202 Heart transplant :(

[Morgz]

Hey chaps, saddens me to say it but the diagnosis from the engine doctor last week was a bad one for the red 202 I'm currently running in my little beast.  Apparently my big end bearings are f***ed, amongst other things, and it's only a matter of time till the ole girl dies.  I don't remember letting it run dry on oil so I'm not sure quite how that came to be but I trust the diagnosis, oh well...  At least this leaves me with an opportunity to find something better I spose

So!  I'm putting a call out there for a replacement engine.  I was running CFS with a red 202, yella terra head with extractors and 2.5" exhaust on petrol through a Supra 5 speed and had recently purchased a Bosch HEI for it but haven't wacked it on yet.  Does anyone know where I can score a quality rebuilt 202 that I can swap in?  Wouldn't mind something a little worked/upgraded, could also swap the head from the old one over (hardened valve seats, worked) if that's possible and not too time consuming?  I'm not exactly a mechanic so I'm also looking for someone up for performing the transplant.  I suppose I could break it down to this

What I have and want to match:

- 202 (doesn't really have to be red I suppose)
- yella terra head (to match extractors)
- ignition not required as I already have Bosch HEI
- hardened valve seats (prep for a conversion to full LPG at some point)

What I'd also be prepared to pay for:

- upgrades that won't negatively impact the reliability of the engine (preferrably the opposite!).  I'm all for increased performance as long as it doesn't impact on reliability and chew too much petrol. Would cam, rockers, hardened pushrods etc fall into this category?
- better carby, not that I really know s*** about them, it just sounds like an area where a little time and money can produce worthwhile results.

And finally I need:

- someone to sell it all to me
- someone to put it in
- someone to take the old engine off my hands

I realise I have created an opportunity for a less civic minded individual to take me to the cleaners if I were to make my case out in the open market, hence me bringing my cause to the gentlemen of BUGA in the hopes that some of you either know or are in fact yourselves the kind of chaps who can honestly help me out here and not tear my wallet a new ass!  I realise this kind of thing ain't cheap and I do have a decent budget for it.  It is also my daily driver so it'd need to be a full time job and not a 'we'll see what we can do over the next 10 weekends' kind of thing either.

So there ya go.  Let me know if you think I'm crazy.  Cheers all,

Morgz

[Warren]

Morgs

there are a few ways you could go but by the sounds of it, you could buy a short motor ( rebuilt Motor with no head) lift the beddy off the front end with a engine hoist (see mezzmo and my Album for examples) bolt the head off the old engine and bolt it back onto the new one, put the new engine on the front end and roll it back under - easy as eh

Warren 

[able]

thats exactly what i would do if i were in your shoes and was happy with what i had.

all you will need is a head gasket and a nice friend with a engine crane who will spot you a few hours to help.

if you wanted to get out of it cheap... most wreckers have good to go bottom ends that would be good for a few years and will cost maybe $200.... so you would be out of trouble for less then $300 all up. (why spend big if you were happy with what you had? )

for later on down the track you might consider a straight gas carby from the likes of Australian gas research... the s350 start at $440 and you will get more power/eccon out of your gas. although the     S350, S400, S440, S480 and S510 are all $440 so you might want to get a slightly bigger throat if your running a yella. apparently they have a idle bypass that really saves you at the lights compared to the newgen and the old emkay.
http://www.gasresearch.com.au/

[MaTTe]

why not pull the motor out, put it on an engine stand, turn it upside-down and replace the bearings?
Unless you've run it so dry that it's damaged the crank, nothing major should NEED replacing.
You already know that the motor is fairly good. You can easily slide a new cam in while you're at it. May as well put in piston rings too for the sake of 5 mins effort.

But if this sounds too daunting for you and whoever is helping out, maybe an exchange is the way to go, however it'll be more costly.

Definately keep your existing head, unless it is badly warped you will have no need to replace the head either. Plus finding a yella terra head will not be a straight forward exercise.

If you want to stay petrol and upgrade the carb, go and speak to your states HQ racing club, find one of the front runners and ask them how much to have a carb built up for a strong street motor. You wont need everything a race carb has going for it, but will be able to benefit from things that aren't allowed to be done to a race carb. I would not recommend taking a stromberg to a local carby shop and ask them to build you a performance carb. Plenty of the guys over here get the carby professionals to build them a stromberg, and then they bring them to us and ask to have it improved - 9 times out of 10 the carby pros will do things to the carby that'll only hinder performance as they dont really understand the strombergs, we then throw the carby in the bin and start again. Now this isn't to say all carby shops are this bad, only most - which is why i recommend speaking to some of the front runners at the track as they'll either build the carbs themselves, or be able to recommend a GOOD shop.

I also recommend getting yourself a high volume oil pump, and hydraulic lifters that're anti-jack to 7,000. Standard pushrods are fine so long as they're not bent. And get yourself a new timing gear, a J.P or similiar billet gear.

[Morgz]

That seems like some very helpful advice chaps, thanks heaps.  So I reckon I'll go with a rebuilt short motor just in case the big end bearings aren't the only things that are worn out.  I'm guessing that while I'm in the process of buying the short motor I can ask them to pop on a few extras like a mild cam (any suggestions?), hydraulic lifters (to 7,000 rpm), hardened valve seals, billet timing gear etc yeah?  Have I missed anything worth popping on?   What about getting it properly balanced?  Pistons bored? I'd like to actually put a bit of effort in when I've got the chance and get something that's going to be a step up from what I had.  I'll do a ring around my area and see if anyone's got a quality short motor hanging around.  I'm also assuming the high volume oil pump is a standard bolt on thing like this yeah: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Holden-6-Cylinder-High-Volume-Oil-Pump-186-202-/220612006782


So now all I need is someone to do the swap for me.  I'm a little wary of taking it to a regular mechanic to do this, I'd rather someone who already knew what it takes to get the engine in and out of a beddy, I know it ain't a normal thing.  Does anyone know someone northern suburbs Melbourne way who is up for it?  I live in North Coburg.  Any contacts would be most appreciated.

Cheers fellas, I'll let you know how it goes when I get started.  The old girl is still running (I push her gently) but I don't know how much longer she's got so I'm getting onto it fairly soon.  Thanks again,

morgz

[MaTTe]

Hey mate, yeah any engine reconditioner should be able to do all that for you, they'll be able to source parts for you too.
That oil pump looks to be a HV pump, and it is listed as High volume, but as that one is the same casting as standard, i would ask for a photo of the part number cast into the body as proof it is actually a HV. J.P also make a HV pumo that is in a wider casting rather than just boring out the standard casting and putting bigger gears into it, so it is immediately obvious. But the J.P ones are getting harder to find. The price wasn't too bad on the ebay item either.

When you go into the engine shop you'll want to take your current head in and have it looked at, and potentially faced. If you want hardened seats get them to do it then too.

Send an email off to Wade cams, and Crow cams and ask them what would be the best cam to suit your needs - be it towing, cruising, racing or whatever else

Good luck

[Morgz]

Awesome, cheers Matte.  Ben the Bedford fairy has kindly offered to help me with the changeover so I'll try to get onto that soon.  Will let you all know how it goes

[Mark B]

Morgz Man,

Happy to help out too mate - it was about a year ago I did the changeover after my last 202 sh@t itself.

Laving for o/s in 2 weeks for 2 weeks, so be back around July 9th if I can be of any assistance to ya.

Good luck!