Pull the Engine or Not for Valve Repair on 308

I pulled the head on the front side of the engine... but once the plenum is out of the way there is plenty of room to work. I dont think you need to pull the engine out... You will have to take off the cam covers anyway, to get it out, the stud clearance will be tight. I dont think you need the specal wrench for a 2 valve for head nuts... my advice use a huge breaker bar to break the torque on the nuts the first time. ... I had to use a palet knife and rubber mallet to wiggle the head off the studs... took about half hour to get it loose. it goes together much eaiser and faster.

 

Of course, if you start to think about changing hoses while you're at it, and setting the valve timing with a timing wheel, and cleaning the engine bay, and all those other "while I'm at it" projects that seem to creep up, then you might as well pull the engine and get everything done at once. It just easier that way.

 

if the heads have never been off before there is a strong possibility that the removal of the head will be a "challanging" expereince with the engine out never mind in situe lift it out, realistically there is only 7-10 hours effort to remove a engine if you have never done it before and have a hoist but you will benefit from a second pair of hands and you will usually find more that needs attention once you remove the engine.

Bite the bullet....

For fear of asking an obvious question, I presume you are absolutely sure you have damaged a valve ..... compression/ leakdown etc?

 

Pull it, the job will be SOOOOO much easier.

 

You'll need the dead weight of the block on the chain lift, to break the heads OFF!

Concur you might as well pull it, it'll give you more room to degree the cams and all that and you'll want to remove sodium valves at this time.....

 

Hi George,

Welcome to F Chat.
I just finished a major, with carb rebuild and hoses and was thinking a lot about how much easier it would have been to be doing the work on an engine stand. My 77 had about 30 k on the clock and i wasn't sure about the service history, so i am trying to get everything up to snuff.

If i was doing this job again, i would pull the engine. There are so many things you can't really know about unless you check them and as Mike said, everything is so much easier, (well i am assuming it would have been easier)

The stories of heads seemingly welded to the block are legion. If just one bolt breaks, you are going to be glad you pulled it.

I think one of the real positives is that you can feel a lot more confident about your work if you can really see what you are doing, make sure everything is really clean and sealed and tight.

For sure, you will do a lot more stuff, "as long as i am in there" but it will be so much more straightforward.

If you find a crack in the piston or any other ugly bit, you will be glad you pulled it.

hth,
chris

 

Definately pull the engine. Take loads of pictures as they will come in handy upon re-installation. Make the engine look pretty before you put it back!

You will have a ton of fun and great pride.

Gianluca

 

I agree, a few before and after pictures of my own rebuild for consideration. Before 27 years of dirt and grime/ oil leaks after nice and clean
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

On the advice of a concourse engine rebuilder in the UK this is what I did.

I cleaned the block with basic engine degreaser, then used a basic soaply water solution. Left the parts to dry for a couple of days.

I used a drill with a basic wire cleaner brush attached to go over the externals and clean any remaining marks.

The magic ingredient is actually makes the engine look so good is Simoniz five spoke alloy wheel paint, about 8 euro a can. used it to cover all parts, available on ebay.No primer required and straight onto the aluminium. Good oil and petrol resistance.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SIMONIZ,-5-WHEEL-SILVER-SPRAY-PAINT,-500ML-AEROSOL,_W0QQitemZ230258377623QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL080603174a14327

Regarding tips and tricks for pulling the engine best to get a number for someone on this board and speak to them easier than writing a manual on line.

Be careful that the hpist you buy actually has sufficient reach to centre over the engine..... deceptively long reach required on a 308

You could call me except I am in Ireland.....

 

The headers are tricky to remove, I'd just unbolt them from the engine and leave them in there..

To get the front one out otherwise you pull the RH wheel well liner and the gas tank......

 

Pulled my engine out again 2 days ago. I'm getting good at it. lol. Here's a couple of tips: most of the front header nuts are easyish to get at from under the car. Depends if you still have the factory heat shielding around them or not, I think. Mine are ceramic coated, so it's no problem. Leave the front headers in the car till the engine lifts out. Otherwise with some fancy upsidedown manoevering they come out the side when the A/C alternator, water pipe etc. are removed. Taking the bell housing off gives more moving room on the way up, especially if you haven't done it before. When you unbolt the engine and start to lift it remove the rear engine mount assemblies. That will give you a bit more clearance as well. PROTECT THE REAR WINDSCREEN. Hope that helps.

 

The trick to the raised logo is: Paint over everything with HiTemp wrinkle paint. Follow directions on can. After the paint is cured, take very fine Wet or Dry sandpaper on a block of wood and and wet sand the paint off the raised areas. Be sure to thoroughly wash the valve covers before you put them back on the engine - you don't want any sand in there.

 

Try PB BLaster, I think is the name of it, then a 4' cheater pipe, I don't recall the spec but they are torqued TIGHT!

 

They are right hand thread and tighter than hell. You should be able to get a more or less straight shot at it if you have the wheels off and a long enough extension. MAC tools makes one for impact wrenches that is 1/2" at the gun and 3/8" at the socket end. This is what I always use for this. Crank up the air pressure as high as it goes and let-er rip.

 

You may have already tried this but a trick that works very well for loosening seized/frozen nuts/bolts is to first TIGHTEN them. They only need to move a tiny fraction of a turn to break loose. Then you can loosen them. It takes far less torque to break siezed/galled fasteners loose by tightening them than it does to break them loose by unscrewing them. I don't know the science involved but I was taught this MAAAANY years ago and it works most of the time though there are always exceptions.

I have never found any of the penetrating products - PB, Liquid Wrench, WD 40, whatever - to actually work with a seized fastener. Heat - using the classic oxy-acetylene "flame wrench" will ALWAYS work but, of course depending on the location and nearby components, it is not always feasible.

Good Luck!

 

As already noted you have to do it without the universal in there....at least that's the only way I could get mine loose. I used a 3 foot pipe on my rachet and still had to pull like h*ll on it.

Also, don't use your torque wrentch as a breaker bar or you'll break it.

 

George,

Here's a thread on my engine removal that might help.

http://74.86.28.138/~ferrari/forum/showthread.php?t=166826

Good luck.
Pizzaman