7 Things to Know About Engine Rebuilding

If you have undertaken an engine rebuilding, there are a number of tips you should remember as you proceed. Keep these in mind and you should be well on your way to successfully rebuilding your engine.

1 - Have the Right Tools

This is really a guideline for undertaking any large project, but when working with engines there are a handful of tools that will be indispensable to you as you proceed with your project. Tools such as spline sockets and breaker bars will be tools that many people do not normally have on hand, but they will be tremendously helpful to you if you are serious about rebuilding your engine.

2 - Plan Ahead of Time

You will need to have a good game plan going into your project if you hope to be successful. Planning aspects of your job ahead of time, such as where you will be obtaining parts for your engine and what your budget is, will pay dividends when you begin to get into the project later.

3 - Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst

When completing any job like this, there will always be aspects of the job that go awry, or are worse than you expected when you began. When this happens, try to be pragmatic about it and simply determine what your next best step is. Do not be discouraged when things do not go exactly the way you anticipated—no job ever does.

4 - Label Parts as You Remove Them

Excellent organization will be crucial to any rebuilding project. Since there are a vast number of nuts, bolts, screws and small parts that you will be removing from your engine as you take it apart, you will need to keep careful notice of what they are and where they came from. A great way to organize small parts is to keep them in separate plastic baggies that are well-labeled.

5 - Keep Your Area as Clean as Possible

When you are digging around inside your engine block, it will be beneficial to you to keep things as clean as possible for a number of reasons. First, clean surfaces will prevent tool slippage and other potentially harmful problems. Clean parts will also be easier to identify and mark. Finally, keeping parts clean will prevent damage to them caused by rust or other damaging elements.

6 - Check Things Several Times

One of the most important things to do as you are rebuilding an engine is to check each part you install several times to make sure it is installed properly. There are many moving parts in an engine that move with tremendous force, so if something is not installed correctly it can ruin your entire project when the engine is turned on. Be extremely careful and diligent in the examination of your own work and you should have no problems.

7 - Enjoy Your Work

With a job of this magnitude, if you don’t enjoy your work then it is quickly going to seem like more trouble than it is worth. Try to enjoy what you are doing and you will be rewarded with the fruits of your labor at the end of the job.