[ Olivia ] Today on Motorz Chris is going to show you how to rebuild the bottom end of a Chevy small block. Presented by Amp Research [ Chris ] Welcome to Motorz. Now that we've got our Chevy small block back from the machine shop we can start to assemble the bottom-end, we're going to use brand new piston provided by Mahle motorsports new rods, bearings, and a crank from Eagle Specialty Products But before we get to the assembly, we've got to install our new freeze plugs and then using a wire brush we need to remove any loose paint on that block and then we're going to give it a fresh coat of Chevy orange Duplicolor engine enamel [ Chris ] Olivia, we've got a lot on our workbench [Olivia] I know, there's just so many tools this week. Why don't you tell us about them, Chris. [ Chris ] Alright, well guys to rebuild the bottom end of your Chevy small block you're going to need a cam bearing installation tool, kind of looks like this some white lithium grease, some WD40, a piston ring filing tool, as well as some small file, a piston ring compression tool, some engine assembly lube as well as some RTV, some thread sealant, some large sockets to help put in those freeze plugs, some wrenches, a punch tool, and some needle nose plier. We've also got all this stuff over too, Olivia, what ya got? [ Olivia ] That's right, even more tools we have some wire brushes, a pocket rule, a feeler gauge a pry bar, a torque wrench, a giant mallet some masking tape, Duplicolor engine enamel, work gloves disposable gloves, safety glasses, and I highly recommend an engine rebuild on this project. So if you love tools and are a hands-on guy or gal this is the episode for you. [ Chris ] We better get started, we've got a lot of work to do. [ Olivia ] Yeah! [Chris] After putting some thread sealant on the 3 inch plugs, use a 1/4" driver to install them on the oil journals back in the engine. We used teflon tape, but you can also use a liquid seal put some RTV around the outside edge of the freeze plug and then tap it into place using a mallet and a bearing tool or a 1 and 1/8th inch socket and then repeat for all 8 freeze plugs. Well now that we've got all of our freeze plugs installed, we can finally get to the paint. Now what we have to do first, we have to knock off some of this loose paint, using some wire wheels and our Dewalt angle grinder then we can clean off all the dust and give it a spritz. Just don't forget your safety glasses With all of our loose paint, dust and oils removed from our block we're going to paint it the original Chevy orange color using Duplicolor engine enamel, just use multiple, overlapping, light coats. [ Chris ] Now when we come back from our break we'll show you how to install those cam bearings with a cam bearing installation tool Before we can install our new pistons from Mahle Motorsports as well as our new rods and crank from Eagle Speciality Products we need to install our new cam bearings and make sure that our cam fits properly, now you can have your machine shop install these little guys for you or you can pick up a cam bearing installation tool just like this one the other thing you're going to need is a mallet. Now once we get these cam bearings installed as well as the cam plug in the back of our block, we can finish up our painting. There's an oil journal cut into the cam bearing surface you can see this oil journal coming from the block. The oil holes need to be at approximately 4 o'clock from the front of the block with it right side up. Using an inspection mirror you can look at the hole in the bearing and see that it is lined up properly with the grooves in the block There are 5 cam bearings to install and 3 different sizes. There's a specific location in which they need to be installed so if you don't chart or a list, use a micrometer to determine the proper placement. Now that we've got cam bearings installed we can get to our crank. But before we can toss that in, we've got to install a new rear main seal in both the block and the main cap, install our new bearings and then we can put our crank in and then follow that up with our new bearings on our caps. Install the 5 bearing in the block, so that the hole in each bearing lines up with the oil journal in the block and this alignment tab lines up with the groove at the top Take some engine assembly lube and coat the surface of each bearing place the crank on the bearing, just be sure not to damage the crank, bearings or your fingers! After inserting the bearing and putting a litltle bit of assembly lube on the bearing in the main cap, add some RTV to the mating surface of the rear of the cap Insert the two bolts in the main cap, and just finger tighten these for now once we're done with all the caps, we'll torque them down to 75 ft-lbs and we'll test the crank end-play. Installing that rear cap is real easy because it only goes in one way, now these other caps are a different story because they go in a specific location and face a specific direction. In the case of this one it goes in the 4th location from the front of our block, and this arrow indictates the direction towards the front of the block To adjust the crank end play use a mallet to hit the crank forward, use a pry bar to wiggle your crank towards the rear of the block, just make sure you're pressing against the block and not the end cap. Once we're done with this then we'll check the end play with a feeler gauge. Using a feeler gauge, check the end-play on both sides of the rear main cap, it should be 2 and 7 thousandths of an inch (.002 - .007) Pistons take a lot of abuse inside your engine so it's important that the piston you choose for your rebulld project are well manufactured, and properly engineered. So lets take a closer look why we choose Mahle Motorsports pistons for our rebuild project. [ Narrator ] Pistons handle many explosions per minute and travel at a high rate of speed resulting in wear that can damage your engine. So the manufacturing process is extremely important Mahle has been around for over 80 years, manufacturing precise, quality products. Their Mahle Motorsport pistons have features and benefits that seperate them from their competitors. Starting with ultra-flat ring grooves every Mahle Motorsport piston is machined to precide tolerances they've given a lot of attention to creating a flat ring groove completely around the piston flatter ring grooves mean a better seal in the cylinder which leads to longer, better, performance. Mahle even designed their own machinery to create their ring grooves and every power pack kit includes ultra-flat Mahle rings Their grafal anti-friction skirt coating is unique, the the screen print application provides superior adhesion and is designed to last over one hundred thousand miles. The coating is a compressible membrane that cushions to avoid harsh contact between the piston skirt and the cylinder bore. Reducing wear. on the bore and the piston skirt. Many piston failures are caused by inadequate pin bore quality and design. Every Mahle Motorsport piston is finish machined using CNC equipment to control shape, size and alignment. Mahle also deisgned their own equipment for this process resulting in unmatched consistancy and performance. Mahle Motorsport also created the slipper skirt forging design so that they could manufacture and properly manage the design of their piston. They use strong, lightweight low drag forging in every power pack piston kit. [ Chris ] Now that we know more about pistons as well as the advantages of using pistons manufactured by Mahle Motorsports, we can begin to assemble the bottom end of our small block now the first thing we need to do is install five rings per piston for a total of 40 rings. To gap all of your rings you're going to need a piston filing tool, a machinest file, a feeler gauge a pocket rule, safety glasses and gloves, and some tape to label each set of rings to match each cylinder. The 5 rings that you need to install on your brand Mahle Motorsport piston are the top compression ring the second compression ring, the top oil ring rail, the oil ring spanner and the bottom oil ring rail. Now the first thing you want to do is take the top compression ring and insert it into a cylinder one inch down, using your pocket rule then take your feeler gauge and check the gap, which varies for each ring now if that gap is too small you can widen it by using a piston ring filing tool and then deburr the edges using a machinists file. Now repeat this process gradually for each ring, now this could take awhile so be careful and take your time. The parts that make up the piston assembly include a piston pin, retaining clips, oil ring assemble, the upper and lower compression rings, the connecting rod, and of course our Mahle Motorsports piston. Now once fully assembled this is what it looks like Mahle includes a diagram that shows the correct positioning for the piston rings in relation to the front of the engine. Our connecting rod is pointing toward what would be the front of the engine. All of our rings have been layed out on our table in the correct position that they would be installed on the piston. The oil expander ring which goes between the two oil rings, butts together, it does not overlap! The pistons and connecting rods can only go in the block one way, so before assembly, you need to match up the connecting rod with the piston for each cylinder the beveled edge goes toward the crank and the non-beveled edge goes toward the other connecting rod on the same part of the crank. Start assembling your piston by installing one of the piston pin clips, try not to damage the piston skirt but if you scratch the area like we did initially that is ok. Using engine assembly lube, coat the piston pin openings in the piston as well as the connecting rod and the piston pin, then slide the piston pin into the assembly. With the piston pin inserted, install the other clip Now that the piston is assembled, install the rings as we described earlier, using the diagram, be careful with the compression rings they're brittle and can break. Make sure you put the bearing on in the correct location, they're labeled upper and lower Line up the notch in the bearing with the notch on the connecting rod. When we come break we'll install our pistons. Now with our pistons properly assembled and the rings in the correct position we can put them in our block, but before we can do that we need to compress our piston rings we're gong to use a piston ring compression tool for that, once that's on there we can add our bearing with a little but of assembly lube on there then we'll take the handle of a rubber mallet once we have this inserted, and tap it on down in. When tightening the ring compression tool, make sure some of the piston skirt is exposed to make it easier to get the piston into the bore Carefully insert the piston into the cylinder, making sure that ring compressor tool is seated around the edge of the cylinder, hold the tool down onto the block and gently tap the piston, guiding the connecting rod down so it doesn't scratch the the rod journal on the crank. Add assembly lube to the connecting rod bolts and tighten the rod caps by hand and then repeat for all 8 piston assemblies when you're finish, torque all the connecting rod bolts. The manufacturer of the connecting rod bolts recommends that you tighten and loosen each one of these 4 times. Now we've already done this prior to assembly so they only thing left to do is torque each one down to 40 ft-lbs. [ Olivia ] Partz is brought to by the Sears Blue Tool Crew [ Chris ] Now we use these bad boys on our show all the time including this episode where we used a cam bearing installation tool to install new bearings in our small block Chevy engine. They're called dead-blow hammers and they're made by our favorite tool manufacturer Craftsman Now available in 3 different sizes, we just have 2 right here They come in 1 lb, 2 lb and 3lb and their 14" fiberglass handles feature a really nice ergonomic grip for more safety and less fatigue as well as just being easy to hold and feeling great in your hand. So what's the difference between a dead-blow hammer and your standard rubber mallet you ask? Well, a solid mallet rebounds when you strike it whereas a dead-blow hammer does not. This rebound effect can cause fatigue over time which is good for your arms and hands. Now check this demo out. now see the difference? the rubber mallet bounces, which the dead-blow hammer stops dead in its tracks what this means to you is that it delivers more power to the striking surface and you decrease the risk of injuring yourself. Whereas a typical mallet is solid a dead-blow is hollow and typically filled with sand or lead shot which absorbs the impact and concentrates all the energy in a single focus point. Commonly used in the automotive industry for everything from popping out dents, shaping metal, chassis work and of course our engine rebuild project. Your garage won't be complete without at least one of these Craftsman dead-blow hammers. So head on down to your local Sears store or shop online at sears.com/tools to get yours today! You can add a ton of aftermarket accessories to your vehicle, and pimp out your interior with all the latest gadgets for your smartphone, mobile devices, and even add a killer stereo system but there is one part of your ride that all of these things depends on. In fact these days you can't even start your car without one, now I'm talking about your battery of course but not all batteries are made the same, so while it's tempting to replace your dead battery with something cheap you're going to end up regretting that decision later on down the road when it's old and tired and can't get back on the road for this very reason we're going with this battery from XS Power for our Motorz F150 project truck, now what sets it apart from other batteries is the type of lead and the amount of it made from 99.999% pure virgin lead, they use a a tin technology which allows them to made the lead plates in each cell thinner this allows them to pack more plates into each cell, which as you can imagine, means more lead in the battery. It also means you have a quicker recovery after load is removed from the battery. So more lead than a standard size battery, and the best kind of lead means you're buying an incredibly strong battery that is capable of high power when you need it most they're perfect for races, car radio and off-road enthusiasts, and of course your daily driver, mount it in any location without the fear of the battery leaking and it comes with a 3-year non-prorated warranty and a 60-day no-hassle money-back guarantee. Now for more information check out the Partz page at our website. Dang, it's pretty heavy too! With as much as you put into your engine rebuild project the end result you want to look great and be proud of Afterall, you want it to look as good on your Facebook wall as it runs under your hood Now Holley allows your small block to dress to impress with these throwback polished aluminum valve covers. Reminescent of the early 70's nothing was cooler than sporting these M/T finned aluminum valve covers for added cooling each die cast cover is precision manufactured with knock out plugs for stock PCV and oil fill installations. Plus the M/T polished top cover surface can be used for engraving your name horizontally next to the deep heat disspating fins. Hey! I think we need to get our Motorz logo engraved right there, that would look cool. Now another added benefit is reduced valvetrain noice, plus they look awesome. Now get a set today for your engine and have the best looking small block on your block Now our Partz page has a link, so check it out! And check out this cool looking throwback box, I like that! Now earlier in this rebuild episode of our Chevy 350 small block engine you saw how easy it was to take our drab looking junkyard engine and make it look brand new again after we got it back from the machine shop. All it took was this simple can of Duplicolor engine enamel, it features their easy touch conical nozzle which is designed to provide superior coverage and control with a conical spray its ceramic resins resist heat up to 500 degrees farenheight and offers maximum heat dissipation while retaining its high gloss finish. Now the enamel is resistant to oil and other automotive fluids and will not blister, flake, crack or peel. Perfect for engine blocks like our Chevy 350 all your engine accessories, or anything else under the hood. So whether you want to restore your engine to its original color or change it up, look no further than Duplicolor engine enamel. Rattle can paint never looked so good! Check out the Partz page on our website for more info. [ Olivia ] Letterz, brought to you by E3 Spark Plugs Born to Burn. [ Chris ] Hey, welcome to Letterz now before we get started I want to remind you to check our Facebook page and facebook.com/motorztv and follow us at Twitter.com/motorz Now we've got stuff going on all the time, we've got behind scenes photos and videos we've got captions this stuff going on at Facebook, which is real fun and we're giving stuff away. We've got a contest every month where we're giving away a free cover from Covercraft, thanks to Covercraft and Katzkin and we've got free tools we're giving away every month from the Sears Blue Tool Crew so please check out our website and our Facebook page and find out everything that is going on Now lets get to our first letter. It comes from AJ White, he says Hi Chris, I've been a long time subscriber of the show and I just wanna sy I love every minute of it. My question is would you guys ever consider doing a show on window tinting? I think this is something a lot of viewers would like to learn how to do but don't know how to or don't know what materials to get. Thanks Chris, you've got a viewer for life. Well thanks, AJ. Now this is a question we get all the time actually and we are planning on doing a window tinting episode to show you how to do it on different kinds of vehicle and also what laws may affect you depending on the area that you're in. So stay tuned to Motorz, keep on watching, man. Wail writes in and says: Hi Chris! I've been watching seasons 1-3 and not only annoying my family from not getting out and helping them, but the show gives me the urge to grab a wrench and disassemble some stuff on my '99 Grand Marquis. My question is, how hard is to grab the 5.4 and replace the 4.6? and what would be awesome is that doing some work, maybe on a junk-yard muscle car and trying to restore it. Not only is that gonna increase the episodes of the show but imagine the things that's involved in restoring a car. The is show is awesome and looking forward to more episodes and even more seasons! Thanks Wail, now swaping out your 4.6 for a 5.4 is not going to be an easy thing you're definetly gonna want to replace your computer and wiring harnesses associated with the engine and transmission systems and probably a whole lot more. Now as far as restoring an old muscle car, we're actually going to be doing that. We've got an old beater Mustang, and we're going to bring it back to life. Now Josh Robinson writes in and he asks a question about our old Jeep CJ that we started work on awhile ago Hey Chris! Love the show. Are you planning to do an episode to finish the spring over axle coversion and lift on your CJ "blue dog" anytime soon? I own a 95 YJ and been thinking about doing a spring over axle conversion on it myself. Well Josh, we actually did lift the vehicle but we didn't do the spring over axle conversion, and unfortunately you're not going to be seeing anymore of that old Jeep CJ, I know it was a lot of fun working on, but we have the darndest time trying to get parts for it, and we just had to move on with the show so unfortunately we gave it up. So the episodes that you've already seen, sadly, are it. Now Michael writes in and says: Hey I came across your Chevy small block 350 teardown episode and I loved the video, it helped me out a lot Do you guys have a video on how to build and put everything back on the motor from a bare block? Well Michael, check it out, you're watching it write now well, you gotta rewind to see it in case you missed it. But we're doing it right now now once we're all done all of these episodes will be available online as well as on television and you'll be able to buy a single DVD that will have all the episodes on it for you. And finally David Knutson writes and he says :On the episode where you installed the auxilliary lights, what was the grille and bumper on the F-350? Well David, the bumper was from ARB and the grille was from Putco. That's spelled P-U-T-C-O, and I want to thank David and everybody else for sending in your letters for this episode you all get E3 Spark Plugs for your ride, to find out more their Diamond fire technology or to find out if they're available for your ride, just head on over to their website. There are a lot of steps and details in rebuilding the bottom end of your engine, but thankfully having the complete assemblies from both Mahle Motorsports and Eagle Speciality Products makes things a lot easier just remember to take your time because there is a lot of tight tolerances, and if not properly assembled it could lead to catastrophic engine failure. But if properly assembled you could get years of life out of this thing. We'd like to thank Mahle Motorsports as well Eagle Speciality Products for all of their help with this episode, and for more information on all the parts and tools we used, just head on over to our website, www.motorz.tv. We'll catch you next time on Motorz!
