Coming Together

As anticipated, today was focused on assembling the engine.  Mr. Mechanic came over at 9AM, and directed the events.  I helped a little, but mostly talked and took pictures.  My boys, back from college, participated when they could.  Seeing the motor come together was healthy, hopeful, and in a way, healing...

We started by washing the engine block and crankshaft with soap and water, making sure no grit was inadvertently left on any of the interior surfaces. We also made a point of clearing the oil galleries again using the rifle cleaning rod and patches.  My younger son cleaned out several passages himself.

After carefully washing the block, Mr. Mechanic blew off the water, then put WD40 on the cylinder walls.

On a Y-block, the first step in engine assembly is to install the tappets.  The tappets install from the bottom, above the camshaft.  That's why they need to go in before the cam.  Younger son was able to help put some of them in.  Note the assembly lube... this is a messy job!

Note that the block is upside down. Fist of the 16 tappets is installed here. 

The lubed tappets go in smoothly.  Note the shiny cam bearing just above the well-lubed tappet.

The next step is to install the camshaft.  More assembly lube, more greasy hands.  The cam bearings were installed 38 years ago, along with the pistons, crank and rod bearings.... but the engine never ran.  They are good as new.  Cam bearings, like main bearings, are made of soft metal, and easily get scratched or distorted before they are installed.

Lubing the cam

Carefully guiding the cam through the cam bearings in the block

 The cam seemed a little tight in the bearings... it was kind of tough getting it through the first bearing.  Maybe the cam bearings got slightly bent somehow.  I'm glad Mr. Mechanic was there with his career's worth of experience!

Guiding the cam into the end bearing

Cam installed.  Note the distributor gear on the right side of this picture.

Once the cam was in, it turned freely.  I think that the bearings reformed to the cam as we installed it.

The next step is to dry fit the crankshaft, and check the journal bearing clearances.  While I trust the machine shop to have done a good job, it only makes sense to check this again, when it is relatively easy to fix.

5 journal bearings installed, prior to dry fitting the crankshaft.

The journal caps are matched to the bearings, and need to be installed in the right position

Journal bearings, like cam bearings, are soft metal... but they are in two pieces.  These also need to be in the right position.

 The crankshaft is laid onto the journals in the block, and a small precision strand of deformable plastic (Plasti-gage) is laid on top of the crank journal.  The journal cap, with the other half of the bearing, is then installed.

Tightening #1 journal cap, with plasti-gage installed.

 The journal cap is then loosened and removed.  The amount that the plastic strand deforms indicates the amount of bearing clearance.

Reading the plastigage.  This journal is between 2 and 3 thousandths.  Perfect.

Here's plastigage on the crank side of the main bearing.

Plastigage on the end main bearing.  This is where the rear oil seal goes.

 All of the bearing clearances checked OK.  We put assembly lube on the journals and main bearings, then replaced the bearing caps and torqued them to 100 ft-lb (per the '55 Ford shop manual).

Main bearing caps installed.

Next, we installed the rear oil seal.  This is one of those things that, if installed incorrectly, will leak... but is very difficult to replace once the engine is in the car.  Here's where some experience pays off. Once again, I'm glad Mr. Mechanic was here!

Rear oil seal installed.

 Next we installed the timing chain.  This requires carefully following the shop manual instructions, since the y-block timing marks are different than just about any other engine.  The cam gear, crank gear, and timing chain need to be installed together.  Getting the gears to align with the woodruff keys on both crank and cam took some persistent coercion, but again seasoned mechanical experience paid off.

Cam and crankshaft before timing chain installed.

Finally, everything lines up.

Per the manual, 12 chain pins between the timing marks on each gear (on the right side)

 After the timing chain was on, we checked each of the rings for proper size.  We will install the rings on the pistons on Wednesday, then install the pistons, rod bearings, oil pump, pan, and maybe the heads.  That would be good.

 It may not seem like we accomplished a lot today, but I still feel good.  It's OK to take our time and enjoy the process, to delight in something good coming together.  I particularly like having the help of a trustworthy mechanic, someone to trust going through this process.  I feel free of that teenage self-doubt I experienced the last time I had this car.

Freedom from doubt.  Enjoying the journey.  Seeing things come together.  This is what I have needed.  Thank you, Lord!