Recent content by mjmmjm

Thanks, Will. The big question for me is whether it is necessary to place the engine before going for the final torque. It'll be a bear to try to get at the bolts and nuts in order to do that once the engine's in the bay.

I'm now replacing the engine mounts and am wondering if it's necessary to torque them down to final spec after the engine is resting on them. The manual says to torque to 36 ft lb with the engine off and then tighten to final after it's lowered. Because of the bolt and nut placement, that would...

Hi, all. I hit a snag getting the pistons and rods back together. One of the wrist pin bushings was cracked. I can't find a GM part number for it and am having trouble finding an out-of-the-box replacement. Enginetech sells sets, but they need to be honed to fit, and I'd like to find them sold...

Thanks, Will. I'm itching to go with main and head studs, but maybe I'm just going overboard. FelPro bolts are about as inexpensive as it's going to get, so that's tempting. I'm also considering replacing the nylon rocker arm retainers with another setup. I know there have been discussions of...

I'll look into King bearings. No crack in the block, so I ordered a set of Clearwater heads. I might go with Flepro for the gaskets and bolts, but does anyone have any strong opinions? What about Mahle gaskets? The block has most likely not been resurfaced. In the absence of absolute certainty...

I rolled out the mains and am wondering if anyone has recommendations for rod and main bearings. I'm not looking for the cheapest option. Also, since I don't know the 6.5 production history, I'll ask about my heads. I have the International Optimizer block dated 2003. Was International making...

That's good news - I had no idea. The date stamp is 07 30 K

Thanks for the info, MrMarty!

I'll talk to my local auto machinist about that. On another note, can anyone confirm that I have an Optimizer block? A double diamond is cast into the valley:

I got the pistons out. All the upper bearings show copper like the one in the photo. I also have a few nicks on the crank - I know I did two of them. Am I looking at getting the crank polished, or can I gently smooth them out? I don't intend to keep my rig forever and don't use it much or really...

Thanks for the tip!

The engine is out and coming apart. Please watch this video and tell me whether this kind of rocker arm movement is normal. Does the amount of play vary from one to the next because of whatever position the cam lobes happen to be in? https://ln5.sync.com/dl/b44f4c100/i7...25675548950005

Thanks for all the advice! Very helpful. I'll get the heads and oil pan off and look around.

Hi, all. I've got combustion gases in my coolant, so I'm pulling the engine (in my sig) to replace the gaskets and get the heads checked. This stock engine has about 260k miles on it - a GM-installed replacement after the factory engine blew at 90k. I'm the third owner and would be surprised if...

Thanks for the input. My memory is hazy.