Easy To Do Diy Engine Work?

[Jimlad]

Looking in the future to replace my HG with a TRD/HKS one, also to get some forged pistons.

Curious as to how easy this is for someone to do this themselves.... or with help from a freind (rico .... :) ).

I'm not completely mechanically retarded (well nearly).

Cheers for any advice/info on this.

[Roytoner]

Are you going to do alot a track use??

[Jimlad]

nope.... but would be looking at getting a larger turbo in the future. Would just be to make sure I could oooop the power quite a bit.

[Bobby-H]

Looking in the future to replace my HG with a TRD/HKS one, also to get some forged pistons.

Curious as to how easy this is for someone to do this themselves.... or with help from a freind (rico ....  :) ).

I'm not completely mechanically retarded (well nearly).

Cheers for any advice/info on this.

←

It might be a bit of a pain in the ***** unless you can raise the car enough to be able to work underneath it easily. On the other hand, if you are doing major engine surgery you might as well take the engine out all togeather and then work on it, that should make things a bit easier.

[Stu8]

I'm currently replacing my headgasket with a HKS steel one.

link :bookworm:

I suppose you could fit the pistons but (if it was me) i'd be to scared to start the engine up untill a "proper mechanic" has inspected my handy work

[GIDDLEPIN]

Just a very small bit of advice; there is a shed load more you need to know but good luck

Make sure you have a nice big clear area and lay some cardboard out as you strip or remove items where possible put the bolt or nut back finger tight (this saves trying to figure out where it goes later), clean every item and lay it out on the cardboard like an exploded drawing of an engine (in sequence so that re-assembly is easier).

If you intend stripping the head and checking valves, seats and valve guides, keep everything in order usually counting number one from the pulley side.

The same thing with con rods, number one nearest the pulley. Check the position of the piston in the bore before removal and check the position of the con-rod on the crankshaft (even with a drawing you can cack it up replacing them)

If you’re not taking the crank out it is possible to fit new shells and thrusts but make sure there is no obvious scoring on the journals or absence of white metal on the old shells, do not put oil on the back face of the new shells but coat the front face liberally before assembly and if there is only one oil way on the pair of shells, make sure it lines up with the corresponding hole opposite the end cap in the con rod.

Check the little end bearings for wear (use a new gudgeon pin to test).

Check the cylinder bore for scouring and wear, if they are ok, cover the crankshaft journals and hone (glaze bust) the bores, if you don’t do this your new piston rings will never seal in the cylinders

Hope you’ve got the torque wrench, piston ring compressor, honing tool, and any other specialised tools necessary as well as the phone number of the local workshop ;)

[ricomr2]

So, to sum this up into a word for you Jim.....NO!

[boundsw]

I done the HG on my old NOVA GSI.

that was a dodle on a 1.6 8 valve engine !!

But doing one on a tubby would be more dificult (even though the same priciple), and doing the Piston!!! - Well i do all the work on my car, and Id want a little guidence !!

[Jimlad]

sounds complicated.... lol.

[Jinxed]

sounds complicated.... lol.

←

dunnit tho lol

either that or it sounds expensive

dunno which is worse... i really envy the people who can do this kinda stuff in their sleep ....proverbiably

[Black Knight]

I'm with Giddlepin. Make sure you have the right tools. For example if you try to remove the pistons the rings will open out and you'll never get them back in without a ring compressor.

I take a different tack with the nuts and bolts but it's horses for courses.

Way I do it is I've a tray broken down into segments. Each time I take a bolt out from a component it goes into one of the segments. For example all of the head cover bolts go in one segment, all the water pump bolts go in another and all the oil pump ones in another. The reasons are that (so long as you know the engine reasonably) you'll know where the bolts go back and you'll also know if you've missed putting any back in

[Bobby-H]

I'm with Giddlepin. Make sure you have the right tools. For example if you try to remove the pistons the rings will open out and you'll never get them back in without a ring compressor.

I take a different tack with the nuts and bolts but it's horses for courses.

Way I do it is I've a tray broken down into segments. Each time I take a bolt out from a component it goes into one of the segments. For example all of the head cover bolts go in one segment, all the water pump bolts go in another and all the oil pump ones in another. The reasons are that (so long as you know the engine reasonably) you'll know where the bolts go back and you'll also know if you've missed putting any back in

←

Pistons are always a bit tricky to get back in but you can make a home made piston ring compressor out of an old tin can or something similar by making a cut all the way along the side of the can (from top to bottom). Watch out though, the edges will be sharp!!!!

[jaxx]

it is straight forward if you ask me.

as long as your very careful and thorough, have a good set of quality tools and a place to carry it out

also a good chance to check all other internals

i plan to do mine after next years show season :)

[JappyBeast]

Thought u were selling!

[Tegan]

Good god andy you are alive!

[dawesy]

if you are thinking of doing pistons etc then i would reccomend removing the engine and gearbox. strip it down (les's advice is top but you can also take photos as you go aswell).

once removed remove the sump, head and ancilliarys <SP> and take it to an engineers along with the new bearings and pistons (If needed, but would reccomend getting a set of forgies) that way the engineer will give you back a ready assembled short engine with all the important torque settings done