How to lock a crankshaft.

[Bellow]

Yep a handy video - also show his method of retorquing the centre bolt. I'm hoping my holding tool can fit behind the pulley to access two of the 12 holes I opened out. I'll do it as per Haynes. I removed the cover with the sump still on and it didn't feel quite right. Now I've a better idea of what I'm doing, I can move faster than the RTV can set - and the weather can change as we are due a storm over the weekend so definitely want the sump back on before the wind gets up.

The two rubber O-rings I think may be for the casting that the oil filter fits onto and carries the oil cooler pipe. (It's a blast learning a new engine but it isn't half exhausting!)

The difference as far as I can tell between metal and plastic covers is the plastic one is roomier around the crank for the reluctor ring driving the CPS. You must be using distributors. The plastic cover is apparently usable on earlier motors - and comes with a blanking plug for when the CPS sensor isn't needed.

The engines you build - for AC Cobra replicas - yes? Anything else? And why not the Vortec?

 

[ToeKnee]

Yes normally for cobra replicas. I use the older engine because for the iva test the emissions are based on the engine age, older engine can be just visible smoke! So normally pre 1977, and for higher power outputs I retrofit roller cam and followers/rockers as well as better heads etc.

 

[Bellow]

I should have spotted that - the age related emissions test for IVA. Full rebuild to get a non Q-plate?
Just tripped over something on the 'net about the L31 Vortec saying the heads on it are good - and a useful upgrade on older SBs - is that the kind of heads you use? Or does the funny inlet manifold knock Vortec heads out? What power do you get with your tweaking?

 

[ToeKnee]

There's the exhaust as well as the inlet manifold that's different in the vortec head, I tend to use AFR or victor junior heads if I can. Power, anything up to 500bhp, depending how much the customer wants to spend. This engine was in my own cobra.

 

[Bellow]

My L31 is duly humbled!
I'll go sit in the corner.

 

[Bellow]

There's the exhaust as well as the inlet manifold that's different in the vortec head, I tend to use AFR or victor junior heads if I can. Power, anything up to 500bhp, depending how much the customer wants to spend. This engine was in my own cobra.
View attachment 92165

I see coils but no dizzy - what are you using for ignition? And, to the right of the alternator, an alloy something with a blue wire attached - what is it?
That is one tidy motor.

 

[ToeKnee]

The blue wire thing is a nautilus air horn, really loud in case anyone doesn't hear me over the sidepipes! Ecu was megasquirt 3, fuel and ignition, not long after that picture I went full sequential and cop.

 

[Bellow]

Better progress today. Timing cover and sump are now on. Sump was a sod - next time (if there is a next time) I'll create more space. The dipstick tube (yep, it had to be moved), the oil cooler pipes and the starter motor all hamper refitting. Success of course will be judged by its ability to retain its oil.....

 

[Bellow]

Harmonic balancer fitted and torqued.

..... retorquing the centre bolt. I'm hoping my holding tool can fit behind the pulley to access two of the 12 holes I opened out.

And it did - which answers the question in the thread title.

 

[ToeKnee]

Any problems getting it on?

 

[Bellow]

Not really. It was warm from the (CH) radiator and the crank was stone cold which will have helped. Lightly tapped it on some of the way then used its own bolt and washer to pull it further. Torquing it to 74lb.ft did the last bit. Between those last two stages the bolt was removed and the last half inch had lost its black finish but the threads weren't damaged. If I was going to be doing it regularly I'd devise/buy something better but for a one off - and as per Haynes suggestion - it was OK to do it that way.
Next is getting oil into it and run it up to check that there's no leaks from the sump or timing cover then it's water pump and coolant checks then try and improve the LPG system which, judging by the ID of the mixer, must be strangling the engine.
Getting there - the weather here is the bind.

 

[Bellow]

Managed the first part of the above today so can confirm it is oil tight - relief!
As I've finished the work that involved restraining the crank, this thread is about done.

ToeKnee: Thanks for all your help and advice. For certain, without it, I'd have got some things totally wrong and more generally, your advice helped greatly. Thanks - much appreciated.

(For anyone following this thread, I PMd ToeKnee for advice after seeing his post in a Hobbies thread where he said he builds Chevy small blocks and as it's a Chevy small block I'm working on... The PMs then moved to this thread).

 

[ToeKnee]

You're welcome, happy to give something back even if it wasn't Mercedes related.

 

[Bellow]

You're welcome, happy to give something back even if it wasn't Mercedes related.

To think, if it hadn't been for that Hobbies thread, I'd never have known to ask. You couldn't script it!

 

[Bellow]

Actually, I do have another couple of questions.
When I removed the oil filter, oil drained from somewhere above - quite a bit of it. Would that have been from the block or from the oil cooler which is on one side of the radiator as per a typical auto transmission cooler?

When I started it (after priming the oil filter before fitting) it rattled for a few seconds. Would that have been from the bottom end (esp if oil cooler had to be refilled) waiting for pressure to build or, from the hydraulic tappets having drained? I was half in and out of the car so didn't get to hear well enough to identify but it did sound quite 'heavy' - but then again, I don't really know what drained tappets sound like.

 

[ToeKnee]

the rattle could have come from the top end, although it shouldn't have done. Best thing is to listen next time you start it, hopefully it'll be silent. Drained tappets are loud but they rarely drain down that much, they shouldn't have drained down any more than if you hadn't started the car in a few weeks for instance. Similarly, the bottom end should still have a film of oil on from its last run. Have a good listen next time but if it did quieten down quite quickly then I wouldn't worry too much, only if the noise persists! Then worry!

 

[Bellow]

It was the first start after a month lying idle. It quietened quickly and subsequent restarts were silent.
I'm just a bit nervy after it running low on oil when it spat it out of the ruptured timing cover. The noise yesterday was not present when it was still running (briefly) with zero oil pressure on the gauge a month back.
I'm doing a flush through to look for any swarf just in case there was damage but I think it is unharmed. With the sump off, I could see plenty oil on the cam - but maybe that was the tappets draining down. The big ends I tried had zero play. On start up, the rpm rose quite high but the serp belt was off so no alt, water pump, PAS pump to offer resistance. That thing has a scary amount of torque just off idle. A skiff of corrosion on the discs from sitting and I was struggling to hold the thing back.

 

[ToeKnee]

If subsequent restarts have been silent then I wouldn't worry about it. What car is the engine in anyway??

 

[Bellow]

Yep, subsequent restarts (there were a few as I wouldn't leave it idling for want of coolant) were without any undue noise. I'm just being as thorough as I can be given I've delayed putting it on the road until the beginning of March - possibly all the way to overkill!
The car, is more of a truck - a Chevrolet Suburban on the GMT400 platform. One of the last of that series (a 1999) with a mere 40,000 miles on it, tidy beyond comprehension for its age and has LPG including all the relevant paperwork. Bought locally too.