got my block back

[HPNOTIQracing]

i have it back and ive cleaned all the galleries and coolant passages...whats next?

[Josiah]

I'm assuming its bored out and cleaned up, blah blah, I am also assuming you have your rod and main bearings, piston rings, that your rods and pistons are pressed together, and that you have your crank back....in this case, start assembling the short block then(best of course if you have the ARP hardware, but stock hardware has always worked great for me)

[HPNOTIQracing]

yeah i have the block piston matched, hot tanked ect. yes mopar rod and mains..je piston rings... im acctually putting my je pistons and eagle rods together myself. getting that little retainer ring in each end of the wrist pin is a pain in the ass. yes the crank has been balanced and polished.
i have to wash it off it has the machine shop oil all over it. then what is the first step to assembly.
connecting the rods to the crank? what type of lube do i use for the bearings?

[Dano Moparo]

I would just use engine assembly fluid. Each builder likes their own stuff. Mine were done using ATF.

[Josiah]

I used engine assembly lube myself, make sure you have plastigage as well, as for the first step in assembly, that would be putting your pistons and rods together, then you install the piston/rod assembly in the block after checking your ring end gap, then you flip your block upside down and install the crankshaft after checking your main bearing clearances with the aforementioned plastigage, the you install your rods onto the crankshaft after checking those clearances too, then you install your rear main seal, install the oil pump, install the front main seal, install the crankshaft sprocket, install the water pump, put your oil pan back on after installing the pickup tube(with new o-ring) then lo and behold your shortblock is finished...all in all, building the block for the first time took me about 4 hours, I havent actually built a head yet(I leave that for the machine shop) also make sure you replace your freeze plugs before you call the shortblock done...and most important, I have almost certaintly forgotten something in this review, follow the steps in your haynes manual or factory service manual...preferrably the FSM

[HPNOTIQracing]

yeah i have the haynes manual and it sucks. i have new freeze plugs already. ok where do i get a plastigage and how do i measure the clearences. also what am i measuring (i know clearence) but clearence between what. and what are the correct clearences?

so i need assembly lube for the bearings. what do i use to seal the bottom half of the block(crank cap) to the upper part of the block?

[HPNOTIQracing]

hey thanks for the help guys. ill post pics and ill have to let you both see this when its done

[Josiah]

why do people keep saying the haynes manual sucks? it works fine, I have rebuilt 2 engine using it, it gives step by step procedures and clearance specs in the front of chapter 2 section B, plastigage is little strips of plastic you place between the main bearing and the crankshaft, then tighten down the bolts to the specified torque without moving the crankshaft, then you pull the cap and bolts off, look at the squished plastigage and compare it with the measurement scale that comes on the plastigage package, compare the results to the clearance specs, you can pick up some plastigage at NAPA...

[HPNOTIQracing]

"place between the main bearing and the crankshaft, then tighten down the bolts to the specified torque without moving the crankshaft, then you pull the cap and bolts off, look at the squished plastigage and compare it with the measurement scale that comes on the plastigage package"

then what put it all back together? would i have to check again at that point because im torquing it back down.

[Josiah]

no....then if it meets specs, you can put it back together...if it doesnt meet specs, you have a problem, but you have to scrape the squished plastigage off the crank journal first...easiest just to use your fingernail

[HPNOTIQracing]

ok got ya