How difficult to assemble engine block?

[Bobby12many]

Im picking up my new (but somewhat broke-***) S13 this Friday, and I am seriously debating whether I want to delve into the internals myself or not.

He blew a rod through the preious SR in the car and swapped a new longblock on the head and threw it in there. Unfortunately, there is a knock on the newly installed block wihch is a suspected mis-installed/possibly spun bearing.

I am tempted to try my hand at doing a re-build on the block myself and adding some upgraded OEM parts on the cheap. I just dont know if Im getting myself into trouble....

On a scale of 1-10 how difficult is it to assemble a block if you have all the right tools?

[180fan]

Rebuilding the block without proper tools can make it very difficult, especially when having problems like spun bearings and such.

With a problem like a spun bearing, it can get very difficult and tools become very expensive very quickly. Let alone knowing how to use those tools and assuming you don't have anything like line bore issues where the machine gets pretty big and pretty expensive.

Are you familiar with stuff like micrometers and bore gauges? I used those two tools quite a bit during my rebuild including a few other things like a buret to figure a few other things out.

If you're not familiar with how to use those tools and how to read the measurements, what measurements are relevant to your build, etc. I'd take it to a machinist to do the build at least on just the bottom end, although the head should be checked over too.

[s13sr20chris]

yeah, if you dont have the tools then farm out your bottom end. if you pull the motor, pull the head, oil pan, etc. then give them a block with reciprocating assembly, you can get the bottom end work done at a reasonable price.

[Ni2s4s0aSnX]

You need the tools and you need the talent.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

running on the same lines as what the original poster wrote, since it's been agreed upon that without proper tools or talents the bottom end would best be farmed out to a competent engine builder/machine shop.

So how about the head, does one need to have special tools to rebuild a head or will you be able to get by with a set of sockets and a breaker bar a torque wrench and some 'ol fashioned elbow grease?

[180fan]

unless you're gonna get a p&p, or replace your valve guides...the tools I remember using the most on the head was a deburring tool and feeler gauges. There's that double ended suction cup thing for the valve seats, but the compound and the tool is actually pretty cheap. Oh yeah there's the valve spring compressor. That you should get either a good one or pay someone else to do since they can be a serious pain in the butt to deal with if you don't have a compressor that can deal with the head.

You should take an inside micrometer to measure out the bores on the cam towers before assembly and measure out the cams before you put them all together but other than that not too much else I can remember.

[benemorius]

IF you have the right tools: 7/10

since you probably don't: 11/10

[Touchdown038]

Machine shops are your friend when you don't have specialized tools. You can have them assemble the short block and all you have to do is add everything else, just using a torque wrench.

Of course, I assembled everything myself (minus valve job in the head) and only ended up buying about $30 worth of tools (doesn't include torque wrench or engine stand and hoist) like piston ring compressor and expander, plastigauge, micrometers, etc. So it really comes down to your mechanical skill.