slik's sr20det rebuild

[slik_s13]

my sr locked up on me this morning for some weird reason i still have to pull that baby out. i searched rebuild on this forum and didnt get anything on anyone that has done a full rebuild with pics and stuff so may be i can help with that. im not sure of what damage has been done, but once i find out i will determine weather or not i will do a basic all oem sr parts build up back to new or almost new lol. or a build up with stronger internals. i would like to push some good #'rs. i know the bottom end of an sr is pretty strong so i might just build the head and put new oem bottom end agian. but first i need to find out what caused the lock up before i start getting ahead of my self.any tips?? or info on a rebuild would be greatly appreciatted!
Modified by sliksta1 at 8:55 AM 7/11/2007

[doridori23]

Pulling the head will tell you everything you could possibly want to know but what do you mean locked up? Did it Seize, hydro-lock, or just died and wont restart?

[slik_s13]

its really weird iwas just driving and it locked as in seized up. it didnt turn at all not even when i dropped the clutch as i was being pulled (ofcourse it was in gear) the tires just dragged along, it was funny i was drifting and the tires werent even turning. but after i got home from work i started to see if i could get it unseized, i went straight to the main crank puley put the 27 mm socket and breaker bar on there to see if i can get it turn, at first it didnt budge then i got it to turn.i turned the motor a few time using the breaker bar(back and foward). after that i tried to start the car and it didnt start it seemed to lock up/seize again. i turned the motor again with breaker bar to get it un locked. it did, then i go to start it again and it starts right up i said to my self it starts but lets see if it knocks or anything but it doesnt. i let it warm up for few but i didnt take it out on the road. im thinking there was water in the gas. any idea what could of happened?

[slik_s13]

bump..

[otterman]

It's grimlins... they love messing with motors.

[slik_s13]

yeah no ****, just like on the progressive car insurance comercial.haha

[doridori23]

Has it happened again?

For the motor not to turn while being towed and in gear you have to have a serious issue. Water in the fuel will just not let the car run unless you fill the cylinders with water in which case you could never ever turn over the motor by hand as water is virtually incompressible and with a 8.5:1 compression ratio the head or valves would leak before you turned the crank.

[slik_s13]

well i didnt take it out for a run cuz it started knocking. and i didnt want to risk putting a hole in the block, so i decided to pull that baby out. but before i do that i checked the timing to see if it was off but it wasnt, then i dropped the oil pan and i found some shavings at the bottom of the pan, so that has to be the problem there. now i am patiently waiting to barrow a cherrie picker to start the rebuild process. im gonna save my nickles and dimes for some forged internals and possibly do a stroker kit if i can afford it. it will just take some time. dont know for sure yet i still gotta pull the motor apart to see what extent the damage is. any suggestions?

[Hksuperman]

Also was hoping to find a rebuild guide with pictures, I have a rod knock , but havent done a rebuild before. Anyone know where to get a guide?

[slik_s13]

yeah it would be nice to find a step by step guide here on nico for everone to use. i got a print out of an fsm for s14 sr, so im hoping i'll be able to use that to rebuild my redtop.

[Hijacker]

I did some searching on this site and a quick google search and didn't really come up with any step by step tutorial on what to do.

But you have the FSM, that's all you need. It tells you how to do everything step by step from tearing the motor down to putting it all back together.

The only thing you won't get from the shop manual is just little tips and tricks that you pick up as you do more motor rebuilds. I can tell you right now you're gonna want an extendable magnet to get the headbolt washers out of the head when you pull the bolts out. They almost always fall off and are impossible to get out without a magnet.

Also, when you're putting the mess back together, be very careful not to let the timing chain sag once you put the front cover on. If it skips a tooth, you'll never know.

I also keep a bolt bucket for bolts from the outside of the block and a bolt bucket for bolts from the inside of the block. It helps cut down on possible muck getting back into the block once you start to reassemble it.

And from the sounds of your original post, you spun a bearing. Hence the knocking and metal shavings. If you ran it after it seized up the first time, I suggest taking it to a machine shop and have them gauge the main crank journals. If you're lucky you can bore them out and use oversized bearings.

And one thing I hate about using most aftermarket pistons is that I rarely get the rings pre-gapped. So if you don't want to mess with it, you could have the machien shop size and gap your bearings for you if you can get the block salvaged.

[slik_s13]

nice man thanks for the tips! yeah with the fsm i will have pretty much all the info i need, maybe we can fix that problem of not finding a tutorial any where on a sr rebuild, of course for those who may not have access to a fsm. i'll keep you all informed and if anyone has any other tips i would appreciate those also!

[Hijacker]

I'm might be pulling my motor out in late summer for a rebuild. If I do, I'll catalogue the process and make a good article out of it since I'll be rebuilding it back to stock specs

[slik_s13]

right on two is better than one and you probaly know more than me so i could use your guidance.haha. hows your setup now and why do you wanna go back to stock?

[Hijacker]

My setup is stock. I just want to freshen the block up and put a good metal headgasket in.

[slik_s13]

oh yeah i hear you on that. just a freshenupper make that baby as good as if it was brand new. that would be my best route to go being how im not that strapped. i could just get a loan out and go that route, but i'd rather save. can you post pics of your car i dont think ive seen it?

[Hijacker]

there's a link in my sig to my old car domain site

[slik_s13]

And from the sounds of your original post, you spun a bearing. Hence the knocking and metal shavings. If you ran it after it seized up the first time, I suggest taking it to a machine shop and have them gauge the main crank journals. If you're lucky you can bore them out and use oversized bearings.

i got a ?. so does guaging the main crank journals give me any sort of performance benifit? im guessing it help lubricate the bearings more, and im not too sure if im gonna be able to bore it out and i'll be able to use oversized bearings. how will i be able to tell?

[Hijacker]

when the bore out the journals, they had to check the ID of the journal against the OD of the crank journal to find a good match for a bearing to fit in.

It's performance benefit is that the car runs.

[slik_s13]

ok so they determine the size of bearings by the ID and the OD between the two journals, gotcha. getting that baby running is what im shooting for, so whatever it takes. thanks for the info!

[slik_s13]

BOTTOM END:ok so heres the scoop ive cleaned up my block and intake minifold measured crankshaft main journals and pin journals(con-rod journal), everything is good no damage just minor wear marks. so im going to take my block to the machine shop have them check the cylinder walls to see if they are straight, if they are straight im gonna leave the stock bore size and have it honed. if it needs to be bored im going .5 over(.0020). also im going to have them hot tank it to get the grime i couldnt get to. possibly have it redecked only if needed ( i dont think it does i checked it with a feeler gauge as needed, i just want to be double check by a machinist). then i will see if i can have them polish the main and pin journals of the crank ohh and cant forget balancing of the crank. im going to go with cp or wiseco pistonscon rod is brian crowerprobaly going to use cosworth bearings.there is alot of things you have to check on the bottom end and its a process and a half. everything is being measured using a micrometer. any sugestions are appreciated!

OIL PUMP/ FRONT COVER: ok so last night i cleaned it up degreased it and started checking clearances the only problem i saw with my oil pump is the inner gear to outer gear tip clearance maybe over the required limit. i think its .18 or so gotta check the FSM to be sure. now im looking for oil pump gear set and i googled and got a little help i found that japaneesegarage has some for sale but they are out of the country but i emailed them to see whats the price. i also search nico but no luck here. so does any one know of where to get a oil pump gear set for a sr20det?

[slik_s13]

bump. lookin for a source to get oil pump gear sets from.

[slik_s13]

ok so no info on the gear sets from anyone, its ok i think i'll just get the whole cover/pump.

but i have a question from those who delt with headgaskets. if im planning on running the same compression ratio but want a real reliable HG that could take a beating of 20-25 psi of boost. what would be the correct thickness of HG to get. i know if i get my block redecked i would needed a thicker HG but i am unsure of the thickness of the stock( i dont have my fsm right now, but as soon as get home i will check.)

so basically after having the block redecked im thinking i would have to measure bolck height and compare it to stock and see the difference and add that diffence to the stock headgaskets thickness to determine what would be a correct thickness. is this right? or would i be safe with using the stock again (new of course).