Too much idle time has me thinking in too many directions.
The motor as it sits now, I think there might be an issue with number 1 as the plug blackens much more quickly. Haven't done a compression test. The idle sounds a little funny, but I've been told that's the injection. Other than that, it runs pretty darn good.
My main resoning for "needing" the rebuild is just the knowledge of what I know of it's history, and the knowledge of lots of steel bits having gone through the engine. It just seems to me if I'm going top keep the car for a long time, or even sell it, it's going to need an engine without issues like this one has endured.
The aluminum block thinking is just me dreaming out loud, and in all probabilities won't happen.
You are correct, I am a bit scrambled in my thinking. Again, thanks to everyone for tolerating my "style", I've just found myself in a position I never expected, having trouble dealing with it.
I appreciate everyone's help. After I deal with these minor issues I'll look into finding the right computer and deal with the tune.
Even without the tune, the car runs well and I'll be back driving it, then I think I'll get my sanity back.
I've worked on the car til my health stops me. Still recovering from open heart surgery, and these cars are just so darn hard to work on!
I'll get things straightened out and try not to waist anyone's time in the process.
I really do appreciate the advice and knowledge given to me from this forum.
quote:Originally posted by Aus Ford:quote:Originally posted by mike the snake:
I've spent so much money and had so little driving time on the car, it just got to me and I had a lapse of sanity.
I WILL rebuild the engine next year, and it Still may get an aluminum block, time will tell. Actually, my wallet will tell.
Again Mike i respectfully point out you are having contradictory thoughts.
"I've spent so much money and had so little driving time"....."I WILL rebuild the engine next year, and it Still may get an aluminum block"
If you pull the engine out to "rebuild" it and get a aluminium block you will incur even more great expense and have even less driving time.
Do you really need to rebuild this engine ?
Does it have no oil pressure ?
Does it have 30 psi compression in one cylinder and 180 psi in the rest ?
Are the cylinders so worn the pistons rattle like two skeletons fornicating on a tin roof ?
Why does the engine need rebuilding ? To give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside, it will cost you lots of money for that small pleasure.
What you need to do is throw those silly aluminium rocker arms in the bin and get steel rocker arms.
I don't care if the manufacturer "refurbished" them by annealing them or bouncing gamma rays off them or by the use of some voo doo black magic, you can not escape the fact they are aluminium and one of the properties of aluminium and its alloys are that it work hardens.
Once it work hardens it will become brittle and break as has happened numerous times allready.
This is not a matter of valve springs not controlling the valve movement properly it is pure and simple metal fatigue. You don't have a valve spring breakage problem you have a rocker arm breakage problem due to the fact in your engine the metal of the rocker arms is being worked thousands on times a minute buy a extra high lift cam and extra strong valve springs.
Aluminium rockers belong in race cars where they are thrown away after every race and new ones fitted and they don't care about the cost because the sponsors pay for it anyway, they do not belong in your engine.
You WILL have another rocker arm failure and all the unpleasant stuffing around that goes with it, it will also happen at the most inconvenient time and place possible, you can bet on it.
I predict you will have another rocker arm failure within 6000 miles (if you drive that far).
Get steel rocker arms, yes i know they will be expensive but you need them,
they will be a lot cheaper than a alloy block (which you don't need) or a rebuild (which you don't need) or $80000.00 worth of electronics (which you don't need).
You may need a computer with a floppy disk drive, get on to Ebay and buy a old IBM laptop like a G40. It will cost $150 bucks and you can use your floppy discs to tune your injection.
It is cool to dream but as i've said sort your "wants" from "needs" and work out the cost vs benefit vs time off the road.