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The TerraShuttle is getting a military Optimizer! Now what?

Will L. said:
Anyways, put in all new bearings while your there.cam, main and rods. I wish I knew which brand to recommend, but idk.

Head bolt cost vs arp studs is a gamble of if you have to pull the heads 1 time then arp is cheaper. Definitely felpro head gaskets. Gapless rings is your budget. I would do new timing chain, old gears. New rocker buttons.
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I think I'm definitely doing the ARP studs, still thinking about the gapless rings. Where should I pick up the cam bearings from? New timing chain and rocker buttons also not a bad idea, but where from on these as well? Going to also add valve cover gaskets and probably the oil pump and some fan clutch to this as well- mostly from Leroy. I'm also leaning toward new glow plugs, and kicking around the idea of just new injectors (BOSCH for both). Still finalizing my list, got too busy with family last wknd...
 
x3 on The Right Stuff. I got my Clevite cam bearings from Rock Auto, but if Leroy can get them, you might as well give him the business I just didn't check with him when I was ordering parts.
 
Ah, Right Stuff, ok thanks. Do the valve covers need to come off to get at the precups? They're hopefully popping them out today, and also said they don't have the tool for the cam bearings and would to ship that off to a machine shop.

Shop says the motor looks "brand spanking new". I'm almost hesitant to have them break into it much! Paint color appears to be "brand spanking new" glossy black. ;)
 
Here's the latest for my list of updates, and it's looking like most of a rebuild on a longblock with only 10-40k on it... please advise on brands, etc!

New Injectors (BOSCH?)
New glow plugs (BOSCH? low profile?)
ARP studs
New cam bearings (brand?)
Check camshaft for wear, pitting
Check pistons, rods, bearings, and other internals for wear, pitting
Fan clutch (threaded? stud? brand? wait for the one Leroy is working on? I'm open to beta...)
Timing chain... unsure about this and the gearing if needed or not (brand?)
Oil pump (brand?)
Swap over stock oil pan, RTV gasket if able to get both sides super clean, or new gasket
Possibly new valve covers, TBD, RightStuff adhesive if so
EngineTech head gaskets
Larger diamond precups machined
DuraLast Gold alternator
Two new DuraLast Platinum AGM batteries (under warranty, exchange)

And the stuff I already have that didn't get installed before the original mill died...

DiamondEye exhaust
FluidDamper and crank seal

I'm going to gamble on not doing the rings or water pump since this engine only has 10-40k on it. Even if it was run hard and put away wet, I can't imagine those being an issue yet... I'm pushing my budget, but only because much of this stuff costs the same to swap over from my original engine (already accounted for in labor costs) vs. sidestepping some new parts in place instead, and is far cheaper and easier to do now than later. Once I get some feedback I'll get the rest of my order placed with Leroy- might be getting a few items from RockAuto, etc.
 
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Oil Pump: with my 506 block, I went with Melling as the local shop had good experiences with them. There was nothing wrong with the OE oil pump, but we were in the bottom to install girdles and decided to do it for a durability upgrade. Cannot give a long term report as that motor was replaced 10K miles later from coolant contamination.

With the P-400, am running whatever oil pump came with the motor.




For the rings, consider keeping them in the budget as that motor could have pushed ~25K#. And if it did in fact go 40K miles with that weight, it would have consumed a *lot* of fuel . . .
 
I agree with above, focus internally. Do the rings now if it is a budgetary issue then get better injectors, glow plugs etc later when you have to. You can't change your mind later and go, yeah rings would have been good. How hot did that engine get, my hummer wipes out rings faster than pickups because of heat issues.

I did tons of research on oil pumps when I lost pressure in my optimizer. Melling, why because you have no choice. They make the only pump for 6.2-6.5 platform and relabel for all the ones you see for sale. I spoke with melling engineer about this 2 years ago at length, learning more than my brain could handle. As he said, buy any brand- they make the same profit no matter who they sell to the sell to except GEP gets a huge volume discount. There a different springs available for it from them, some come with a new pump depending on reseller.

Definitely put in threaded water pump. It is the Only balanced, high volume pump. Everything else will keep more heat in your passanger side head.
 
Kennedy Diesel has a thread on low temp fan clutch. On sale at the moment and worth every penny of the extra cost. It will keep you at or below the ECT of 210. IMO You don't put enough miles on and vacation isn't the place to beta test new fan setups. I have pushed the KD fan clutch with a '4 bolt' HO pump towing in 121 degree weather, single t-stat. It delivers on it's promise. Either fan will do the job as I used both. The stock 6 blade 1993 fan is scrap metal and went to the scrap yard bolted to the engine of mine it ruined.

The 'low mile' military surplus engines I got all needed rings. One that had been rebuilt never broke in the 2nd ring and both had enough blowby to piss one off after dropping them in. From sitting the engines also had rust in some holes. Again as above save funds on easy to get to items if you have to, not rings. You already have the heads off and are looking at bearings - conventional rings are like $130 and Gapless are ~$350 depending on how/where you get them. A deglaze of the cylinder is a must and you can do this at home with a cordless drill and the stones.

Duracrap and Autozone is a place to avoid. The stupid rights infringing liberals who run the place fire Military Veteran employees who use their own firearms to stop a in store robbery and protect themselves under a misguided 'no hero' policy. If that's not enough to boycott them the parts quality from them is the worst including brake pads that fall apart ruining the hard to change rotors and don't stop well vs. Wagner quiet stop. An AZ alternator lost it's balls in the rear bearing and nearly burned my truck to the ground.

News story from above:
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/autozone-fires-worker-who-stopped-robbery.html

AZ Duracrap brakes and firecracker alternator rebuild:

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azbr.jpg


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Thanks, guys. It's probably best to just clean and balance the existing injectors for now (another 10-20k mi), and do the gapless rings it sounds like. Where's best to have the squirters sent off if my shop can't do it?

EngineTech is what Leroy recommended, but I know a lot of you guys run felpro as well. Good info on the oil pump. A lot of these ancillaries that come off and are still 'good' are going to be kept as spares. Ted's doesn't do a core return, so anything of value I can swap over or strip off I plan to do, even down to the oil filler cap. I just put on a new Gates serp belt last fall so even it will swap over.

I had somehow forgotten about that AutoZone incident, and as a CHL holder I strongly feel the same about it. I'll remember that going forward. The alternator wasn't necessary, current is fine, but someone recommended it awhile back.
 
I never did confirm for sure, but it sure sounds like bad rod knock and lethal. Never being comfortable travelling long distances (especially with my family) on the stock motor @ 280k, I just decided to decommission it and started looking for a new mill.
 
AK is right on the money. So to tell the difference you id the cylinder by cracking loose the injector nut to kill the cylinder. Then swap the injectors in question with a different one and if it follows the injector- wohoo! If it stay put, well...
 
Well... too late now! :p I didn't get to that step when the same thing was advised to me late last year, but thank you. I just figured, 'eff it, I don't trust this thing to take my family to the Ozarks to camp and back until I get a new motor'. Granted, if it had a lot less than the 280k miles on it that it does, I absolutely would have put more effort into saving the original mill. But at this point when I see most lifespans quoted at 250-300k...
 
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