Started my engine rebuild Saturday and the thread title pretty well sums it up.
Got the main bearing clearances checked and the crank installed and they were all on the low side of the tolerance so that should at help the oil pressure.
But my God that was a time comsuming job.
And one other point of high hilarity, I thought I wasn't going to be able to find all the new bolts needed to put this thing back together.
Fortunately, one of the guys in the service department at the local Chevy dealership pointed me in the right direction or this could have turned ugly real quick considering I had already bought most of the parts.

I got the bottom end finished today and all the oil clearances looked very good, the part I was most worried about, so I doubt there'll be a problem with the rest of it.
Main thing is, it's been so long since I did a motor job and these motors are so pickey about how they're built I just wasn't feeling too confident about it.

I had my buddy at the machine shop bore gauge the cylinders when he installed the cam bearings and the worst cylinder had slightly less than .0007 total wear.
He told me to "shut up worrying about it and start turning wrenches" LOL!

But spare me a kind thought if you can, I got a feeling I'm gonna need all the help I can get before this is over with.

Jim

Pictures or it didn't happen

Good luck with your tinkering!

-C-

That is well beyond my skill set.

Been 35 years since I worked on a tore down Motor, Don`t think it would go so good if I tried it now. More
power to ya for having ambition to take on the job of a motor re-build.

What're ya rebuildin', and what's it goin' in?

Series II 3800 V6 out of my 01' model Grand Prix GT.
It's been sitting in my shop since Christmas while I saved up the money for parts.
Thought it had developed a rod knock (that's what I get for thinking) but it turned out to be a collapsed lifter.
By the time I discovered I made a stupid mistake it was way too late, had the engine out and half way torn down.
My wife pointed out that since the car had 144k miles a rebuild might be a good idea anyway.
Overall the engine is in great shape, the car was a one owner and the lady that had it took very good care of it.
The lifter threw me because I've never owned a car with a roller cam and even experienced mechanics tell me it's very hard to tell the difference between a bad lifter and a rod knocking.
Lifter problems and intake gaskets seem to be about the only major concerns with this particular engine.

If I hadn't got such a good price on the car I couldn't have justified what it's ultimately going to cost for this rebuild.
But the car is in such good shape and it's a blast to drive so I probably would have dumped the money in it anyway.

Oh well, gotta get back after it before I talk myself into not getting off my ass.

Jim

The way I usually tell is by pulling the suspect cylinder's plug wire if it's a gasser or dropping the injector in a diesel. With no bang a rod knock will almost always disappear. Valve train noises almost always continue.

The last motor rebuild I did was for class in 1992. Chevy 350 that went into my 69 Chevelle. I got a "B"... which is stupid, cuz that motor is still runniing..

last time I tried anything like that was around 1982 or 83 nowadays I take the car to a shop to get the oil changed LoL

I'm looking to work on our 1977front pontiac catalina 301 ci. It is sounding like a rod knock too. It has great compression and needs mostly minor body work to get it in line for restoration. Just checking on how much it might be worth versus what will have to go into it. Seats and carpet will have to be redone.