1990 C4 Engine Rebuild - DIY
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 225
From: Bay Area, CA
Here are the photos from the rest of my progress this past weekend.
Removed the cam shaft housing on the left side of the engine. Thankfully my rocker arm surfaces and cam shaft surfaces are all perfectly smooth.
I washed the Cam Shaft housing in my part washer. I only used Simple Green HD Cleanser (the purple labelled stuff) that doesn't attack aluminum in the long term. Its a water based solution and work ok with various brushes. I would like to drop these parts off at a place that can do ultrasonic cleaning so it looks brand new but that's probably overkill on this project.
Removed the cam shaft housing on the left side of the engine. Thankfully my rocker arm surfaces and cam shaft surfaces are all perfectly smooth.
I washed the Cam Shaft housing in my part washer. I only used Simple Green HD Cleanser (the purple labelled stuff) that doesn't attack aluminum in the long term. Its a water based solution and work ok with various brushes. I would like to drop these parts off at a place that can do ultrasonic cleaning so it looks brand new but that's probably overkill on this project.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 225
From: Bay Area, CA
I have to stop taking things apart now and just clean the engine case. Here is the bottom of my engine. This is from a car that only had a couple of drops after every run that wasn't too bad.
I just don't need this dirt entering the case of my engine now and need to carefully clean as best I can prior to going any further with my engine teardown.
I just don't need this dirt entering the case of my engine now and need to carefully clean as best I can prior to going any further with my engine teardown.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 14
From: Dallas, TX
Here are the photos from the rest of my progress this past weekend.
Removed the cam shaft housing on the left side of the engine. Thankfully my rocker arm surfaces and cam shaft surfaces are all perfectly smooth.
I washed the Cam Shaft housing in my part washer. I only used Simple Green HD Cleanser (the purple labelled stuff) that doesn't attack aluminum in the long term. Its a water based solution and work ok with various brushes. I would like to drop these parts off at a place that can do ultrasonic cleaning so it looks brand new but that's probably overkill on this project.
Removed the cam shaft housing on the left side of the engine. Thankfully my rocker arm surfaces and cam shaft surfaces are all perfectly smooth.
I washed the Cam Shaft housing in my part washer. I only used Simple Green HD Cleanser (the purple labelled stuff) that doesn't attack aluminum in the long term. Its a water based solution and work ok with various brushes. I would like to drop these parts off at a place that can do ultrasonic cleaning so it looks brand new but that's probably overkill on this project.
I wouldn't dare do that now with the wifey around.
BTW, are you replacing or cleaning the oil squirter? Maybe a reasonable thing to do right now.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 14
From: Dallas, TX
I have to stop taking things apart now and just clean the engine case. Here is the bottom of my engine. This is from a car that only had a couple of drops after every run that wasn't too bad.
I just don't need this dirt entering the case of my engine now and need to carefully clean as best I can prior to going any further with my engine teardown.
I just don't need this dirt entering the case of my engine now and need to carefully clean as best I can prior to going any further with my engine teardown.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 225
From: Bay Area, CA
I am doing the top end only. No reason to do bottom at 75k miles on engine. Rocker surfaces and Cam lobes look great. What is the oil squirter, you mean that long metal tube with the holes? Looks fine. Is there some special way to clean that?
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4,934
Likes: 483
From: fairfield, CT
Me too. Ricardo...since we all religiously use your how to bleed a C4 DIY...you aren't allowed to leave us...you are stuck. Not to mention the coolest engine stand DIY on rennlist...
Bring us the pics!
Bring us the pics!
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Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 225
From: Bay Area, CA
Hello everyone,
.... the worlds slowest engine rebuild continues....
I took a detour and got a 1994 Mercedes E500 sedan so that my younger son could actually fit in the back seat on the morning trips to school. He rapidly outgrew the C2. The 500E is Mercedes super sedan from the 90s when they co-operated with Porsche to stuff their V8 in their W124 sedan. The car took 18 days to build and went back and forth between Porsche's Zuffenhausen factory and the Mercedes factory. Oh my goodness is this car everything I dreamed it would be and more. No replacement for displacement! 5.0 liters of over engineered v8 and chassis and i dare say I love it as much if not more than the 964 now. Totally different type of car but so much fun to commute in every day. Its my new daily driver.
back to 964 engine rebuild....
Finally got all heads, cylinders, and pistons removed. I am sending them off to Steve Weiner at Rennsport Systems for cleaning, inspection, valve guide machining as required. I will also get the 993 cylinder to head gaskets installed. You can see that I had a leak there in cylinders 1 & 2 in the photo below. All other cylinder to head interfaces were good. Feels good to finally getting deeper into the engine but man will it be a long climb back. I got that 964 engine rebuild DVD which is fantastic and will be my guide as a put everything back together.
Last picture is cylinder,heads, and pistons packaged up and ready to get shipped to Rennsport systems.
There is nothing more to take apart on the engine (EDIT: need remove and replace cylinder studs with 993 studs). Just a lot of lower crankcase cleaning and then the start of re-assembly.
Sorry for going so slow but determine to keep moving now over the summer.
.... the worlds slowest engine rebuild continues....
I took a detour and got a 1994 Mercedes E500 sedan so that my younger son could actually fit in the back seat on the morning trips to school. He rapidly outgrew the C2. The 500E is Mercedes super sedan from the 90s when they co-operated with Porsche to stuff their V8 in their W124 sedan. The car took 18 days to build and went back and forth between Porsche's Zuffenhausen factory and the Mercedes factory. Oh my goodness is this car everything I dreamed it would be and more. No replacement for displacement! 5.0 liters of over engineered v8 and chassis and i dare say I love it as much if not more than the 964 now. Totally different type of car but so much fun to commute in every day. Its my new daily driver.
back to 964 engine rebuild....
Finally got all heads, cylinders, and pistons removed. I am sending them off to Steve Weiner at Rennsport Systems for cleaning, inspection, valve guide machining as required. I will also get the 993 cylinder to head gaskets installed. You can see that I had a leak there in cylinders 1 & 2 in the photo below. All other cylinder to head interfaces were good. Feels good to finally getting deeper into the engine but man will it be a long climb back. I got that 964 engine rebuild DVD which is fantastic and will be my guide as a put everything back together.
Last picture is cylinder,heads, and pistons packaged up and ready to get shipped to Rennsport systems.
There is nothing more to take apart on the engine (EDIT: need remove and replace cylinder studs with 993 studs). Just a lot of lower crankcase cleaning and then the start of re-assembly.
Sorry for going so slow but determine to keep moving now over the summer.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 4,934
Likes: 483
From: fairfield, CT
Wow Ricardo. Welcome back!
Hey. If you are posting from an iPhone using the garage talk app. You can insert pictures mid post by clicking on the photos after you add them and click "insert photo" - which will then add the photo the the part of the post where your curser is...if that makes sense
Hey. If you are posting from an iPhone using the garage talk app. You can insert pictures mid post by clicking on the photos after you add them and click "insert photo" - which will then add the photo the the part of the post where your curser is...if that makes sense
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 149
Likes: 1
Ricardo, will you be leaving the case as is?
Would it be worth replacing the through bolt o-rings while the cylinders are off?
Curious if any of them show evidence of leaks...
Looking forward to info for how you remove the studs, and the installation of new ones too.
(I will need to do this myself soon so am hoping to learn from your thread).
Mike.
Would it be worth replacing the through bolt o-rings while the cylinders are off?
Curious if any of them show evidence of leaks...
Looking forward to info for how you remove the studs, and the installation of new ones too.
(I will need to do this myself soon so am hoping to learn from your thread).
Mike.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 225
From: Bay Area, CA
I don't plan on opening the case. Everyone I talked to said at my low engine miles there was no point to it.
I think changing out the through bolt o-rings is a good idea. Anywhere I can get to rubber without opening the case is a good idea. Just watched that portion on the 964 engine rebuild DVD.
I bought the Matco stud removal tool kit for $100
SR201 METRIC STUD REMOVE/INSTALL KIT
And I tried it on one stud already and without any heat the stud came out. It's basically a fancy double nut tool with the second nut larger than the first so you can get an impact gun on there if required.
I tried to source the Snap On CG500 and M10x1.5 collet but had trouble sourcing that.
I really want a steam cleaner now as degreasing my case right now is a total pain in the butt!
I think changing out the through bolt o-rings is a good idea. Anywhere I can get to rubber without opening the case is a good idea. Just watched that portion on the 964 engine rebuild DVD.
I bought the Matco stud removal tool kit for $100
SR201 METRIC STUD REMOVE/INSTALL KIT
And I tried it on one stud already and without any heat the stud came out. It's basically a fancy double nut tool with the second nut larger than the first so you can get an impact gun on there if required.
I tried to source the Snap On CG500 and M10x1.5 collet but had trouble sourcing that.
I really want a steam cleaner now as degreasing my case right now is a total pain in the butt!
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 149
Likes: 1
Thanks for the reply. I have heard that replacing one through bolt o-ring at a time and torquing as you go, is an acceptable method.
Also, I read somewhere, that some engines had 2 orings and some did not. Not sure on the engine numbers that correspond, but I assume if you count 2 that come off one side, it makes sense to replace 2 on the same side.
Remind me, why were you pulling your engine down again?
And how many miles has it travelled...
Also, I read somewhere, that some engines had 2 orings and some did not. Not sure on the engine numbers that correspond, but I assume if you count 2 that come off one side, it makes sense to replace 2 on the same side.
Remind me, why were you pulling your engine down again?
And how many miles has it travelled...
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 225
From: Bay Area, CA
Car has 67k miles and basically every rubber gasket in the thing is shot. It didn't leak too bad but I did something similar to my C2 and am so glad I did. This is also my hobby so I really enjoy doing this work.
Clearly cylinder 1 & 2 had a small oil leak between head and gasket. If you look at beginning of thread the leak down numbers were not too bad. Did I have to do this. No.
But I love having a clean engine in the car and one that is running in top condition.
Clearly cylinder 1 & 2 had a small oil leak between head and gasket. If you look at beginning of thread the leak down numbers were not too bad. Did I have to do this. No.
But I love having a clean engine in the car and one that is running in top condition.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 841
Likes: 1
From: West Coast
Hi Ricardo,
Browsing your thread today and post #69 2nd pic from top, think cyl 1-3... Few questions;
Have you determined that head to Pc leaks on every cylinder is common?
Did cyl 4-6 have same leaks?
I am planning a fall/winter engine out and I have first leak coming somewhere from left bank cylinders or back of TC box. If we find say one cylinder to head leak, i don't necessarily want to trigger a top end rebuild with such low mileage and wonder if I can re-torque one set of head bolts? Otherwise, would remove offending side cam housing, remove all heads, replace gaskets, reinstall heads, cam housing?
Greats pics!!! Subscribed !!!
Browsing your thread today and post #69 2nd pic from top, think cyl 1-3... Few questions;
Have you determined that head to Pc leaks on every cylinder is common?
Did cyl 4-6 have same leaks?
I am planning a fall/winter engine out and I have first leak coming somewhere from left bank cylinders or back of TC box. If we find say one cylinder to head leak, i don't necessarily want to trigger a top end rebuild with such low mileage and wonder if I can re-torque one set of head bolts? Otherwise, would remove offending side cam housing, remove all heads, replace gaskets, reinstall heads, cam housing?
Greats pics!!! Subscribed !!!