DIY engine block repair

In detail: do-it-yourself engine block repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Locksmith and mechanical work during the repair of engine cylinder blocks includes preparation for welding and processing after welding of cracks and block breaks, replacement of bushings for camshaft journals, processing of holes for valve tappets, processing of the contact planes of cylinder heads, restoration of threaded holes, etc.

Cracks and holes in blocks can occur as a result of Impact, freezing of water in the cooling system, as well as sharp cooling of an overheated engine. Before welding, the crack is cut at an angle of 120 ° to a depth of 3-4 mm and holes 0 3-4 mm are drilled at its ends. For cutting cracks, a pneumatic machine with an abrasive wheel is mainly used. The surface of the metal around the crack is 15–20 mm cleaned of rust and dirt.

Cracks are welded with an intermittent seam, followed by welding gaps in the welded seams.

Cracks passing through the lower bridges between the cylinders are repaired by welding with the welding of the bar to the bridging and placing tie rods on epoxy resin.

A steel plate 2.0-2.5 mm thick is applied in place of the hole so that it overlaps the crack along the perimeter by 10-15 mm. After that, the plate is tapped with a hammer so that it takes a concave shape to compensate for linear expansion during welding, and then it is welded with an intermittent seam.

To seal the welds, a layer of epoxy is applied to them. Holes can be repaired of almost any size and nature. After elimination of defects by welding, the cooling jacket of the cylinder block is tested on benches for tightness with water under a pressure of 4 kg / cm2 for 2-3 minutes.

Video (click to play).

For manual cold electric arc welding, the following equipment is used: welding transformers ТДП -1, ТС-300, -500, TD-300, -500; welding rectifiers VDG -301, -302, -303; as well as single-station welding converters and assemblies PSO - ZOZ -Z, PS-500 and SAM-300-2 (the latter can be used to work in air and in the rain). This unit uses a splash-proof generator.

Cracks on the walls of the water jacket of aluminum blocks (and heads) are welded or fused with argon-arc welding. Compared to other methods, this welding has a number of advantages: reliable gas shielding of the weld pool from the ambient air preserves the chemical composition of the metal of the welded joints as much as possible; concentrated arc action provides slight distortion of the part; there is no need for preliminary general heating, which significantly reduces the labor intensity of welding. For argon-arc welding, UDG -301 and -501 installations are used.

Holes with worn or damaged threads are repaired by oversized threading, welding of holes followed by threading of nominal size or spiral threaded inserts.

Image - DIY engine block repair

The insert is a springy spiral made of rhombic wire (Fig. 1). At one end of the spiral, a technological leash is bent, by means of which the insert is wrapped in a previously prepared hole.

The technological process of repairing a threaded hole using a spiral insert includes the following operations: reaming the defective hole to a certain size, cutting a thread in it corresponding to the size of the spiral insert, screwing in the spiral insert and breaking off the technological leader along the notch.

For the repair of threaded holes with spiral inserts, a special kit is produced, which, in addition to inserts, includes tools: drills, special taps, keys for screwing inserts, barbs for cutting off a technological leash.

Performing operations when repairing holes with spiral inserts is not particularly difficult.The defective hole is drilled out, a thread is cut in it for a spiral insert and, using a special key, it is screwed into the hole until the last turn of the insert is 0.5 mm below the level of the main surface. After that, a beard is inserted into the hole and the technological leash is cut off.

Since in the free state the outer diameter of the insert is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole to be repaired, then after being screwed into the threaded hole, the insert is in a stressed state and is held in the hole quite firmly.

The practice of restoring parts has shown that the method of repairing defective threaded holes using spiral threaded inserts is effective and expedient for most threaded holes in car body parts. The exception is heavily worn threaded holes, the diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the insert. Such holes are sometimes found in the cylinder block (under the head studs), in the gas pipeline (under the muffler exhaust pipe flange), in the clutch housing (under the starter bolts).

Image - DIY engine block repair

The repair of threaded holes in automobile parts by the method of setting spiral threaded inserts in comparison with the repair with the help of threaded bushings (screwdrivers) or cutting a new (repair) thread provides an increase in the wear resistance of threaded connections, eliminates the possibility of jamming of screwed-in parts, significantly increases labor productivity and reduces the cost of repairs. ...

Worn and deformed seats for main bearing shells are restored mainly in two ways. In the first case, the worn surfaces of the sockets for the inserts are fused with PMTs54 hard solder or L62 brass using an acetylene-oxygen torch. The thickness of the deposited layer is 1.5-2.0 mm. Then the surfaces of the main bearing caps are milled or ground to a depth of no more than 0.3 mm. After that, the covers are assembled with the cylinder block. The tightening torque of the mounting bolts is 11-13 kgf-m for engine blocks ZIL-130 and 30-32 kgf-m for YaMZ-238. Further, the seats of the main bearings are bored into a line to the nominal size on special two-spindle horizontal boring machines. On these machines, the boring of the main bearing seats is carried out simultaneously with the boring of the camshaft bushings. Simultaneous boring ensures the nominal distance between the axes of the main bearing seats and the camshaft bushings.

Image - DIY engine block repair

The misalignment of the bored holes should be no more than 0.02 mm for the ZIL -130 engine along the block length, and the runout of the bored sockets of the middle supports relative to the extreme ones is allowed no more than 0.025 mm for the YAME-238 engine.

A less time-consuming and most promising method of restoring the main bearing seats is the method of setting compensating plates (under the liners), which consists in the following. Before boring and inspecting bored cylinder blocks, the main bearing cap bolts and nuts must be tightened to a torque that meets the specifications previously specified. Further, simultaneous boring of the main bearing seats of the blocks is carried out for the installation of compensating plates.

Read also:  DIY electric starter repair

After control operations and interoperational washing, compensating plates are installed in the cylinder blocks and covers, then the block is fed to the assembly.

Compensating plates are installed in the block so that the tab of the insert enters the groove of the plate and it protrudes above the plane of the cylinder block AND the cover connector.

Plates are made by stamping from high-precision tape, material - steel 50. Plate thickness is 0.3 mm for YAME-238 engines and 0.25 mm for ZIL-130 engines.

What are we going to repair in the cylinder block?

Cylinder block repair technology, at its core, requires the use of specialized boring or honing machines. Although, in some cases, when repairing the engine block with your own hands, you can also use a manual honing head for an electric drill.

Repairing the cylinder head, or replacing the cylinder head gasket, can also partially be attributed to the repair of the cylinder block. But, we will focus specifically on the repair of the cylinder block.

As qualified professionals, we are well aware that before taking on the hammer, we need to figure out what detail we will knock on. That is, we are talking about traditional malfunctions in which repair of the cylinder block is simply necessary.

Wear on cylinder surfaces. This is the main defect, but not the only one. Cylinder repair is usually limited to cylinder boring and honing. Thus, the ellipticity arising from the peculiarities of the piston operation is removed, scratches and scuffing of the cylinder surface are removed.

Severe cylinder wear can occur due to a large axial clearance in the crankshaft thrust bearing. The most common is considered to be "natural" wear of the cylinder surface. It occurs as a result of long-term operation in normal mode. It appears in the upper part of the cylinder in the TDC (top dead center) zone at the moment the piston enters it.

Broken connecting rod. As a rule, a connecting rod breakage and subsequent chips and holes in the lower part of the cylinder occur due to overheating of the connecting rod bearing. This is the result of insufficient lubrication of the bearing.

A broken valve or ruptured seat will result in damage to the top of the cylinder. In this case, scuffs or bumps appear on the surface of the cylinder.

Cracks in the liner. This defect is rare, but it does occur. Over-tightening or improper tightening of the cylinder head bolts can cause this crack.

Cylinder seizures are often a direct result of engine overheating. In all these cases, cylinder repair is required. The event is not fast and expensive. The listed defects and malfunctions requiring repair of the cylinder block are obvious.

What cylinder block malfunctions are not immediately visible
They are not visible, but they are. Not knowing about these malfunctions means that the repair of the engine block of cylinders can turn into an unpleasant epic. When, after repairing the cylinder block, after tens of thousands of kilometers, the engine fails again.

Block deformation. This can happen due to a violation of the manufacturing technology of the block, when the internal stress has not been removed. This is especially true for cast iron blocks. For this, there is such a technology for repairing a cylinder block as artificial aging. Heating the block at a certain temperature and then machining: milling planes, boring cylinders and crankshaft beds
. Another reason for the deformation of the cylinder block itself is the unevenness of its heating during operation.

Repair of the crankshaft bearing bed. It is required both due to natural deformation and due to overheating or lack of lubrication of the main bearings. Against the background of the listed malfunctions, the breakdown of the stud or thread of the cylinder head bolt is a trifle for a mechanic. In this case, a hole is bored and a thread is cut.

From the list of all possible malfunctions of the cylinder block, it can be concluded that the technology for repairing the engine block in each case may be different. Do-it-yourself cylinder block repair in full, you are unlikely to be able to perform 100% in a garage, since certain operations require special equipment.

The most common reason that the engine stalls after starting is a breakdown of the regulator.

The smoke from the exhaust pipe is white, black, and other shades.At the same time, color serves as an important diagnostic feature and sometimes directly indicates malfunctions in the engine. We will talk about them.

As you know, the engine block is the basis of any internal combustion engine. In fact, the block is a three-dimensional part, inside which various assemblies and mechanisms are located (pistons and rings, as well as CPG sleeves, crankshaft, KShM connecting rods, etc.).

It is not surprising that damage to the cylinder block will not only disrupt the performance, but also disable the power unit. For this reason, the restoration of the block and its repair must be carried out efficiently and in a timely manner.

To begin with, there are two types of cylinder blocks:

  • cast iron BC;
  • blocks of aluminum alloys;

As a rule, cast iron blocks are additionally hardened with graphite, and lightweight aluminum products are made liner (a cast iron liner is inserted into the block). There are also aluminum cylinder blocks without liners. The alloy includes silicon, which significantly strengthens the block.

As for the sleeve blocks, the sleeves are "wet" and "dry". In the first case, the coolant is in direct contact with the sleeve, while in the second, the sleeve is tightly pressed into the block body during manufacture.

One way or another, each solution has its pros and cons, and during operation, various damages and defects of the cylinder block or defects of the block liners occur (depending on the type of BC).

Also, wear of the cylinders in the direction of the crankshaft axis often occurs. As a rule, cylinder damage on a "fresh" engine is caused by engine overheating or water hammer, as well as a decrease in the level or significant loss of the properties of the engine oil.

Less commonly, the cause of block defects is the unexpected destruction of the piston rings and other unforeseen breakdowns. We also add that in the BC there is often deformation of the crankshaft bearing bed, etc.

  • With regard to the wear of the cylinder surfaces, in this case, such wear is often "natural", that is, it is the result of operating the engine in normal operating conditions. The repair of cylinders itself in this case often involves boring and honing the cylinder (applying hone). This allows you to remove the ellipseness of the cylinder, remove scratches and scuff marks on the mirror.
  • A more difficult case can be considered a broken connecting rod,
    as the damage is usually more serious. Also, the cause of block defects is valve breakage, destruction of the valve seat, etc. The result is scuff marks on the cylinder surface and other damage. Also, in the list of common malfunctions, cracks in the block or sleeve should be highlighted.
  • We also add that there are so-called "hidden" problems, that is, it can be difficult to identify defects visually within the framework of a superficial examination. At the same time, unqualified repairs, which are limited to the banal replacement of worn parts, will still lead to the fact that the engine will need to be disassembled again after several hundred or thousand kilometers.
Read also:  Chainsaw poulan 2150 DIY repair

By the way, this problem is more inherent in cast iron blocks. Also, overheating of the engine or its uneven heating during operation can lead to deformation of the block (both cast iron and aluminum).

So, the repair of the cylinder block and the restoration of the cylinders themselves involves:

  • thorough cleaning of BC surfaces;
  • then a check is made for the tightness of the channels of the cooling system in the block (cooling jacket);
  • also washed and cleaned, and then the oil channels are checked;
  • further, an inspection of the cylinders is carried out in order to identify various defects;
  • then the block is bored / bored, surfaces are ground, etc.

For many engines, cylinder boring is a mandatory procedure as part of an engine overhaul.To perform the procedure, a special machine is used for boring engine cylinders. The boring of the block itself should be understood as the processing of the inner surface.

Such processing actually represents the removal of a layer of metal to level out irregularities, remove scoring, smooth out cavities, etc. The main task of machining is to give the cylinders their normal shape (cylindrical).

Another cylinder block repair may involve liner or re-liner. In the first case, the installation of the liners should be understood, although the factory design does not initially imply this. In the second, the worn out sleeve is removed from the block, after which a new repair is installed.

Finally, we note that as part of the restoration of the block, it may be necessary to repair the crankshaft bearing bed. Also, in some cases, it becomes necessary to eliminate the deformation of the block. For this, the method of artificial aging is used, when the block is heated to a certain temperature, after which various areas are treated.

As you can see, there are many faults in the cylinder block itself. Some can be considered small (for example, if a bolt breaks off in a block, etc.), while others are serious enough (for example, wear on the cylinder walls, cracks, etc.)

In practice, this means that in some cases it is possible to restore the cylinder block with your own hands even in a garage, while in others it will be necessary to have special equipment (machines for boring the block, honing, grinding). Also a very important aspect is the experience and qualifications of the master himself.

In view of the above, it becomes clear that only experienced specialists should be entrusted with the performance of such work, and the engine itself should be optimally repaired at such service stations, where it is possible to perform all the necessary operations right on the spot. First of all, this will shorten the repair time, and can often serve as a quality guarantee.