Daily driver/trail rig project

Nice work Kyle. Good thing you sped up the cam bearing removal. Was starting to doze off. Lolll. Your making some really nice progress. . Sweet dude.

 

Sorry for not posting anything yesterday. I jacked up the cam bearing install and now I'm looking for replacements. I'll get back to you guy's when I can.

 

Well the only working vehicle has been commandeered so I decided to edit a video and post it along with some pictures while I wait. Here are the pictures and I'll post the video once I've uploaded it to YouTube.

So here it is, the master rebuild kit from Titan Engines. The only thing that had to be ordered else where were the pistons. Titan Engines only carry's pistons in either .030" or .060" over-bored versions for my engine. They had to find a set from a different company, which did cost a little extra, but what can you do. The great thing is that I never had to talk to another company, the guy I talked to handled the piston dilemma for me and got this rebuild kit to me in a little over 24 hours. This company is good in my book as far as customer service goes, and from what I can tell quality is on par with OEM stuff.

Here is the gasket set. I just noticed that you can't see a head gasket in there, I may need to go outside and make sure it came with the kit.

And this is just everything as it came in the box all packaged up.

 

from the look of your bore i bet your original pistons were in good shape. Are you going to reuse the rods or did you get new ones?

 

A couple of the pistons had chips and dings in them, besides they're not fun to clean. I will be reusing the old rods since they're in good shape and I've run out of funds.

 

Here's that video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoAGwVcaeAs

 

Iusually reuse my rods if it hasnt been rebuilt before.

 

OFFGRID Yeah I've only ever heard of or seen people change the rods if they're wasted (the rods not the people).

I also ran all over the rogue valley looking for someone, anyone! who had a set of cam bearings in stock. Unfortunately that whole overnighting thing means that part stores and machine shops don't have specialty items like that on hand. What this all means is that I threw away my 1 1/2 day advantage that I had after overnighting my rebuild kit. Back to a two day rebuild.

 

Okay so the Jeep isn't finished and I'm at college and here's the reason for it. One I got into a rush and broke parts and two I didn't have the right tools for the job. The parts I broke were one connecting rod, one piston, and one wrist pin that belonged to cylinder number 1. I was trying to put these parts together while waiting for the new cam bearings to freeze, and in my bravado I first put that piston together backwards. Then I took it apart and while putting back together the right way I chipped some metal off of the journal that the wrist pin sits in. Then finally I broke the whole f#%^ing thing with my sh$&y harbor freight press!! I mean what the hell kind of design is that anyway, press fitting pistons together, whats wrong with a good ole snap ring? Needless to say I snapped. And then I threw the damned thing across the yard. Yeah I know I'm a bit hot headed.
What happened was I ended up pressing the wrist pin in slightly cockeyed and it pushed a giant dent into the connecting rod not to mention press fitting itself to the piston (it's supposed to move freely on the piston). So I ended up shipping them of to the machine shop to get done right. The connecting rod and piston cost a hundred dollars to replace and I got charged $72 for them to assemble all six pistons. I just keep telling myself it was cheaper than breaking another set of those damned things.

Here's part two those fricken cam bearings. I tried everything I could think of to get those things in there correctly. I tried specialty tools, I tried homemade stuff, I tried squeezing tools, and just plane ole brute force. No matter what I did the cam shaft would not slide in all nice and neat. The problem with cam bearings is that they need to be perfectly straight once installed (something I obviously couldn't achieve) and without an actual cam bearing install tool it's incredibly difficult to do. The reason I didn't get one was that the cheapest cam bearing install tool I could find cost $82, and had bad reviews for quality issues. I couldn't even find one within 40 miles that I could rent. This was my biggest set back because without those bearings in there I can't put anything else back together. So when I get back home in May that block is going to the machine shop and having the bearings installed professionally.

In conclusion I'm sorry guys, but your going to have to wait another four months for me to finish this up.

 

@SILVERBACK0508. Nothing to be sorry about Kyle. You've done an incredible job. It's been fun watchin your build slash rebuild. Shit happens dude. And It is what it is. Don't sweat it dude. We'll still be here. Enjoy your College days. .

 

SilverBack.....your project has gone into the engine where many have never gone into before! Hope nothing was in the path of that flying f#%^ing piston...LOL Thanks for sharing the adventure and look forward to the followup in May/June

 

Ditto.

 

Awe man!

 

See ya in the spring dude. .