So, Update time...
Rocker shafts are still in the freezer, and I haven't yet had the chance to heat the pedestals. I'm wondering about giving the inside of the pedestals a light rub down with high grit paper to make sure they don't have anything which is catching, and then also giving the shafts a chamfer on the end with a grinding wheel. Or I could just be patient and wait for the new shafts to arrive which will hopefully just fit...
So, instead, today I've been cleaning rocker covers again - and now have them at a stage where I'm happy to call them clean enough. They will now get masked and painted. I've tried getting the oil filler tube out of the RH one, but it's stuck in there solid.. even an oil filter strap wrench wasn't moving it.. but hey, I'll just mask around it and be done with it.
So with that done, I turned my attention to the big shiny thing sitting in the garage, and decided it was time to make a start. The logical place was to get the cam installed, so got it out of it's protective bag where it's been the last 4 years!
And give it a rub down with some carb cleaner, and paper towel to remove the protective rust inibitor coating that was on there. Next I loosely (finger tight only) bolted the cam timing gear onto the front as per Ferryman's suggestion (thanks for that!) to aid with controlling the cam when fitting it to the block.
Next, it was put on the bench and cam lube smeared all over it - mounting surfaces and cam lobes
There is a load more lube left, so this will get dripped onto the lobes through the holes in the casting on the block, and also smeared on the tappets when they get installed to make sure it's nice and ready for when it gets installed and run in.
I didn't get any pictures of it actually going in as I had my hands full, but it went in nicely, and turns smoothly and freely.
I then took the gear off and fitted the new thrust plate, and bolts, and torqued them up to the required 25Nm. Then got the new timing chain and crank gear out and fitted them, along with the cam gear again and got the timing lined up
Then decided to get the ARP studs out and put them in the block. This was when I remembered/found again that there was no ARP lube included. The instructions only mention about lubing them when putting the washers and nuts on, so figured I would fit them to the block, at least to satisfy myself that they will all go in OK and without trouble.
I did them up finger tight as the instructions said, but found that a couple of them were about half a turn out from being all the way in - so gently tightened them with an allen key in the top of the stud, and they all then seated fully. As the instructions said hand tight only, I then backed the studs back out a few turns with the allen key, and then re-did them back up again hand tight. This time they all went all they way in. I then checked with a steel ruler the height of the studs sticking out, again to satisfy the perfectionist in me that they all actually were all the way in. There were a couple that were about 1mm lower (58mm out of the block rather than 59mm - and no not any of the ones that needed the earlier 'tweak' to get all the way in either!) but I figured that isn't going to make a big difference in the grand scheme of things, as I'd rather know they are screwed all the way in, than leave it out 1/4 turn to make it the same height - I tested the theory on one of them, and it just still felt loose - so did it back up hand tight again and left it!
And that is about progress for today...
The front cover had a second coat of paint on the front this morning, and the coverage it looking pretty good. I'm trying to decide if I put a 3rd coat on, or just leave it. I'm leaning towards just leaving it at the moment - it's hardly seen and 2 coats is going to give it a bit more protection against inevitable oil leaks/stains, and workshop track mud!
I'm about to go and unmask the rest of the plenum parts, and tomorrow I'll bolt them all back together with the new gaskets, and that can then get bubble-wrapped and set aside ready for later in the build. I will need to tidy the bolts up as the heads were a bit rusted, but maybe a quick spray once they are done up will tidy them up...
New oil pump gears are ready to fit, likewise the oil pressure relief valves have new O-rings ready to go on, and then they can be reinstalled and new front seal fitted. That would then see the front cover pretty much finished and ready to go on the engine.
The heads are ready to fit aswell, I just need to wait for the ARP lube to show up and then I'll get the head gaskets out, and start doing the scary torquing sequence...
So, the kind of order of things I see happening now...
Reassembling upper manifold parts/throttle body
Masking and painting rocker covers
Final cleaning/masking/painting sump
Fitting oil pump gears (and pack with vaseline) to front cover
Refit oil pressure bypass/relief valves with new O-rings. Fit new oil pressure switch, and front seal
Fit front cover to engine
Fit head gaskets/heads to engine once ARP lube arrives.
Reassemble rocker shafts once new shafts arrive/make current new ones work if the Bearmach ones aren't any better...
Add more lube to the cam/lobes/tappets and fit the tappets
Fit rocker gear when assembled, and shim appropriately for correct preload
Drill/Tap lower inlet manifold once LPG nozzles arrive (have been ordered now!)
Mask/Paint lower inlet manifold once nozzles are fitted
Clean petrol injectors, and fit new O-rings
Fit valley gasket, end seals, clamps
Fit lower manifold/fuel rail, and make mountings for the LPG injectors. Also scavenge the injectors from the RR and blank off the inlet hosework to allow it to still run on petrol, but give me the injectors to mount on the new engine.
Fit oil strainer, sump etc
Buy and fit new water pump
Maybe purchase ancilliary mounting brackets so these can be cleaned and installed on the new engine - again another thing that should make the swap quicker..
I'm sure there is more to add to the list, but I'm also hoping I can start ticking a few things off soon!!
The 'to buy' list is currently:
New water pump,
Spark plugs,
Cooling hoses
Ancillary mounting brackets
Possibly new starter motor
Possibly alternator - either refurbished, or one to refurbish myself
Crank pulley bolt/washer
Everything else I've forgotten...
Marty
'06 4.2 Supercharged Black/Cream "Jess" -- Bought April 2021 (NZ)
'01 4.6 Vogue Black/Lightstone "Snog" -- Bought Jan 2012
'99 4.6 HSE Cobar Blue/Lightstone -- Sold March 2009
'95 4.6 HSE Epsom Green/Tan -- Traded June 2008