Thanks Les, I did just that. I love how it looks now!! Red was definitely the right choice. Onto the next, lapping all the new valves in. Hopefully I can get that done tomorrow.

 

Very nice!


George

 

Agree!
Just remembered to tell you to decide how you're going to deal with rear main seal, before putting the oil pan back on. I think you can do it without the tool but you will have to take the seal housing off the back of the engine.

 

Thanks guys, this has been in the back of my head Les. I think I will install the rear main seal with some bored-out PVC pipe. The main problem is going to be getting space to change it. Since I won't be able to change it with it on the stand I have 2 options as far as I see, I could go get a chain and rig something up using my rafters in the garage. I would need to make some calculations to see if it would even hold that much weight but the engine doesn't feel too terribly heavy. I see its published dry weight is 450lbs, this must be with everything on right? There's no way what I have on the stand now weighs close to 450lbs. The other option would be to wait until it's pretty much ready to go back together and I rent out the cherry picker again. Les, I'm still a bit confused about how putting the oil pan back on is going to work. You said I can put it back on before it goes back in then tighten it all up once it's in the truck again, how does this work with applying the rtv?

 

Im thinking that you can remove the seal housing. Then drive the old seal on through to remove it. Then lube outside of new seal with teflon pipe sealant and push into place evenly and carefully with the flat part of a big piece of wood like a 2x8 with your two hands on each side while it is sitting on the floor. If it needs to go below the edge of the housing, then the piece of correct size PVC pipe could be used to drive it in a little further. Only put teflon sealer on the seal itself so the extra ends up outside after seal is pushed in. What do you think? Can you get the housing off over the crankshaft with the engine on the stand?

As for RTV on oil pan gasket... Isn't this a 1-piece pan gasket? I suppose if you use a metal straight edge to ensure alignment of the back of pan with the back of block, it could be tightened fully. Maybe my opinion on pan alignment is overkill.

 

I guess I'm too late to suggest you paint the block pink. Drat! Just think how easy it would be to see any oil leaks if it were pink. LOL

 

Alright that sounds like a good plan I will look into that more today when I'm out there, I'm going out to start lapping the valves now. I recently figured out that getting machinists blue around here is not possible so I'm thinking I will just use a blue sharpie instead? It is indeed a one-piece gasket, the manual still says to put rtv in the corners though. The manual also stresses the oil pan alignment with the transmission and says to measure at different points the clearance to make sure it's within spec, however, I have a video of the oil pan before I took it off and it looks like it was lined up dead straight with the back of the block. I'm a bit torn on this for now with how I'll put the pan back on I'll have to think about it a bit more.

 

Try for Permatex 80038 (called non-drying Prussian Blue). If you can't get it, the sharpie would sort of work - but much more difficult to see contact area since it dries. For the oil pan, I suppose just try to make sure it is flush with the engine block after you get the oil pan tightened down. Take a carpenter's square or another straight edge and check across two spots on the block against one on the oil pan trans surface in a couple of places and make sure they are all even as you tighten down. That should be plenty good enough. if not you can tap the pan back and forth a bit to line it up before finishing tightening.

 

A pink engine, wouldn't that be something Christine LOL. Okay, I looked for the Prussian blue and my best bet would be getting it off Amazon. That sounds good for installing the oil pan. Guys... Whoever has used one of these suction cup hand lapping tools, you are my hero. I have the big and small ones and can certainly say they both belong in the trash, I cannot get them to stick well at all and I've exhausted every option to try making them stick other than supergluing the damn thing on. I'm going to have to restrategize here because it would take me ages to lap 6 valves with this tool I haven't even got one done yet. I'm refraining from bringing out the drill but I can definitely see why people do now!! I'm thinking of getting some hose to fit tight over the stem of the valve then putting an old valve in the other end and using that to turn, any other ideas are more than welcome here. This guy shares my pain and made a video of it here.
To add on, Les you were totally right about the sharpie, it also sucks. I'm going out now to get some better tools, that Permatex Prussian blue and some fuel line. Hopefully, this time around works better.

 

Try some spit on the suction cup, a weak spring underneath the valve head just strong enough to hold it off the seat, then push down on the stick while spinning both ways between/using your open palms. Close valve just lightly when lapping, and dilute the lapping compound with cutting oil so not so sticky (if required).