Advice for Engine Rebuild

Engines, Transmissions & Final Drive questions and answers

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zephyrus17
Fast Driver
Posts: 440
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 10:32 pm
Vehicle: NA6
Location: Adelaide

Advice for Engine Rebuild

Postby zephyrus17 » Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:32 pm

I currently have a '90 NA6 and I've been thinking/itching about this. Suppose I were to do my own engine rebuild as a hobby/project, along with possible piston swaps/head/ports/etc, what would the tools need be, apart from the typical mechanic's tools?

Would it be cheaper/easier to buy & rebuild an NB engine instead? Because I would need to get new clutch, diff, and shafts..
Momo (aka 1990 white NA6)

manga_blue
Forum Guru
Posts: 4897
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:27 pm
Vehicle: NA8
Location: Moruya, NSW

Re: Advice for Engine Rebuild

Postby manga_blue » Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:13 pm

Mostly you just need normal, but very good quality, mechanics tools. i.e. sidchrome/kinchrome ring/open enders, double ended rings, 1/4" and 1/2" sockets covering 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm and 21mm.

For the duration of the project you'd also need:
- a long term garage space
- an engine hoist (just at the start and end)
- something to clean filthy parts in and various storage trays
- large and medium sized torque wrenches
- good vernier calipers
- set of metric feeler gauges

It's pretty hard to do it without an air compressor and an engine assembly stand.

If you did porting then you'll need lessons, a mentor, a good die grinder, die bits and emery wheels and a real twin cylinder belt dríven air compressor.

For a standard re-build of a good NA6 (cleaning, testing, rings, bearings, belts, valve cut, pumps, block/head/flywheel machining, clutch, etc) I would budget at $2,000 min if you buy wisely - that's around $1,000 for parts and $1,000 for machining - plus any tools you buy. Add another grand for aftermarket pistons and rods. You'd need to buy a few slabs and put on a barbie too for help getting it all in and out.
’95 NA8

zephyrus17
Fast Driver
Posts: 440
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 10:32 pm
Vehicle: NA6
Location: Adelaide

Re: Advice for Engine Rebuild

Postby zephyrus17 » Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:32 pm

manga_blue wrote:Mostly you just need normal, but very good quality, mechanics tools. i.e. sidchrome/kinchrome ring/open enders, double ended rings, 1/4" and 1/2" sockets covering 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm and 21mm.

For the duration of the project you'd also need:
- a long term garage space
- an engine hoist (just at the start and end)
- something to clean filthy parts in and various storage trays
- large and medium sized torque wrenches
- good vernier calipers
- set of metric feeler gauges

It's pretty hard to do it without an air compressor and an engine assembly stand.

If you did porting then you'll need lessons, a mentor, a good die grinder, die bits and emery wheels and a real twin cylinder belt dríven air compressor.

For a standard re-build of a good NA6 (cleaning, testing, rings, bearings, belts, valve cut, pumps, block/head/flywheel machining, clutch, etc) I would budget at $2,000 min if you buy wisely - that's around $1,000 for parts and $1,000 for machining - plus any tools you buy. Add another grand for aftermarket pistons and rods. You'd need to buy a few slabs and put on a barbie too for help getting it all in and out.

Mechanics tools I have, so too for the garage space. Trays are easy, torque wrench I have one. Verniers, metric feeler gauges, hoist and assembly stand I'd have to get. But the rest, sounds pretty expensive, and it could be likely that I'll need machining done.. Hmm
Momo (aka 1990 white NA6)


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