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...because i am a complete n00b. The most I have done myself is replaced a water pump and change the oil and sparkplugs.
My engine is not running so good, its a 350 tbi. The truck is a 95 chevrolet k2500(heavy half really) 4x4 but this is the 3rd engine in it since I got it and I think it came out of a suburban but have no idea what year. But its a 350 tbi I know for sure.
I want to rebuild this myself to learn from. I want to stay stock at first just so I can learn from it and not make it more complicated then it has to be at first. I look at rebuild kits from summit racing and I'm not sure what I need to go with? I see kits that go with .30 over bore size and some with undersized bearings and I'm not sure what I need to go with. I think I am going to stay with the stock bore size if I can, which I believe is 4.00", not going to bore it out. But I don't know if I need to go with undersized main bearings or not. Can someone explain that to me why or why not I would want or not want to do that? And also, about the material its made out of, what is better for what? I see hypereutectic alum, forged alum, and cast alum piston material, what are the advatages and disadvantages of each and why?
I just want to learn, and get hands on with my engine.
When I feel more comfortable with taking it apart and putting it back together I want to steepen my learning curve a bit and go with some "upgrades".
So for right now I just need a little information and help on selecting a rebuild kit and why.
Thanks,
Chris
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Dont listen to what I say, listen to what I mean!
i think before you buy some part you don't need you need to take it apart and evaluate it to see if you can go with stock ring's and bearings ,or need some thing more !
I know this is going to sound so,so, uncool.You might want to take a night auto course at your local high school.For me I was lucky to grow up working for a world war II motor pool mechanic at his repair shop.He laid down a basis for my knowledge to this very date some 50 yrs later.
True. But I will be buying a rebuild kit and going with those new parts regardless if they need to be replaced or not. I want this engine to last me a while, at least another 100,000 miles
I plan on ordering this DVD from boxwrench.net called "Basic Engine Building", anybody ever heard of it, is it any good?
EDIT: oh no, not more school!! haha I wonder if our small town high school has one? lol I know they have an "auto tech" course as a class but I don't know about night school type thing.
I become very obsessed with things like this. Like computers practically took over my life during high school 6 years ago when i got my first computer and it didn't take me 2 months and I had that thing tore apart because I wanted to know how it worked and I wanted to build my own custom computers one day. And now I have built several for me and other people. Thats how I am becoming obsessed with engines, I want to tear it apart, learn from it, learn how it works and to make it better and faster and one day build my own beast and actually know what makes it tick and how it works and why. I am crazy I know but my wife still loves me
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Dont listen to what I say, listen to what I mean!
boxwrench is really good. just by watching their vids i learn a ton. but i am taking classes in college... well ok so its my chosen career but yea... it does suck but im learning... yea boxwrench tells you all you need to know.
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green machine.
1998 chevrolet silverado ext. cab
me in the driver seat
A more direct answer to your question is the bores wear and need to be over bored to correct that and the rod/main journals also wear and need to be turned undersize thus the need for over size bearings.Take it apart and take the block to be pressure ck'ed and sized at you local machine shop to see what needs to be done in terms of parts.A good target to try to get is a .030 over bore allowing for a second rebuild if need be.
BTW:bag and tag all the parts while you take it apart.Surely it will help you during putting it back together.Keep the lifters in order they came out.
I guess once I start tearing into it, I'll be able to figure a lot of things out for myself and with the help of the DVD maybe I can get er done. I just really need this engine to not give me any problems for the next year at least.
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Dont listen to what I say, listen to what I mean!
Thanks. My wife is probably getting a new camera soon too so I will have her old one all to myself. Which is good because I wanted to take pictures of EVERYTHING before I take it apart, mostly for the wiring though, so I know where stuff plugs into later on which by looking at it almost all the plugs are different so how much can I screw up right lol
I am trying not to be too terribly n00bish and my common sense doesn't always kick in right away [&:]
EDIT: increasing bore size doesn't affect the ECM at all does it? My common sense is telling me no because the computer just goes by sensors and the sensors will still keep the A/F mixture at the right spot and all that, no matter how much more displacement there is. Am I right or is there some adjusting I need to do to the computer so it works good?
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Dont listen to what I say, listen to what I mean!
For a beginner the most important thing to remember is organiization. The amount .030 overbore will effect is nothing. Its a fraction of a CC so nothing to worry about there. If there is an adjustment, its minimal by the ECM/PCM which controls the negative side of each circuit of engine operation. Get to a bookstore for looking at automotive books on educating yourself to get more familiar. If you have a mechanical interest, it will be a smooth cruise for you through this.
Box wrench is alright, They need more info added to it. Also Check your local library for Alldataonline or Mitchell on Demand for specs on your project. Dont skip things, don't be like..... uhhhhh that looks ok..... You want a reliable mill, you put your entire attention to it when building.
Wanting to learn more...
