Does anyone have suggestions as to what they do when final torquing the head while on an engine stand? I don't see that last 90 deg angle step as being possible when not solidly mounted in the car or otherwise braced somehow. This would mean the camtower has to be installed later which isn't that desireable to me either. A few other questions that have also come up:

1. What's your favorite assembly lube and how generous are you with globbing it on bearings. I've heard that some people have had start-up issues when too much was used?

2. Is assembly lube always used between the back of the bearing and the rod/cap?

3. What's the best sealant for the oil pan gasket assuming it's installed while the engine is inverted on a stand?

4. Are Deves rings any better/worse than OE for the Alusil if all bores are in good condition?

Sorry for the questions but it's been years since I've rebuilt a motor and that when you lubed bearings with a slab of bacon fat


Thanks

 

3) I used Silastic RTV 730 at the corner of the gaskets as per the factory manual. Installed the pan gasket with the engine still in the car, no leaks. The problem is a tube of this stuff is $100.

Danno and many others have had great success with stuff called Yamabond-4. Its used to seal motorcycle cases that do not use gaskets.

 

I have never had an issue doing 90 torque on an engine stand. Of course I have degree torque gauge. Basicly it is like fancy protractor that you put on the socket extension. Line it up to a fixed point on the head then turn till it show 90's from that point.

I have used some GM AOS assembly lube. Worked great and never had an issue with too much. I put it every where there is contact.


As for oil pan gaskets I have always installed dry. That goes for in the car or on a build stand.

 

You use it on the back of the bearings, as well? I'll admit that I might have missed that page in the factory manual, but it doesn't make much sense to me to put assembly lube on a non-moving surface.

-J

 

You absolutely do not put any lube between the bearings and the rods/rodcaps/maincaps or between the bearings and the main bore. You should be wiping them down with brakeclean or something similar before you push the bearings on. You lube the areas that are supposed to move, not the ones that aren't.

 

Thanks guys. I guess I won't know how difficult the 90/90 is until I try. I know on the BMW I had the head off 3 times and that 3rd stage 90 is really a hard pull. I would guess somewhere near 110-120 ft-lb. And yes I do have a torque angle gauge since BMW uses the same method only the first stage is 24 ft-lb. I just can't imagine my rolling stand not walking all over the floor during this process, maybe I'll bolt the stand to the floor temporarily. I've used the Yamabond 4 for years, great stuff and certainly less than $100 tube

Any opinions on the Deves rings?

 

Place your foot next to the wheel on the stand, and torque away

 

Man if you are torqing it at 110-120 ftlb, thats pretty high. I never had to go above 90 on any of mine and never had problems.

 

Like I said it feels like that (on the BMW), it starts out 10-12 lbs higher than the 944, and I have no accurate way of knowing ft-lbs other than a sore arm or back when using the torque angle method. I suppose that estimate has a lot to do with the angle of leaning over the fender and being 59 YO. Has anyone ever checked the last 90 turn with a beam type torque wrench?

I'll try bracing the stand with my foot because I would definitely prefer installing a nearly complete motor.

 

Yep!

 

i just use grey sealant from the parts store on the corners of the oil pan- never had a problem.

- torqued my head w/ engine sitting on a palet- worked fine w/ the foot method.

- only had problems w/ too much lube when the motor was below 30 degrees

 

The 90 deg torque spec works out to be nominally the same as the older ft-lb spec - very close to the 65 ft-lbs. Same for the crank girdle torque specs (angle vs ft-lbs are the same).

There is variation;one nut will be at 62 ft-lbs at 90 deg, and the next one will be 67 ft-lbs.

I had absolutely no problem torquing the girdle or the head with the engine sitting loose on a table. Now loosening the flywheel bolts - thats a different story....

OE rings (from a dealer) for a 944T are about $100 a set, so $400 for the 4 pistons. Goetze rings are about $100 for a full set of 4, and are a pretty common replacement. I dont know anything about the Deves rings.

 

I put together the 289 for one of my Mustangs a few weeks ago. If you have a decent sense of balance, all you have to do is stand on one of the legs of the engine stand while you're torquing the bolts. You apply the force to the stand in both directions at the same time if you are standing on it, so it won't go anywhere.

And if I could do this with a big dumb cast iron V8, surely it's possible with our cute little aluminum I4s

 

Search for "ultimate" and my username, should bring my old thread up. Sealant + gasket retainers on my oilpan, easy to do with the engine on a stand.

 

Thanks guys for all the advice, it's really appreciated.


I think she senses a new heart transplant is getting near