Silver Track Car – Engine Rebuild

Things have progressed rather slowly but I have pretty much completed the engine rebuild.  This rebuild is very similar to one that I did for the Orange Track Car (see articles here and here).  Here are some facts about the rebuild (from the bottom up).

• I used an existing oil pan that I had that had the Lindsey oil pan baffle door installed.
• New oil pan gasket.
• New rod bearings and new main bearings.
• Cleaned out oil passages in block.
• Crank journals polished at the local machine shop.
• New nuts on the rod bearing studs.
• Pre-fit and verified all bearing clearances with Plasti-Gauge.
• Used existing pistons and rods, with new rings.
• New seals on oil “fill” tower.
• New rear main crankshaft seal.
• New clutch and throwout bearing.
• New head gasket.
• Head machine work- new valve guides, 3 angle valve grind, head gasket sealing surface machined flat.
• New valve stem oil seals.
• New balance shaft bearings.
• New cam, crankshaft, and balance shaft oil seals.
• New shaft seal spacers, i.e. the metal surface that the seals ride on.
• New idlers/rollers.
• New timing and balance shaft belts.
• New water pump and thermostat.
• New exhaust manifold studs.
• New radiator hoses.
• New spark plug wires.

So that’s a lot of stuff to keep track of and to get installed.  I use the Porsche shop manual and the PET drawings a lot to keep track of where I was at.

Last weekend I spent several hours puzzling over the vacuum hose routing.  There is little diagram on the wheel well but it’s still a damn puzzle.  I fortunately had my other car to refer to.  So I’m getting close to firing this puppy up!  Maybe this weekend.

Costs:  My total parts costs from Paragon-Products was $2352.

The most costly item was the clutch kit, at $685.  Spark plug wires (not really a rebuild item) were $129.  So we’re down to $1538.  Machine shop charges were $350 so we’re back up to $1888.  My budget had been $1425, which didn’t include any of the small items I bought.  So not bad all in all.  Even if I manage to trash this engine somehow, a lot of items like the clutch, hoses, and spark plug wires can go on the next engine.

Oh, by the way, I weighed the engine.  375 pounds, without the A/C compressor but with alternator and starter.