WAWUZAT Northstar build thread (lots of pix) (Page 4/16)
WAWUZAT MAY 14, 09:06 PM
Fabricated an extension to be used with a valve spring compressor ...

I used a 4" length of 1" NPS Schedule 80 carbon steel pipe, and turned it against a bench grinder to reduce the O.D. to where it will easily fit inside the cam follower holes with about a 1/16" clearance all around. Then I drilled a series of 5/8" holes along the side, removed the metal in between the holes, and finished with some long slots.

To protect the machined surfaces inside the cam follower holes on the N* heads, I cut up a 2-liter Pepsi bottle, and wrapped a piece of it a couple times around a valve spring. A Sharpie and a pair of scissors were the tools needed to make this item. This "protector" also came in handy when I was removing the valve seals.


And here's the tool being used to remove the valve springs from one of my heads.
WAWUZAT MAY 20, 05:35 PM
Some have said the only differences between the 275HP VIN-Y (LD8 engine) and the 300HP VIN-9 (L37 engine) are the camshafts and the valve springs. I posted a photo earlier that shows the physical difference between the camshafts. Just for kicks, I compared the valve springs today. The VIN-Y springs are wound from 0.125" diameter wire, and have six-and-a-half 360-degree coils. The VIN-9 springs are made from 0.130" diameter wire, and have only six 360-degree coils.

Spent yesterday getting my heads and valves ready to take to the shop. The valves need a minor grind, especially the exhaust valves. The seats look good, but they'll be touched-up, too. Some, if not all of the valve guides may need replacing ... at least I think they could stand replacing. Some of 'em "felt" like they were moving more than the 0.005" sideways tolerance. I didn't bother setting up my dial indicator to measure the movement.

When I took my connecting rods to the shop to have them replace the wrist pin bushings, they called me up and said there was no charge. The shop said the pin to bushing clearances were all within the GM-spec tolerance (0.0002" ... yes, 2 ten-thousandths), and that couldn't make them any better than they already are. Remember, this engine had 150K miles on it! I wish I could locate the previous owner so I could find out what lubricant he used.

Today was a miscellaneous parts clean-up & painting day.

[This message has been edited by WAWUZAT (edited 05-20-2007).]

WAWUZAT MAY 28, 08:28 PM
Back to the main bolts ... My machinist buddy finally finished making the inserts for me. He had them almost three weeks, but since his daughter was home from Iraq for a couple weeks, I wasn't going to push him for the parts ... I can wait. Got them home, found they were a little long, (only by 1/8"), trimmed the lengths, pre-fit them in place, then final installed with Loctite.


Made a lot of progress today. Installed the crankshaft, then the pistons & rods with new rings and bearings. Dunked each piston in a can of fresh oil, and used Clevite77 assembly lube on all bearing surfaces.




Once assembly starts, cleanliness is very important, so the last thing was to tuck her in for the night ...
WAWUZAT MAY 29, 08:33 PM
After spending most of yesterday assembling the bottom end, the only task left to complete the "short block" assembly was to torque the rod bolts. I installed all new torque-to-yield GM rod bolts, and the GM manual specifies tightening them to 18 ft-lbs plus 110-degrees. Well, the first order of business was to make turning the crankshaft by hand an easier task so I could get to all of the rod caps. Since I already have new flex plate bolts on hand, I screwed in the old bolts so I could turn the crank with a screwdriver ...


The first pass of tightening the rod bolts was simple since I used a click-type torque wrench set to 18 ft-lbs. However, turning 110* was going to be a challenge using the tools I have in house. I broke down the 110* into three 30* turns plus a final 20*. That way, I could use a magnetic-based degree indicator in a much easier method ... dangling on the bottom edge of the wrench handle.
AJxtcman MAY 29, 10:43 PM
http://www.etoolcart.com/br...-Meter---KD3336.HTML

http://www.etoolcart.com/in...VIEWPROD&ProdID=4916
$12 Hmmmmmmmmm
WAWUZAT MAY 30, 09:15 PM
AJ - Thanks for the links! I may order one for when I install the heads. I don't mind investing in tools when I think I will use them again.

Got a little more done this evening. Installed the windage tray and oil pick-up tube. After reading another post where someone suspects their pick-up tube came loose, I dabbed some Loctite on my fasteners.


There is one short bolt among the 13 oil pan bolts, and I wanted to ensure I installed it in the right location. This tapped hole is more shallow than all the rest.


Finally, I got the oil pan on, and the bottom end is now all buttoned-up. I used a Fel-Pro neoprene gasket in the oil pan's machined groove, but backed it up with a small fillet of black silicone sealant ... ran a small bead around the inside, and tapered it using my finger.

[This message has been edited by WAWUZAT (edited 05-30-2007).]

AJxtcman MAY 30, 10:03 PM
What year is that thing?
Will MAY 31, 05:56 AM

quote
Originally posted by WAWUZAT:
The first pass of tightening the rod bolts was simple since I used a click-type torque wrench set to 18 ft-lbs. However, turning 110* was going to be a challenge using the tools I have in house. I broke down the 110* into three 30* turns plus a final 20*. That way, I could use a magnetic-based degree indicator in a much easier method ... dangling on the bottom edge of the wrench handle.



I tried to use a rod bolt stretch gauge on my Eagles, but only half the bolts are accessible once the lower crank case is bolted on... Next time I'm going to do the rods first.
AJxtcman MAY 31, 06:53 AM
Hey Will the lower case halve has NO bolt hole for the front mount. What year is that thing?
WAWUZAT MAY 31, 04:00 PM
AJ - It's a 1995 ...


quote
Originally posted by WAWUZAT:
Here's a shot of the donor car for the Northstar drive train ... a 1995 Seville SLS ... VIN-Y engine. This pic was taken in March of 2005.




Will - I gave a lot of thought to doing the rods before the crankcase, and I (obviously ... as shown in the pix) decided against it. I certainly can understand the advantages of doing the rods first, mostly for the extra working space. When I installed the pistons, I was turning this motor over and over on that engine stand to fit the bearings and rod-caps. To do the rods first, you'd have to install the pistons from below unless you fashioned some method to keep the crankshaft from falling out. Something else that didn't appeal to me was the idea of turning that crank many times with only the upper halves of the bearings in place. Granted, it wouldn't be hard to reposition them if they moved. I just wanted to avoid any scoring of surfaces if they did move ... worried about the surfaces between the bearing inserts and the block.