My 4.6 V8 Rebuild Thread

[101RRS]

The cover won`t effect which cam you use , the difference is your new cam can`t drive a distributor because there`s nowhere for the gear to go .

The 4.0/4.6 cam is shorter than the earlier versions and does not have the extension on the front where the dissy drive goes on. You could not use a dizzy with any cover with the 4.0/4.6 camshaft.

Cheers

Garry

[PLR]

The 4.0/4.6 cam is shorter than the earlier versions and does not have the extension on the front where the dissy drive goes on. You could not use a dizzy with any cover with the 4.0/4.6 camshaft.

Cheers

Garry

In your case . ( from the quote " you " being the operative word . The cam won`t effect which cover you use .)

Your not using a distributor , so you can use any cover the cover only covers the lack of a drive for the distributor , what`s under it will do what it should .

[101RRS]

In your case . ( from the quote " you " being the operative word . The cam won`t effect which cover you use .)

Yes - quite true.

Just need to decide whether to go serpentine or V belt. Temped to go serpentine if I can change the alternator pulley.

Thanks for your comments .

Garry

[LRCounty]

I bought lifters and steel rockers from Turners in the UK. I went for steel rockers because a pad fell off my original rockers on my way up a mud hill.

The Aussie dollar has crashed since I bought mine though, so costs may now be prohibitive.

I went a different route for lifter preload. I ordered adjustable pushrods from Smith Bros in the US. They were cheaper delivered than normal ones here in Aus. All lifters can then be set perfectly...even with slight differences in valve height and other variable factors.

Serpentine vs V belt. I had this dilemma. I went the Serpentine direction. Sooo good. Water pump is better...oil pump is better...the belt is easier to change...no adjusting tension on alternator/power steering/air con belts. I love it.
I was lucky enough to find a serpentine 3.9 for sale for $200. I bought it for the timing cover and ancillaries. I needed a new tensioner which was pretty cheap from the UK.

Regarding timing chains and inaccuracies. I fitted a non adjustable Cloyes timing set. I set up a degree wheel and two dial gauges to see if I should advance or retard from the marks. It turned out to be spot on perfect on the standard marks. Happy Days.

Cheers
Andre

[clubagreenie]

Trust me even at 50c /$ its more economical.

A 4.6 cam here is 600 to 800 locally or 49pounds.
I got can, chain & gears, lifters, rockers, posts & shafts landed for $600 & in 3 days

[101RRS]

Having cleared a fewer higher tasks out of the way I actually started the rebuild tonight.

The first task is to check main and big end bearing clearances. The crankshaft has standard mains bit the big ends had to be taken down 10 thou.


This is the handbook I am using and yes shock horror the main bearings are Britpart - I didn't realise that is what I had been provided until tonight.


Just to confirm it is going to be a 4.6


The packet of plastiguage with the required width (1.5) marked on the packet.


I placed the block side bearing shells in and then the crankshaft and laid across each journal a piece of plastigauage then put the bearing caps on with bearing shells in and torqued up to the specs in the book using the old bolts. The little horizontal mark is the plastiguage.


When the actual build starts I will be using ARP studs for the mains and ARB boilts for the cross bolts.

Bearing caps all torqued down


This is after the bearing caps are then removed and the plastiguage is measured - a but hard to see but the plastiguage has squashed down the required amount so all is good to go as far as the mains are concerned. Here is Number 1 bearing cap.


Tomorrow I will pull the crankshaft back out - plastiguage the big ends, clean everything back up and start the assembly in earnest.

I bought a $8 BBQ cover from the Reject Shop and it works great when over the engine to keep the dirt, dust an bugs out of the engine when not working on it.

Garry

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Hey Garry, can you explain how to use the plastiguage?

[clubagreenie]

It basically measures clearance by spread. It's like plasticine in a way, when the caps are tensioned down it'll spread to the thickness of the clearance and from a known starting consistency the spread will be constant. There's different ones available for different clearances.

[Hoges]

Trust me even at 50c /$ its more economical.

A 4.6 cam here is 600 to 800 locally or 49pounds.
I got can, chain & gears, lifters, rockers, posts & shafts landed for $600 & in 3 days

FWIW: I bought a standard profile 4.6 OEM quality cam from Karcraft late last year for $188 inc GST.

[101RRS]

Hey Garry, can you explain how to use the plastiguage?

It basically measures clearance by spread. It's like plasticine in a way, when the caps are tensioned down it'll spread to the thickness of the clearance and from a known starting consistency the spread will be constant. There's different ones available for different clearances.

People make mistakes in machining and packing parts - to allow lubricating oil to circulate between the journal and bearing metal there needs to be a very small gap - not sure what it is but it equates to 1.5 on the green plastiguage. Too much gap means low oil pressure too little binding and bearing failure.

You lay a piece of plastiguage (the thickness of a thick hair) across the journal as in the above pic and then torque down the bearing caps to recommended torque. If the bearings match the journals as you torque the caps down to the right level the plastigauge squashes down and according to the thickness of the gap - you then measure how wide the remains of the plastigauge is off the gauge on the packet as per the last pic.

Garry