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Practical Engine Building: Step 4: Block Preparation

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Step 4: Block Preparation

10.11

00:00 - Now that we've got all of our componentry back from the machine shop it's time to begin the actual assembly work.
00:06 We're going to begin here by preparing the engine block for assembly.
00:10 So we've got the engine block fitted to our engine stand, which is gonna make it much easier for us to work on the block.
00:16 The first step here would normally be to remove the oil gallery plugs or any remaining oil gallery plugs from the block to allow us full access to all of the galleries when it comes time to clean the block.
00:30 Now in the 2JZ this isn't so easy as the galleries aren't blanked off with a threaded removable plug.
00:38 So during the machining process the factory plugs were removed, everything was cleaned down, including the inside of the galleries during the machining process.
00:48 And then our engine machinist has made up alloy blanking plugs which have been pressed in to reseal these galleries.
00:54 So it's not going to be possible for us to now access those further.
00:59 What I'm going to start with here is cleaning out all of the threaded holes in the block using a tap.
01:05 Now while this 2JZ engine block is brand new, it's still a good practice to go through and clean out all of the holes.
01:12 This will make sure that there's no debris or corrosion in the holes.
01:16 It's going to ensure that all of our fasteners achieve the correct amount of torque.
01:21 So let's go through that now.
01:22 We'll start by just demonstrating on one of our head stud holes.
01:25 In this case the 2JZ runs an 11 by 1.25 millimetre head stud.
01:31 So I've got our tap here.
01:33 We're just going to run this through the block.
01:38 Now before I insert the tap into the block, I'm just going to use a light coat of cutting oil.
01:46 And this will just ensure that the finished threads are nice and sharp.
01:51 It's not gonna remove excess material.
01:58 So I'm just going to wind this tap down into the base of the thread.
02:04 And what we can do is just back it off occasionally to allow it to remove any debris into the flutes of the tap.
02:17 Now when we're cleaning out a threaded hole like this where the block is brand new, we should find that the thread is already really clean, and in this case we can see I'm not really requiring much effort in order to run the tap down the hole which is exactly what we'd expect.
02:35 Now once we reach the base of the thread, can just simply remove the tap.
02:53 Now I'm going to simply repeat this process for all of the remaining threaded holes on the engine block and you can watch along while I do this.
03:12 So with all of our threaded holes on the deck surface of the block now cleaned out, we're going to flip the block upside down and repeat the process on the inside of the block.
03:33 So now we've completed cleaning out the most critical fastener holes in the block.
03:37 Of course under normal circumstances we'd continue and also clean out all of the remaining holes on the block too.
03:44 Now when we're working on the underside of the block, quite often we'll find that because the main bolt holes or fastener holes are recessed deep into the block, we're not going to be able to actually use the conventional t-bar handle that comes with a tap set.
04:00 And what I use there is just a short quarter inch extension with the right sized socket to go straight over the top of the tap.
04:09 Now particularly if you have a t-bar attachment for your socket set, this makes it very easy, and it's a nice way of just extending your tap when you're cleaning out those recessed holes like that.
04:20 Now we're going to perform a thorough deburring on the engine block and because we've already got the engine block upside down, we'll start with the inside of the block.
04:29 Here what I'm going to do is use the die grinders as well as our power file to remove the casting flash.
04:35 And then I'll perform a thorough deburring and chamfering on any of the sharp edges.
04:39 Now what you may notice here as well is for this purpose I've got the under piston oil squirters reinstalled in the block, and I've also covered up the access to the main bearing oil holes which access the main oil gallery using tape.
04:57 And this just is going to prevent any of the dust and debris that we're going to create, making its way back into that oil gallery.
05:04 This is going to make our job a little bit easier when it comes to a thorough cleaning later on.
06:29 So that completes the deburring process on the underside of the block.
06:33 What we're going to do now is rotate the block up the other way and we're going to complete the same process on the deck surface.
07:18 So now we've completed the deburring process and we can obviously extend this out and deburr any other sharp edges that we find on the block.
07:27 This is also the point where we would be making any adjustments or modifications to the oil flow such as smoothing oil galleries, however in this case with our 2JZ this isn't going to be a requirement since the finished engine will be running an aftermarket dry sump lubrication system.
07:44 So at this point our engine block is prepared and ready to move on.
07:48 What we're going to do as well inside this module is cover the painting process which we're going to apply to this since it is a cast iron block.
07:57 This would obviously be a step that we would complete after the final cleaning of the block.
08:03 So let's have a look at the painting process now.
08:06 The first step of the painting process is to mask any areas of the block we don't want paint on.
08:11 Now we don't need to get too carried away here, and in this case you can see I've just applied duct tape to the deck surface of the block.
08:19 This will prevent paint getting on the deck surface as well as into our freshly honed bores.
08:24 Now while we could continue and mask the front of the engine as well as the sump rails, I find this generally isn't necessary.
08:32 When I am painting, I'm going to keep the engine block vertical like this on the engine stand.
08:37 And by being careful with the direction we're facing the spray can, this will prevent any overspray from making its way up into the crank case of the engine.
08:46 Now once we've masked the deck surface, we also need to give some consideration for any of the other fittings or tappings on the engine block that will go into an oil gallery.
08:57 So in this case this might include for example the oil filter housing location on the engine block, as well as perhaps any fittings for the turbo charger oil feed and maybe even the oil pressure sensor fittings.
09:12 We want to mask these to ensure that we're not going to get overspray or paint into the oil galleries from these fittings.
09:19 Once we've completed masking the block we can go ahead and apply two to three coats of our high temperature engine paint.
09:25 Now it's important to do this in a well ventilated area.
09:29 Want to apply two to three coats and allow sufficient time between each coat for it to properly dry.
09:34 This is going to give a strong and durable finish that's going to prevent any corrosion on the engine block.
09:40 Once we've completed the painting we can remove all of our masking and if at this stage we find that there is any areas where we've got some overspray on parts of the block that we don't want painted, we can remove this really easily using a rag and some isopropyl alcohol or brake clean.
09:57 It's important to remove this straight away because if we do allow it to dry, it's going to be much harder to remove.
10:03 So with our block preparation complete and our block painted, we can now move into the next step.

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