Steve,

I did not re-ring my motor. Without smooth walls, I did not want to take the risk of the new rings not breaking in right. My compression was ok on all cylinders however. As for how to get at it, since the head is off, I think it is easier for you at this point to do the work with the motor in the car. To pull the motor, you have to pull the suspension and cross member anyway. Once that is off, you can pop the rod caps and change the rings. To pull the motor, you have to pull off those same suspension and cross member parts, plus a bunch of other stuff (harness, oil cooler, radiator, etc., etc.) Just food for thought. Your hero, Tom

 

If it were me I'd pull it, have it machined - put in all new bearings and pins, get it balanced and freshen the head. Although, I've never torn one of these motors down - so I can't really tell you from experience as well as others.

 

Well that's cause you're from hingham... I know about you folks from hingham, cause i grew up in stoneham. The hings and stones have never seen eye to eye

Sorry. I'm giddy from too many hours of powerpoint authoring... I expect this forum to fade to black at any moment, or at least with my next mouse click.

While I know you're talking the right stuff, I don't have enough of the green stuff to do that route now. Even if I pull it, i'm likely going to take the shortest path, with the plan being a fresh motor in the long term.

 

2 for 2 with the consoling words on how the wrap this back up ASAP. Wow. Until this last compression test, I had good strong compression in all cylinders. I think my compression loss in the #1 was related to the HG leak that was allowing coolant in, rather than ring blow-by.

 

Let me go for 3 out of 3. Since your compression was ok before the head gasket blew, and since new rings will add an element of risk (if they don't seat well), then why not just replace the head gasket? New rings are not going to fix those cylinders anyway. The "right" repair is a complete rebuild (rebore or new block), which you can always do anyway if the motor goes south after the HG is replaced. Sorry if I am a bad influence pandering to your lazy side, but I was in the same boat a while back and opted to just do the HG, and for me it turned out to be the right decision. (I am working on a 3.0 liter turbo as a long term replacement, and the scored motor is giving me all the time I need to build the 3.0 liter. Knock on wood.)

 

It really depends if he wants to drop the cash on a dirty rebuild, or run it and save for a new motor.

The flip side is that he'll have the chance to check the condition of the bottom end. He could have the bores mic'd, check end play on the crank (thrust surfaces do wear out on our motors), hit the bearings, rings, and take care of a few seals. If it didn't go another 50,000, I would be suprised.

Why tear up a block when you don't need to? machine work is expensive.

 

Tom/Perry,

You guys both make a compelling set of points. You both need to know how much I appreciate your thoughts on this.

Tom's advantage, as he noted, is that he appeals to my time mandated and cash strapped "lazy-man's approach"

It's good to have choices. You guys are helping lay those out. Good stuff indeed.

 

Steve, sorry to hear about your mishap. I can't see from the photos, but how did the headgasket fail around #1? Also you're only about 1-hour away from pulling the pan, so I say go for it and replace the rings & rod-bearings too while you're at it. This will be a chance to re-seal the oil-pan gasket. With one of these engine-holders, you can drop the crossmember and pan:



Easiest to remove the sway-bar first. Then unbolt the rear caster-blocks (leave on A-arm to preserve alignment), unbolt the power-steering hard-line from the fender, unbolt the steering U-joint and drop the entire crossmember with suspension in 1-piece. Undo the air-con pump and push it aside the oil-pan's all yours.

Paragon has the best deal on rings and bearings.

The trick to getting the oil-an gasket to seal, is to not get an oil on it. Wipe down the bottom of the block and 2" up with acetone to clear out any oil that may drip onto your new gasket. Then hold the oil-pan at a 45-degree angle, driver's side up, passenger side down, and push it sideways from the driver's side to get the oil-pick up to go into the baffle cleanly. Then once the pan is centered under the engine, push up on the passenger side and that's it. I suspect a lot of problem with others gettng their gasket to seal is that they're wiggling it around, pushing and squirming to get the oil-pan installed past the pick-up tube, that they get oil smudged on the gasket. Then tighten up the bolts in 5-6 passes, not 3 like it said in the bookk.

 

I welded up an engine bay brace when I last had to replace my oil pan gasket. But it doesn't have a cool Porsche sticker on it. I may need to go that route. With the sticker...

I looked at the headgasket and couldn't read where it had failed. But the #1 piston was almost shiny clean from coolant in the combustion chamber. Perhaps coolant was migrating from the square port at the front of the block, I couldn't tell by looking at the gasket.

Can you see anywhere on that gasket that is a leak tell-tale?

Danno, you're trying to get me to do some work. I see what you're up to.


If I 'were' to change out rod bearings and rings, I'd also need a new pan gasket. Is it worth doing that trick that anderson was talking about with the location pins drilled into the pan's flange?



UPDATE- not bad pricing at all....
From Paragon:
standard rings - $91.44
standard rod bearings - $54
rod nuts - $12.00
oil pan gasket - $14.88