap)
feeler guages (supercheap) for shim-to-cam gap and ring end gap and piston to bore gap
borrow a set of venier calipers (if required) for measuring shim thickness

get the workshop that does any block work to check and linish the crank and supply the bearings to suit. Get same to refit pistons to rods if required.

unless you are building a cranky race engine, then you're not going to be checking tolerances on cam journals, big-ends & main caps etc. Basic stuff like oil pump and water pump are better off being replaced if they're stuffed so all you'll be doing for them is remove, clean block face, apply gasket, fit, done.

get some copper max, hylomar spray (head and water pump gaskets) and sensor-safe blue gasket goop. Use as appropriate but don't squeeze large amounts of the stuff into oil and water galleries. Common sense will help you here.

then get to work and enjoy the failures along with success stories.

hint: get a large whiteboard (laminated paper/cardboard can suffice), affix to wall near your workbench, write down stuff to do/check/buy.

[oldcorollas]

and take pictures of things before, durign, and after pulling apart... to help with putting it back together.
pay attention to the orientation of things.... most thngs are not happy going in backward.

and don't mix up your bearing caps... they have to stay in order..

[banana_socks]

If you have a large amount of time to complete it, then it's within the capabilities of an amateur. Provided you know the basic ideas of engine components. I planned to do this with my old daily, but after getting it apart decided it was too far gone to be worth it.

Photos are invaluable. Take photos of every component from every angle, and then do it again before you touch anything. Also determine a way of sorting out bits and pieces, ie plastic bags, containers, etc.

Some components aren't interchangeable. Just because all the main caps holding the crankshaft look identical, doesn't mean you can swap them around. Assume everything has to go back in the exact same position and orientation as it came. Thats where good labelling of parts comes in.

In fact don't assume anything. If you're not sure on something, 10mins on google is a lot cheaper than replacing screwed parts.

[machschnell]

I did a full rebuild on an 1986 srx600 yamaha including all seal bearings timing and new piston/conrod etc and saved about 3 grand on getting a bike shop to do it with NO prior building experience .

Take the things you physically cant do to someone good ie honing and reboring/ machining are best left to the shops . but as far as dissasembly and reassembly to save money and learn as you go . Go for it .

I also have one tip, like has been said Buy a good workshop manual for the model engine you have .

ps I also bought 200 of those little plastic bags with the press seal tops so as you take things apart you can pop sets of screws bolts , whatevers into them with a small note saying where they came from . keeps things together and clean and saves you forgetting that the thingummy had three bolts not two until you finish and find a pile of small bolts left on the floor of workshop

[andrew_mx83]

go for it.

buy the toyota engine manual
mark each rod to its cap with a punch and if not boring the block put each piston back in the hole it came from
pull it all apart, take to machine shop and get them to look at it all and see whats required (u probably wont be able to tell if the crank needs grinding or if the block needs boring etc)
undo headbolts/main caps in sequence, in 3 stages (crack them 1/4 turn, then loosen a couple of turns then remove) undo the big ends in 3 stages one rod at a time
take lots of photos
dont use too much silicone
hylomar on the head gasket
pack the oil pump with grease, lube new bearing surfaces with oil and crc the bores before installing pistons. ask ur machine shop to put the rings on the pistons as it is easy to break one then ur up for a whole new set. get them to set the ring gap also.

WORK CLEAN!!!!!!! this is the #1 thing, clean everything, then clean it again! clean headbolt threads well and blow out all oil/water galleries with compressed air


u will need a micrometer to measure the shims not a vernier and feeler gauges to measure the clearance.... other than that engine stand & crane, torque wrench, compressor and basic tools

[andrew_mx83]

oh and find a mate who has done it before, pick him up, buy a slab and get him to give u a hand while you pull it apart. do the same again for reassembly

[RobertoX]

Torque wrench

[Ken_T]

double check EVERYTHING. Especially essential shit like bearing bolts/stuff that will cause damage if you forget to do it up tight.

[oldeskewltoy]

Well... I'll be a little different...

I'll assume this is a 4AGE... and I'll assume it is in a 1st gen MR2.........

Find a running 4AGE and swap it in........


*IF* you are successful with swapping in a 2nd engine....

Then proceed onto what everyone else is saying... buy stand, FACTORY repair manual, some tools, and make sure it is as clean as you can make it for re-assembly.

This will then keep you on the road (no rush in rebuilding) and *IF* you do something wrong... the cost isn't your transportation

[dangdang]

Good question.

If you have good mechanical aptitude you will generally win, only way to learn is to have a crack.

[litldv8]

GOOD verniers are fine to measure the valve shims

[TERRA Operative]

I use Mitutoyo IP67 coolant rated verniers for my shims. Then swap in and out with the feeler gauges.
I really got to get a good set of micrometers.

[RyleyMA61]

do it, i did. biggest thing: take your time. don't do shit on the cheap. if you need X part/tool, just buy it. well worth it!

#1 take your time don't let anyone hurry you

[andrew_mx83]

cheap decent digital mic:

http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/digital-micrometer/