What order of steps do I go in for engine rebuild?

[Confederate1969]

I'm an amateur at this, being my first time ever rebuilding an engine. But I'm not asking this question without any background. I've done gobs of reading on this topic and I've gotten a lot of diversity on an answer.

So now that my block is bare and ready for cleaning and machining, I need to know what steps I should go in.

Do I get the block bored first (not knowing how far out I will have to bore to get it even and clean) and then shop for pistons to fit the new bore? The reason I ask this is that I've heard of people buying pistons first and having the block bored and getting the machinist to fit them into the bore. Doesn't seem like what I'd want to do, but what would y'all do?

Also, I was looking over my crankshaft today and all the bearings are smooth except for a teency tiny nick on one of them. I don't know what caused that along the way, but is this something that can be ground down as well?

I can't really afford nice new aluminum heads, so I have to keep the 906s. What compression should I be running to get a good street/strip car but not hurt the heads at the same time? Something like 10:1?

 

[Big John]

You'll need to buy pistons and have the block bored to fit the pistons... but really the first thing you can do is get the block to the machine shop and let them look at it and measure the bores. They should be able to tell you what oversize pistons you'll need.

Same with the crankshaft, let them measure it and it will either need to be reground or sometimes it will just need to be polished.

 

[Confederate1969]

Oh ok, that makes sense. Do machine shops usually charge you twice? Once for telling you what size overbore you'll need and then the second time to actually do the work?

 

[Big John]

No.. they shouldn't. Talk to your shop first, ask some questions. It might cost you a couple extra bucks, but it may be better and cheaper in the long run to buy the parts from them.

One other thing... try to find a shop that has a head plate to fit the big block Mopar.

The head plate is torqued on the block before its honed to size. The big block Mopar bores really move around when the head is torqued on. The head plate will simulate the head bolted to the block.

 

[Confederate1969]

I completely hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the advice John. It would probably also show that the shop is a bit more worth it's while if they have that sort of extra equipment on hand for Mopar work.

 

[Confederate1969]

Here's another question that just occurred to me, should I have the shop install the crank and pistons or do they just get the bores done and have you do the installation at home?

 

[69hemibeep]

Here's another question that just occurred to me, should I have the shop install the crank and pistons or do they just get the bores done and have you do the installation at home?

That one is your call, I do my own, but if you don't feel good about doing it the shop will do a short block for you. You need a ring compressor. torque wrench, and then there is the fitting of rings and getting them on the pistons. Its also easier to let them fit the cam bearings!

 

[Basketcase]

the reassembly is pretty easy. when I did my 440, the machine shop did the cam bearings, but we did the rest.

 

[george68hemirr]

Here's another question that just occurred to me, should I have the shop install the crank and pistons or do they just get the bores done and have you do the installation at home?

like big john said ask the guy at the machine shop questions
see what it would cost for the guy to do a short block which includes cutting or polishing the crank,boring the cylinders,boiling out the block,installing cam,rod and crank bearings,installing distributor bushing,installing rear main seal,installing crank,checking side clearance,putting together rods and pistons and piston rings and installing them,check side clearances between rods,setting up cam and timing chain and timing cover,windage tray,oil pickup,oil pump and oil pan......then all you have to do is get your heads check for straightness,,,maybe have them shaved, maybe a valve job and valve seal cups and then you can button up the rest.....if you are not sure about what you are doing have the guy in the machine shop do it for you...this way its done right and will last a long time without problems and the guy should stand behind his work....ask around to find a really good machine shop