When you get the block on the engine stand, before doing anything else, you'll want to stick a long screwdriver down into every coolant passages and scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape and scrape some more. A long pointed tool can be used to lightly jab at the bottom of the water jackets to see if there's any residue caked there. The washing vats seem to turn some of the sediment at the bottom of the jackets into a hard, but fairly porous material that can be poked, prodded and scraped away, but it's time consuming to get it all..... and you'll want to get as much as you can.

Maybe you'll get lucky if the machine shop did a really good job and got everything out.

Frank

Frank, you're talking about the water gallies down at the bottom of the cylinder skirt, I guess it's a skirt? If so, then they're pretty clean, best I can tell. Unless you're talking about somewhere else, then a picture may help me...

That's right - alongside/around the cylinders and at the very bottom of the cooling area. Sometimes they come back clean enough, but sometimes they don't. Jab a screwdriver into the bottom of the cooling area all around the cylinders and make sure there's no scale or hard sediment that can be loosened.

Frank

It looks like the block decks haven't been cut. Are you waiting to measure the deck height/piston clearance before you have him cut it - or did he say it's ok as is with little or no etching?

How much did he cut the heads?

Frank

It's kind of odd looking to me on the deck, to be honest. I can't really tell for sure, but I think you're right, they haven't been cut. It feels real smooth and the areas around the fire ring have nice 90* edges again. They didn't have that before, when I sent the block. The heads look like every milled head I've ever seen, nothing special or of note. I haven't measured the thicknesses of the heads yet to compare to my notes, but will do that in the next few days. I specifically asked him to not cut anything that didn't need it. If polishing would suffice, then only polish. It appears that he listened...

I'll get some more detailed pictures up soon for your perusal Frank. Kevin and Eddy, I want to hear from ya'll too, please!!! The more eyeballs the better because it's been years since my last motor overhaul and I've begun to feel I've bitten off more than I can chew... Loss of motivation is a biotch... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Once you have the parts, it won't take long to build that engine - so let's get going!

If you need a refresher course, here's #1:

Mount the block on the engine stand.

Get back to me when you've done that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Frank

It's not the building that's going to take the time, though. It's all the other damn projects I wanted to do while the engine was out... I really don't want to start to assemble the motor til I get the other stuff done. I might be tempted to not do all of it if I have the motor pressing me to put it in... Thanks for the kick in the pants though <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

OK, you've fallen into one of my patented states where it's easier to not do it because there are so many things to do, you don't want to decide where to start. So, as my wife would advise, make a list and do the easiest thing first so you can scratch something off the list and feel like you're making progress. The list becomes your task master. The more progress you make, the better you feel and the faster you work.

If you get motivated and work fast, it's only 3 or 4 hours or so to install the Aussie Locker, so do that first and check it off the list. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Otherwise, you'll still be leaning over the fender and looking at the hole in the engine bay this time next year. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Frank

Yes.

Frank, thanks for taking my call at work. Here's the pictures of the "cancer" I was referring to. This is the driver's side head, between 4 & 6. From what I described on the phone, Frank thinks it's glycol etching, which I've seen before but never knew what to call it. I'm inclined to agree. I've got a call in to my machinist to get his opinion... It appears to be just in the hole opening in the head gasket and looks like it will be contained with proper clamping. But, I'd like some (Frank, KevinC, Eddy, and anybody else that would like to weigh in <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />) eagle-eyed opinions...







And here is the corresponding galley in the block.