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Rebuilding a GEP Engine

A quick update. The cam bearings are in although it took two sets and I'm still not 100% happy, but its probably as good as its going to get. I have all the internals back, the balancing at least looks nice. It took two plugs of Mallory metal to balance the crank. I hope the balancing will make engine run smoother.

Found a problem last night with the rings. I was checking the ring end gaps and found one set was way too big, the rings actually overlap in the bore. All the rest are in spec, so not sure what is going on. Must have somehow supplied the wrong set at the factory. I'm waiting to hear from Kennedy what Mahle will do. I could file them, but they are way too big and that is a lot of filing. If Mahle doesn't come through, I can get a single ring set on eBay, but I hope I don't have to pay for them out of my pocket.

I'm still waiting on the bearings and such from Peninsular. Got a call from them, for some reason UPS returned the shipment back to them, so I hope to have it this week. I should get the block and heads painted this weekend. Hope to start the build soon, but the rings may hold that up a few days. Its always something!
 
Yeah, I usually let the machine shop install the cam bearings for this reason (not being happy with my results). They're too much fun for my tastes.

Bummer on the piston ring, could be a single ring from another larger OS ring set.

You should be able to get a single set, but if not in time a set off another reseller or ebay should fix you up.

J
 
Maybe I will have mine together before yours:D. It truely sucks getting the wrong parts. The bigger problem sometimes is to get the seller to understand that and do something about it.:mad2::mad2: It shouldn't be a problem if you got them from kennedy.
 
Bobbie, what are your plans to deal with the center turbo mount?I put two O rings in the recess and put a plate over it, but I'm thinking it's keeping oil from getting to the top end.Do you know where the path goes after the center turbo.I'm thinking I might need to take out the O rings and just put a gasket across the top of the recess so oil can flow from the feed to the return.
 
My take is if you allow a pressure port direct access to a return your oil pressure will be low. Block them both off.
 
NVW said:
My take is if you allow a pressure port direct access to a return your oil pressure will be low. Block them both off.
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That's what i thought but what if the return for the center turbo is not a passive return to the pan but rather supplies oil to the rest of the top end?
 
I may be wrong as my thoughts are not from experience but that pressure port should continue on. I don't think the heated turbo oil would be the best for top end lubrication. Someone who knows will chime in.

One other thing, if the return is a part of the pressure system it would raise hell with the turbo seals.
 
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reddog said:
Bobbie, what are your plans to deal with the center turbo mount?I put two O rings in the recess and put a plate over it, but I'm thinking it's keeping oil from getting to the top end.Do you know where the path goes after the center turbo.I'm thinking I might need to take out the O rings and just put a gasket across the top of the recess so oil can flow from the feed to the return.
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Mine was an NA engine and was never drilled for a center turbo. I would have to see how the factory did it, but I'm sure the center turbo supply is a drilling into the main gallery up to the turbo. Its not a stop along the way to something else, its just a feed for the turbo. All you want is a simple plug, you do not need to recirculate it back into the engine. In fact, if you do you will have a massive drop in oil pressure. I'm sure its like the side turbo feed. If its not used you plug it, it does not feed anything other than the turbo.
 
reddog said:
That's what i thought but what if the return for the center turbo is not a passive return to the pan but rather supplies oil to the rest of the top end?
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As I said, I have never seen one, but this is highly unlikely. First remember the block was not originally designed for the center turbo, it was added later. So all the main oil galleries were designed prior to the center turbo feed. And not all the blocks are designed to have a center turbo. It is much easier to drill all the blocks the same and then drill the center turbo blocks with the additional holes. I'm not saying they don't do silly things, but it just wouldn't make any sense to have the oil from the turbo lubricate something else. I'm sure the drain hole is just that, a gravity drain back to the oil pan.
 
chevydiesel said:
Yeah, I usually let the machine shop install the cam bearings for this reason (not being happy with my results). They're too much fun for my tastes.
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Actually its the other way around for us. The main engines we rebuild are British 4 cylinder A series engines (Minis) and we have the tool to remove and replace the cam bearings. But on the 6.5, I let the machine shop do them.

The first set was as much my fault, I didn't realize the front bearing did not have a notch, but the oil holes still didn't line up with how the factory manual said to place them. Then add in the military manual on rebuilding 6.2/6.5 shows a different location for the oil holes, so there is some confusion there. The block has a groove behind the bearings, so the cam can get oil no matter how the oil holes are aligned. Both the factory & military manuals list a location for the oil holes and the seam in the bearing. However, the seams and oil holes in the Mahle Clevite bearings do not exactly correspond to where the manuals say they should be. So its virtually impossible to install them exactly as either of the manuals say. That is, if you put the seam where it should be, the oil holes are wrong and vice versa. So we kind of split the difference and went with that. The guy at the machine shop said small block Chevys are very similar and mine are installed basically as he does all of the small blocks, so I think I will be OK. I'm thinking on a slow turning Diesel, its probably not all that critical.
 
"The block has a groove behind the bearings, so the cam can get oil no matter how the oil holes are aligned."

Bison mentioned that the cam bearing holes might not be lined up and could be causing my no upper oil problem but from your quote this shouldn't be the case.Maybe I blew out the O rings and it's just dumping the oil back to the pan.
 
Got the block painted today. Seem to be a run on GEPs painted this color! Still waiting for John Kennedy to sort out the rings, I need some sort of resolution first of the week if I'm going to keep on schedule. I plan to start assembly next weekend.

BlockPainted-3.jpg

Yep, its Detroit Diesel Alpine Green!

BlockPainted-4.jpg
 
bk95td said:
Nice color:D:thumbsup: It sucks waiting for parts:mad2::mad2:
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what sucks even more is needing to get the parts but waiting on enough disposable income to buy them.........

I would like to thank all the politicians in Washington DC that work hard every day to make sure that I will never be able to get a decent freight rate or a decent job again .............

back to our regularly scheduled thread........
 
no what really really sucks is waiting on parts you cant find (precups) and what else sucks is spending $500 on machine work and then finding a crack in the mainweb.
 
bobbiemartin said:
Had a problem with the cam bearings. The oil holes were not oriented properly and they didn't have a notch in the front like they should. I now have a box of Clevite cam bearings with a notch in #1. I'll have them installed with the oil holes oriented at 4:00, which is per the military manual. The machine shop has the balancing done, so when i take the block back I can get the internals.
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Bobby, do you have the part # for the correct clevite cam bearings?
 
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