246 engine rebuild

What is an "engine leveler" - must be a device that keeps the engine level as it's pulled out of the car? What did you use for a hoist - cherry-picker or ceiling? Looks like the Dino engine has mounting holes to match the plate on your Flowmaster stand?
Thanks,
Bill

 

Bill (Klitz) - the leveler is simply a device that allows one to tilt an engine when hanging on the hook of the cherry picker. When removing the Dino engine, the bell-housing end my go down - quite a bit - to clear the engine bay. Thus, when lifting the engine out, the engine will have the pulley end pointing towards the ceiling, while the clutch end will be pointing down.

It is virtually impossible to do this with ropes or chains hooked over the cherry picker chain-hook. The leveler is a flat bar with a hole in the middle. One end of the engine is supported on one end of the bar, while the other end is supported at the other end of the bar. The simplest variety, as described, allows one to pivet the engine around this hole. More sophisticated systems have a long threaded screw that moves the center of the bar (the hole) left and right along the bar, thereby providing for imbalance and tilting.

Hope this makes sense.

Jim S.

 

For Jim S.

You definitely do not want to sandblast anything that's aluminum! Beadblasting is okay but even with that you must use caution with soft alloys and porous castings. A hidden danger with any blasting media is residue remaining in corners, crevicies, oil passages, etc. Be sure to clean, clean, clean. A friend beadblasted his brake calipers (off the car and disassembled) to make them look "new" and couldn't figure out for months why his brakes repeatedly got spongy after a few weeks use despite repeated flushings. You guessed it, blasting residue in the hidden places inside the calipers.

Probably the easiest way to clean unpainted aluminum castings is to use an off-the-shelf engine degreaser spray (foam or otherwise). Gunk makes a good one. Just follow the directions. Also keep in mind that not all castings in your engine compartment will look the same -- different textures and colors. The bell housing, not structural, not finished, is different from the block, structural, somewhat finished, is different from the cam covers, not structural but finished. So if you want originality, but not pretty and shiny, go with the cleaner on the bell housing, block and heads. For the cam covers use the cleaner followed by the used, less abrasive teflon pad or very fine steel wool applied lightly or you'll get a gray discoloration. That's how they looked out of the factory. And don't be surprised when the aluminum oxidizes. It always will and we call that "patina." With good wine and good women we call that "gracefully aging" and it's meant to be enjoyed.

So enjoy,

Bill

 

great thread! thanks for posting.

I love Dinos! keep the pics coming as you get things done.

 

Doing a google search on the phone number I see:

Craig Racing Engines
1745 Walla Walla Avenue
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone (509) 522-3811

http://www.craigracingengines.com/

 

T.O. Dino- I would love to get pics of what you have been doing to the engine bay & rear end. I am going to pull my engine & detail the chasis,redo the brakes , lines etc. I am nearly finished with my interior (one door & the dash left) and I will be into the engine & rear suspension next. Thanks