Putting It All Back Together...

[Spaghettiohead]

Well I should finally have my block and head back from the machine shop on Friday...Don't know how impressed I am with their work, but then again I don't know anything much about these things. Urghhh...

But a few things the guy mentioned to me sounded odd, so I wanted to ping them off y'all: I asked about my valve-cover, brought it in to see if it was warped or not (I have an incredible lack of anything straight and level here, amazing really), and he said that since it was plastic, it would warp straight under torque, even if it was off now.

I asked about cleaning my lifters, and he said I shouldn't take them apart, but just soak them in the parts cleaner and squeeze out the oil with a vise to install them dry. Will a vise not damage them at all? And I was under the impression that they should be installed full of oil?

Also, I didn't take a close look at them, but I have new pistons coming and they may not be here in time to have the shop install them on the connecting rods -- are they pressed-in or installed in some way I can't easily do it at home?

Now when I start putting it all together, what should I be lubing the parts with? I've seen some use grease, some use regular oil...what is recommended here? I was planning on using Lucas semi-synthetic assembly lube on the lifters, valve-train components, oil-pump, and bearings. Yay or nay?

There's plenty more I meant to ask but I'm exhausted and can't remember ha...as always, thanks all for the help -- couldn't have gotten this far alone!

[BrandonK]

Originally Posted by Spaghettiohead

But a few things the guy mentioned to me sounded odd, so I wanted to ping them off y'all: I asked about my valve-cover, brought it in to see if it was warped or not (I have an incredible lack of anything straight and level here, amazing really), and he said that since it was plastic, it would warp straight under torque, even if it was off now.

This is true. The plastic, all things considered, is quite flimsy. When you torque it down, it will pull itself down to seal with the gasket. I'm not sure if the plastic valve covers have bushings in them, but regardless, do not over torque it. I wish I could give you a torque spec for it, but I don't have a service manual for the Saturns.

I asked about cleaning my lifters, and he said I shouldn't take them apart, but just soak them in the parts cleaner and squeeze out the oil with a vise to install them dry. Will a vise not damage them at all? And I was under the impression that they should be installed full of oil?

That is about correct*. You can install the lifters dry, without issue**. They will pump up quite quickly once she is fired up. I don't know that I would go squeezing them down with a vice, probably a bit overkill.

Also, I didn't take a close look at them, but I have new pistons coming and they may not be here in time to have the shop install them on the connecting rods -- are they pressed-in or installed in some way I can't easily do it at home?

IMO, it's not something you want to do at home. It can be done, but the likely hood of only getting the pin in half way is high. You should really have the shop do it with an induction rod heater, then you know it is done right.

Now when I start putting it all together, what should I be lubing the parts with? I've seen some use grease, some use regular oil...what is recommended here? I was planning on using Lucas semi-synthetic assembly lube on the lifters, valve-train components, oil-pump, and bearings. Yay or nay?

Lots of opinions on this. Some will say wheel bearing grease is fine, some will say SAE30 oil is fine. Myself, I've always used a moly engine assembly lube on all rotating parts, except for the cam and lifters. Cam and lifters gets special "cam and lifter lube". I've switched from moly lube to CompCam's engine assembly lube, it's a lithium base, seems to do it's job fine. For cam and lifters, I use CompCam's cam and lifter lube. The stuff sticks like crazy, it's like red honey. Supposedly it penetrates the pores in the metal. That last bit sounds like snake oil to me, but regardless, I believe their cam lube to be the best.

Speaking of cam and lifters, you mentioned that you are reusing the original lifters. Are you also reusing the stock cam? If so, it is imperative that you kept them matched, IE Intake #1 lifter needs to stay on the original intake #1 cam lobe. They wear into their own unique pattern and if they're swapped, you'll likely kill a lifter, which will in turn wipe out the cam. Generally, you can use old lifters on a new cam, new lifters on an old cam, or new lifters and a new cam. As I said, you can use old and old as long as they weren't mixed up. That said, lifters are pretty cheap, I just ordered a set of Crower Cam Saver lifters for my Jeep 4.6L (straight 6cyl), $80 for the 12 of them and those are "high end" lifters. It's worth the piece of mind knowing I won't have to pull the motor to replace a chewed up cam anytime soon, which, oddly enough, was why the motor was pulled out this time around.

If you're installing a new cam, the first ~15 minutes that the motor runs is the most important 15 minutes the motor will ever run. Make sure you coat the lifters and cam liberally with cam lube. This is especially important on flat tappet motors. Which, some to think about it, I'm not sure if your motor is a hydraulic roller or a flat tappet. Regardless, it's good to lube it all up.

[BrandonK]

And stay away from Lucas crap, please. While their assembly lube may be normal, run of the mill stuff, there is no sense in putting money in the pocket of a snake-oil company.

[fetchitfido]

Originally Posted by BrandonK

This is true. The plastic, all things considered, is quite flimsy. When you torque it down, it will pull itself down to seal with the gasket.

If that were true then there wouldn't be so much worry about the POS plastic cover warping and having to find a '92-'95 in a junkyard to take the proper aluminum valve cover from. The warp creates a less pressurized area on the gasket and oil will leak out, though some people have had luck band-aiding it with extra strategically placed RTV.

[Highmile]

Originally Posted by BrandonK

IMO, it's not something you want to do at home. It can be done, but the likely hood of only getting the pin in half way is high. You should really have the shop do it with an induction rod heater, then you know it is done right.

Actually with saturns having floating wrist pins they can be installed very easily at home. No heat required since they slip fit in both the piston and connecting rod.

The biggest thing here is getting the snap rings into the new pistons. I have found the rings that come with the pistons to be horid. I always try to use the oem rings.

Highmile
'95 SL1 485k and counting

[Spaghettiohead]

Where can good lifters be found? Can't find much on a simple Google for it.

[leadfootny]

Folks swap cams around fairly regularly and I don't believe they use new lifters every time. I have not read of having to use new lifters when changing out a cam, although I might have just not come across it. It would be a good idea to take apart the lifters to clean them IMO. The holes can get gunked up and oil may or may not flow in and out of them. Personally, I think it is worth the extra couple of hours work to clean them up and refill them to try to avoid a collapsed one. I don't know if you have this, but here is a real good how to on cleaning them...

http://www.differentracing.com/tech_...es/lifter.html

[Spaghettiohead]

I've got roller lifters, but haven't taken a good look at them -- will disassembly be similar?

Or can I just soak them in parts cleaner whole?

[leadfootny]

Oh, I will retract my previous statement for you. I forgot that 99 has rollers....The head I pulled off mine has them as well, but I am putting in a 93 head so I have flat-tappets. Sorry for the confusion!