Rebuild Dauntless

Hey Guys, got the jeep started again after getting the distributor back in. I knew something was going on with the number one cylinder . Had a mechanic buddy come today and he thinks a broken piston or skirt. It gets unburned fuel out of left side exhaust pipe, and with plug wire removed, no smoke...

Looking at either rebuilding this motor or going with something else.

What do you guy's think?

Chris

 

Rebuild it since you already have it...........or a 4.3 chevy V6 but you'll have to change many parts although it's sometimes worth it for the FI...

 

Pop #1 out and see what's going on before going further.

 

Pulling a head on a Jeep is easy, esp. with the small heads on a 225. Then depending on what you see, pull the engine or remove the pan and piston as Jim suggests.

 

thanks tarry. Yeah, I'm thinking of having it rebuilt. Want to keep it simple, and not break the bank.

Chris

 

Was thinking about that too. Did leak down test a couple of weeks ago, and cylinders averaged about 15 percent i think. Kinda figured valve job for others and problem with number 1, maybe needed to be bored. The wife isn't too happy about me having to rebuild the motor already.

 

Thanks tim. Yeah, my buddy was saying we could pull motor easily in a couple hours. Just thinking it would be more costly getting parts for this motor, i don't see many rebuild kits.

Chris

 

You don't have to pull the engine.
Pull the head(s), drop the pan, and pull the piston(s) or just the one.
This lets you inspect bores, pistons and rod bearings.
Remove the mains and inspect.
Go from there.

 

thanks Jim. Yeah, I was thinking of a rebuild because every time I try to go on the cheap it bites me in the butt. Wouldn't the engine have to be balanced again if one piston is replaced? Also, I heard the 3.8 Rods are a lot better, but i'm guessing that would also lead to balancing the crank and pistons.

I'll be speaking with my machine shop sometime this week and see what he thinks as well..

Thanks Jim,

Chris

 

My air cleaner nuts fell into my engine after I rebuilt it. It wrecked 3 pistons and the valves too. I took a junk engine, removed the valves and piston con rod assemblies, honed the hell out of the cylinder bores, lapped the valves, re ringed the pistons on that side and am running it now. It’s fine and cost me under 100 bucks.

 

My avatar photo is the bent rod and busted piston that came out of my V6.
Hard to see I know, photo is small.
The short version of a long story is this:
Water had seeped past and down the stud that holds the air cleaner to the carburetor.
It filled up #6 and when I went to start the next morning, whamo, but it continued to turn over and started.
I continued to drive the Jeep, ran good, but #6 header tube was discoloring, turning pink.
Several months later when I finally pulled the piston and rod, I found the damage.
I purchased a new piston, had it installed on a re-conditioned rod, and that was over 30 years ago.
Been running with it that way ever since.
Of course, your situation may be different, and it's your Jeep.
Sometimes just fixing what is wrong is the better way to go.

 

oh crap! I think i'd be saying so many four letter words id be hoarse. haha..

 

Holy crap Jim! I wonder if I could get by doing that.. I would do a valve job, along with changing oil pump and timing chain. Probably cam as well... Heads look so clean, never seen valve train as clean as this one, so maybe had a recent valve job.

Chris

 

What happened was the nuts and washers were siting on the secondaries with the holley carb I am running. I never really open it up, but when I did, they fell into the intake and I killed it. It ran really bad and then got better enough to get me home.

Oh well.

 

They say going fast costs money; I see why

 

I purchased a kit from Northern Auto parts, was happy with it. I have to say a total rebuild was not a cheap way to go, but I had problems in all the cylinders and heads.

Buick 225 V6 1964-1971 | Northern Auto Parts

Also TA Performance is a good source.

 

Like what Jim and Chris relate, you can patch things without a complete rebuild if you know what you are doing. Broken pston? Used (or new) piston, new rings, hone the cylinder should be ok... but you need to be savvy enough to look at what you've got and realize what you need. Plus you're taking a risk based on your judgement and your willingness to go back in if it doesn't work out like you think it will. If a shop did that and it failed, they'd have to write off the original repairs and only get paid for the more extensive repairs that worked out. When doing your own work, you're only out your extra labor and possibly a few wasted parts.

 

Damn. That reminds me when I dropped a wrench on my rv batteries. It fried the inverter and cost me over a thousand dollars plus shorted out the battery bank that was around 500 ... I'm really careful about the battery bank now. Lol

Chris

 

Fast? I haven't even tore up some dirt yet.. can't wait

Chris

 

Yeah, I'll be pulling the motor. I just would rather have this thing reliable rather than cut corners. The machine shop I've used before hes an old school machinist, and would do it right.
Chris