Top 3 Pickup Truck Engine Rebuilding Mistakes

The pick-up truck's heart is its engine. Be mindful of the common errors we have found to be the most frequent in our interactions with thousands of customers throughout the globe while conducting heart surgery on your pick-up truck. The following errors are simple to overlook and brush off, but they may also result in early wear, a lack of power, and the need to rebuild the engine again soon.

1. Failing to measure your crankshaft and cylinders

The majority of the time, we make mistakes like this. Your cylinder may be .003" out of specification for Kohler K Series engines, and your crankshaft can be .0005" out of specification. The smoothness of the cylinder bore and the crankshaft has helped many clients decide that they desire standard-size components. Your eye, however, cannot tell whether a cylinder is tapered by.004" or if a crank journal is out of round by .0005". An out-of-spec engine may not always show evident indicators of wear or damage.

Micrometer Usage

Use a micrometer to measure your bore and crankshaft if you want your rebuild to last longer. This crankshaft is in decent condition, and it really falls short of the requirements for a typical connecting rod since it is .0015" out of round.

It is also essential to use the right tools to make measurements. Callipers excel at many tasks but need to improve in measuring engine components. Your measurement will be inaccurate if your wrist moves at all while you're taking it. The ideal tool is a micrometer since it is simpler to keep perpendicular to the measured object and remains stationary until you spin the thimble. It takes experience to use a micrometer; therefore, to hone your skill, practice on recognized "standards."

2. Improper valve seat repair

Use a valve seat cutter to fix the seat surface if your valve seats are damaged. Many people think a valve lapping compound would fix the problem; however, it doesn't remove nearly enough material to repair damaged valve seats. Your neighbourhood automotive machine shop may do the job if you need a valve seat cutter. You may invest in your own valve seat-cutting equipment if you own many pick-up trucks.

Along with this, we often see people facing issues measuring the end gap. New piston rings often need some final fitting. If your rings' end gaps aren't carefully checked, the piston may seize in the cylinder after it has warmed up. Make careful you push the rings into the cylinder and measure the end gap using a feeler gauge before attaching the rings to your piston. If necessary, enlarge the gap with a file.

3. Failing to check the flatness of your cylinder head

Your combustion chamber will create greater power if the seal is good. Even if your engine has never blown a head gasket, you must use a feeler gauge and a flat surface to examine the flatness of your cylinder head. You may utilize a granite surface plate or a glass countertop for the flat surface. If you can fit a.003" feeler gauge between two bolt holes, you should flatten the head. To do this, adhere some medium- to fine-grit sandpaper to a flat surface, drizzle some water over it, and then repeatedly rock your cylinder head back and forth. It's quicker and more straightforward than it seems!

Final words

Mistakes that happen during the pick-up truck engine repair can be pretty expensive. To overcome such problems, you should work with the most reputable pick-up truck repair shop in your neighbourhood. 

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