"Keep a Journal: How else are you going to get a good look at who you were?"

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Well...It runs.

'Tis sort of anti-climatic; you know? After flushing six liters of MUD out of the crankcase...and a brief trip to canuck tire for a cheapo oil filter, I disconnected the ignition coil and rolled the engine over about 50 times until I was fairly sure the various fluids had ended up wherever they were supposed to be.

Then came the moment of truth...

There's a little oil on the outboard exhaust manifold, so we got a little smoke happening after the first five minutes. No backfires, drips, or strange noises, so I suppose I got everything tight and dry. Timing was obviously correct, although I may just 'scope it to make sure. There was a little valve-clacking; but as the lifters have been dry for the past few weeks, that is to be expected.

Next step: test drive. We're not quite ready for prime time yet...

As to the 95 van, I still can't prove the head gasket is actually gone. In fact, it would seem that an overpressure in the coolant system (filled with concentrate rather than pre-mixed) breached the intake manifold gasket and is forcing coolant into the cylinders. This is an annoying flaw in this particular engine, the heads have coolant channels less than 1/4 inch away from the intake port. Care must be taken to ensure the seal between the two.

So...the '95 may actually be much easier to fix than I thought.

I hope so.

Addenda: I spent way-y-y too much time on this engine...but time well spent because now I actually know my way around this particular engine.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Brutal honesty time;

I'm dragging my ass on this van engine. In part because, once again, I have more of one attribute than another.

I've got more ambition than I have money.

I bought two sets of head gaskets...but only one set of engine gaskets.

I am re-using (for the most part) the gaskets on the '94 van. I am counting on RTV silicone sealant to ensure the engine doesn't leak. The problem is, every time I do use RTV, it delays the process by another few hours while I wait (if necessary) for the sealant to dry.

I'm still not out of the woods yet...I have yet to re-install the valve covers (more RTV), and the thermostat (yet more RTV). I will still need extras for some of the smaller seals, as well. I have managed to salvage some otherwise un-usable bits that would have meant this engine could not be rebuilt. All thanks to JB weld.

I will have the van done this week. That's a fact, not just a hope. Once the engine is running and I've got the plates back on it, I'm going to be stuck driving this wreck until I can get the '95 van's engine repaired. If I can't get it running...I'm going to be riding my bike to work for another few weeks. I'll have to part out the white van...and try again with the green one.

I am assuming the engine damage on the '95 is not as severe as what I've found so far on the '94. I also assume that means the repair process won't take nearly as long. I certainly hope so, anyway.

My original intention was to give away the Eagle wagon to someone in need of a vehicle. I didn't pay for it, why should anyone else? This was before it died, of course. Now, I've got the '94 van...which has turned out to be much more of a "junker" than I had anticipated. I had hoped to keep the '94 and sell the '95, as I could get a lot more re-sale value from the '95. I would have been able to get myself a working vehicle, and made a little extra on the deal besides.

Instead, I'm going to give away the '94 when I have the '95 completed...and keep the '95 to drive. I'll probably keep it another year or two. One or two of my friends that I have discussed this situation with have agreed that I probably won't get enough out of the white '94 van to break even, expenses-wise. Might as well eat the expense and invest in some karma. I certainly don't want to keep the '94, knowing what I know about its innards, but if it can serve someone for the next year or so, at least until it finally dies, so much the better.

Friday, April 10, 2009

JB Weld is your friend...

Okay...so I'm finally ready to start putting the '94 van back together. I had considered wrecking it, but I guess I'm going to go through with the engine re-build instead.

I am not certain why, but the block around the #1 cylinder, where the head gasket failed, was badly pitted and the residue from the gasket was particularity difficult to remove. It was almost as if the residue had been chemically bonded (glued) to the block. I finally ended up using a deck scraper to remove the gasket crud from that spot. Once cleaned, the extent of the pitting on the block was evident. I asked Marv what I could do to fix it; short of having the block machined. He told me I should "fill" the damage with JB Weld.

I've never used it before.

I mixed up a small amount, which was more than adequate to fill the damage, then applied it and shaved off the excess with a razor. The JB Weld is setting up and will be curing overnight.

Next we got some of the crud off the engine.

There was quite a bit of gunk - chiefly oil mixed with coolant - in the engine vee between the cylinders. I shopvac-ed it all out and cleaned what was left with paper towel. To do this, I had to remove the return pipe from the lower rad hose to the water pump. The pipe is in two sections, with a gasket in between and another gasket where it connects to the pump. I am pretty sure the pipe was leaking; judging by the amount of fluid crud that was sitting just underneath it on top of the engine block. I cleaned the pipe with steel wool.

I discovered severe pitting inside the sleeve that connects the two sections.

More JB Weld, please...

This little "repair" is turning into an all-out restoration project.