11.26.2002-Heads up!

I continued cleaning pieces of the engine as I dismantled it.  I removed the starter backing plate, the intake manifold, the engine mounts, and the distributor.

I wanted to get the head off because...........well, just because I did.  Let's face it.  Who among us doesn't love looking inside old engines?  It's like cracking an old vault and there's always the possibility you'll be horrified by what you find.  It's also possible that you'll find nothing more than a high-mileage engine with some wear and tear that can be rectified with time and money and love.

Given the fact that the cylinder head studs are steel and rest of the engine is aluminum I know it's common to have a lot of trouble getting the head separated from the block.  Corrosion around the cylinder head studs can effectively weld the head to the block.  Luckily for me I was able to get the head off with some gentle tapping by a rubber mallet.  It immediately went to the solvent tank for its first bath.  So far I have not found anything terribly scary inside the engine.  The bores look like they've got some miles on them but they don't appear to be badly scored, glazed or otherwise unserviceable.  Of course it will take a thorough disassembling of the pistons, rings and crank to determine what needs rebuilding.  I was surprised to see a visible gap between the piston and the bore.  I haven't measured it so it may be within spec, or it may just be an optical illusion, but it appears the pistons are somewhat loose in their bores.  A little time with a micrometer will tell the truth.

I've ordered an engine mount adapter from Jim Steck at AutoComponenti and am going to wait further dismantling until I get that part.  It will be much easier to remove the oil pan and crank with the engine at proper working height and I won't need to remove the cylinder head studs to turn the engine upside down.

I cleaned up for the evening and headed inside to tell the story here on the website.   See you in a week or so after the Thanksgiving Holiday!

Ciao!

TJ