Finally got some motivation and managed to unpack the partially stripped 4AGE engine block, get it bolted up to a stand and started stripping it down further.
I had left it with the oil pump housing and rear main seal still bolted up with the crank and pistons installed. A few hours of cleaning and wrenching and the block is bare bones. Stock pistons are sitting in a box; likely having seen the insides of their last engine.
Now is the time to find a machine shop to dip and mic the block. And then start following a decision tree.
Mic the block -
Path 1: If the cylinders measure in spec (and they're in beautiful shape, no reason to think they won't) then logic would suggest that the block could be built back up with stock diameter pistons.
Path 2: If the cylinders measure out of spec, overbore 0.5 and build up with oversized pistons.
But then there is Path 3: The cylinders measure in spec but still overbore and oversize the pistons. But now we're playing compression games and head gasket thicknesses and on and on and on.
So what logic to follow? Build for stock and upgrade later or upgrade now and be ready for later?
Luckily, I don't think either is the wrong answer.
Posts
