venting...SQ issues

[kev]

19 hours ago, Caliber308 said:

Sorry you feel that way. My responses were not meant to belittle you, it was  hopefully trying to help other members who  decide to do a rebuild without having the engine block Magnafluxed. Some members might spend thousands to build a  Starquest engine. Wouldn't you like them to have the best information possible from experienced Starquest  owners?  Again, if I offended you, I am sorry.

Bill

Bill,

I appreciate that response and, quite honestly, I'm shocked by it.  You and I have had bad blood for years..which I never really understood what I did to you to make you feel the way you do about me.   But regardless, I took your response as an insult and I want to apologize as well for jumping to conclusions.   

I believe myself to be very open to share my ups and downs technically on this site.  If you look through my active threads on here, and what were my restoration threads that are now gone, I don't hide my screw ups.  I post them up in the hope that they become a learning experience for others.   Which is why I shared the cracked block photo.   I didn't have to do that.  I could have blamed the HG and moved on or simply never shared a thing regarding this issue.   My goal on this particular site is document as much technical information knowledge as possible to aide current and future members of the community.   And that includes airing out mistakes and opening up for suggestions for others who have been down this particular road at times.   

So yes, I should have taken the block into the machine shop from the start and had it magnafluxed at the bare minimum.  It's not that expensive.  I called the local shop last night and it's about the same price as having my flywheel resurfaced by them last month.   Hind sight is 20/20 though.   But if that would have happened, the whole trajectory of this car would have changed and it wouldn't have been available when I needed it last summer when my Dodge Ram Hemi had a lifter failure.   It got me out of that jamb and saved me thousands of dollars by giving me another vehicle to drive to work while I repaired the truck on my own. So it served my purpose, now it's time to see if it can be a decent car for my son or not.     It's like my wife always says, 'everything happens for a reason'.   

Thanks again,

Kevin

[Caliber308]

Finish the 88 conquest tsi for your son. At least your not going to put him in a YUGO. Your a good dad. My first car was a 1962 Pontiac Catalina that I purchased on my own for $ 150.00 dollars when I was 16. When I was 17 I bought a 1953 Ford in Lakewood, Co. for $ 35.00, Hey, it got me where I wanted to go. My dad never bought or gave me a car. Your son is a very lucky guy.

Bill

Edited March 10, 2022 by Caliber308

[tux]

^ my parents never bought me a car either.  I bought my starion when I was 16 y/o against my parents advisement.  I didn't listen and probably would have been better off with something else, but I still have the car 22 years later.

[kev]

All the judgement.      The car wasn't purchased, it was a gift from a close friend.

 

My first car was a gift as well from my older step-brother.  An 84 starion that he gave me on my 15th birthday with the camshaft literally snapped in half in the head.  Worked with my dad for over a year to get it running by the time I got my license.    30 years later, there hasn't been a day that I haven't owned a starquest.       

 

Not too much new to share on the engine issue.  It snowed here this past weekend and couldn't make the trip to get the spare engine.   I did inspect the head very closely and everything is good.   Have all the engine parts cleaned, inspected, and ready for assembly for when the time comes.   Might be getting the block this weekend but it isn't confirmed yet.  We're going to jump back into the trans swap in the meantime.  We have to pull the dash and interior and start installing the pedals.   

[tux]

no judgement.  my dad wasn't mechanically or technically inclined...

I spent most of my early driving years with the car in the driveway, acquiring tools, parts and chatting with Shelby on AIM as everything broke one thing at a time, including my bank account ;D

Edited March 16, 2022 by tux

[kev]

Understand.  My step dad, who was the one who helped me at the time, was the same.  Although my actual father was a mechanic, I only got him to come over twice in that duration to offer advice...yes, it's a sore subject.   

My issue is that I had this unrealistic image that my son would be taken to the car like I did years ago and have the drive and motivation moving forward.   He wants the car but doesn't have the drive, if you know what I mean.   

[tux]

At least he wants to drive, my nephews don't see the need to own a car or even have a license.  My sisters just pay for them to Uber around.  

[kev]

Quick update:

Brought this back to the house this past weekend

The bad news is that it sat too long.  Some moisture got into the cylinders.   Had sparkplugs in it but the valves were open.   Had to run a hone just to get the pistons out.   The good news is that the wetted end is great.   

Example of the cylinders:

 

 It's at the machine shop now getting boiled and magnafluxed.  If everything checks out, it will be decked and bored.   Hoping to have it back by mid next week.   

[Dad]

Be sure they have front cover installed when they deck it.

 

Dad

[kev]

Oh crap!  That’s a good point.  Thanks!

I’ll be driving that out there today

 

edit:  just dropped it off. They haven’t had a chance to start on the block yet.   Thanks again for the tip

[TexasQuest]

On 3/25/2022 at 5:14 AM, Dad said:

Be sure they have front cover installed when they deck it.

 

Dad

Great tip. Alot of people forget this.

[kev]

Yes, exactly.  And I actually knew this, for I think it is in Dad's thread on an engine rebuild which is hanging on the wall of my garage and I reference it on every build.   It completely slipped my mind with everything else going on with this car.   I probably would have realized it when I went to assemble when it would be too late.   When I took the cover to the shop, they balked at it and said there is enough clearance to compensate...until I showed them the dowels in the block.   

Nothing too much new to share.  Still waiting on the block.   We put on the new front struts, pulled the differential and resealed it, etc.   I made a cool little press for removing the wrist pins/pistons from the rods using some flat bar that I had laying around and a small bottle jack...worked slick.   Can't order the pistons yet until I know what the final bore is. 

So have the two engines fully torn down, the automatic trans and it's parts all over the place plus the manual trans and its parts.   Lets just say that everything is a mess but was able to straighten up a bit to clear and clean up a bench to be used for the engine build.   Will be pulling the interior this weekend to install the pedals and work on the shifter hole, not sure where I'm going to stash those interior parts.  

[87redcat]

Glad you got another block Kev.  Hope this one works out for ya.  After all these years Ive figured that things happen for a reason.

Dont forget that little 1" heater hose under the dash.  Ive got to do that on my 87. My wifes 86 has it done already. but that is a full off restore and still in pieces.

Ive got years of pics to post up some day.

[kev]

The local machine shop kept bumping my job to the back of the list but they were finally able to knock it out last week!   Got the block back on Friday.   Boiled, magnafluxed, bored, and decked.   Thankfully all of the rust cleared out with only a .020 overbore.   

 

So, theoretically, I should be well into this engine build....BUT, it was the first really nice spring weekend here.    So, why work on this old hunk of junk:

 

.....when I have this sitting next to it!

 

Changed the oil, pumped up the tires, charged the battery, and installed a check valve in my fuel system (which I was meaning to do last year) and I was driving it within an hour.   

I'll start on the black car's engine build next weekend, haha.

[TexasQuest]

Very nice man! If you don't mind me asking, how much did the machine shop charge you? I have a short block I'm looking to get the same thing done as you did and would like a ballpark idea of cost. You can pm me the price if you'd feel more comfortable. 

[kev]

It was $450 out the door for boiling, crack checking, decking, and boring.   I thought it was pretty reasonable. 

[BlueCuda]

That price sounds about right.  I also think you made the right choice on what to do with your day.  What are the details on that car?  Looks great!

[kev]

2 hours ago, BlueCuda said:

That price sounds about right.  I also think you made the right choice on what to do with your day.  What are the details on that car?  Looks great!

Thanks!   The blue car has undergone a 20 year restoration.   And I'm not joking, it took 20 freaking years!  Use to have a full thread on here of it's journey but most of it dissolved with the database issue.   

Fully restored body (quarters, rockers, portions of the floor, frame-rails, cowl, etc.).   Learned how to weld, paint, etc. with this car.   Most of my How To threads on this site were from restoring components on this particular car.   Magna MPI, SDS engine management, Marnal Head, stainless valves, HD valve springs, Magna cam with Magna roller rockers, O-ringed block, balanced/bushed/shot peened rods, JE forged pistons 8:1 CR, balanced crank, lightened and balanced 240mm flywheel, custom equal length T4 header, precision turbo external wategate, BW S257-SXE turbo, fuelab pump/regulator/fliters.....    Ground control coilovers, poly bushings, Addco sway bars, KYB struts, Cusco front camber plates, Stedebani rear camber plates, Funklock engine mount, Stedebani trans and rear mounts, stainless fuel and brake lines,.....    The list goes on and on.  Spent way too much time and money on it....so I drive it like a grandpa, haha

 

 

[BlueCuda]

Very Nice!  

[TexasQuest]

5 hours ago, kev said:

It was $450 out the door for boiling, crack checking, decking, and boring.   I thought it was pretty reasonable. 

Thank you. That doesn't sound bad at all!

[kev]

Figure I'd post an update on this.   I'm still working on the car.   Had to travel for business for a few weeks and spent this past Saturday at Carlisle Import Nationals with the blue car, but I'm still picking away at the black one.   

Those of you who know me, know that I love making tools!  I use to do it for a living, well still kind of do but more on a managerial front now.   Love making simple contraptions with stuff I have laying around the garage.  

Anywyas, I made this wrist pin press out of some old scrap bar stock and a 4T bottle jack.  It worked slick!

 

Next, I made a homemade connecting rod balancer jig.  Nothing but some wood, a few L brackets, spare hardware, and a skateboard wheel.  Bought the scale from amazon for $13.    Surprisingly, it was very repeatable!   The skateboard wheel was the trick.   I tried a few things prior that didn't work too well.  It's just a bushing on the other side.  Would have been better if it was a ball bearing but I didn't have any small enough.   

I went down this rabbit hole because I was experiencing vibration on this car with the BSE.  Found out the stock rods differed by up to 5 grams!   And that wasn't just this particular engine, for I weighed the ones out of the donor engine is well.   The pistons also differed by up to 4 grams!     In the end, I balanced both the rods and pistons to within .1-.2g. 

  

 

Last, I made up a jig to hold the piston to install the wrist pins.  Just factory style piston (.020 over) and pressed pin.  Heated up the rod with a MAP torch and slid the pin in.    The red bolt was used as a stop so I could slide the pin in quickly before the rod cooled down without having to try to visually center it.  I didn't have any flat plate, so I used an old flywheel from a Jeep.  It also worked slick.   

 

Painted and cleaned block.  

I didn't snap anymore photos yet but the engine is currently pretty much assembled.  Bottom end is together.   All the measurements were spot on, plastigage good, etc.   Head/manifolds are on and torqued.  Did a leak-down test to verify no leaks into the coolant or pass the valves.  Then installed the cam and rockers but called it quits last night because it was late.   Just need to install the timing stuff and cover/oil pan/etc.   It should be ready to go back in the car in under 2 more hours of work.  

In parallel, got in the pedals for the 5 speed swap, master cylinder, and clutch line.   Still need to do the access port for the 5 speed shifter.  I'll do the trans mount last with the engine and trans in the car.

[Dad]

You need to balance both ends of the rod, pin end and crank pin end, Each ends weight will change when balancing the other.

 

[BlueCuda]

Great tools!  Looks like it is coming along nicely.

Did you have the crank balanced as well?  

[kev]

3 hours ago, Dad said:

You need to balance both ends of the rod, pin end and crank pin end, Each ends weight will change when balancing the other.

 

I did.  I first weighed the rods to understand what I'm dealing with.  Then weighed/balanced the large end.   Once the large end was within .1g, I weighed them again and then got the weights within .1g by removing material on the pin end.   Then weighed the pin ends..spot on...well within .1-.2g.  Then double checked the large ends..same as they were from the earlier step.   I could have fine tuned them slightly more but didn't want to remove too much material just to chase a tenth of a gram.  I figured there is much more deviation than that brought on from my crude home-made balancing tool.   

The pictures above show weighing both ends and the rod as a whole.   I'm pretty comfortable with the work, for I double-triple-quadruple checked them over and over.  

 

 

[Dad]

My mistake,  it looked like only pin end was balanced.    Carry on!

 

Dad