Thread: SR20DE engine rebuid time questions thread

After being off the road for 7 years, due to the engine suffering rod knock at the 2009 convention, I'm looking to get my SE-R up and running again this May. First and foremost the engine rebuild. It's still drive-able and only begins to knock at 4K+ rpm.

First things first. Bearings. ACL seems to be the ones to go with. Which ones? What size?
While I'm in there is there anything else I should replace/rebuild? Oil pump, water pump, rear main seal? These are just a few off the top of my head.

I'll take any advice you have. I'm in the parts and info "gathering" phase right now.

I've never rebuilt an engine, so I can't really help there, but what are your overall goals with this? Are you just wanting to restore the stock goodness, go for a performance build, or something else? Are you going to keep the car long term, or just fixing it up to sell?

You're going to have several folks tell you to forget it and grab an engine at an importer or even a local salvage yard. This isn't necessarily bad advice, again depending on your goals. Rebuilding a motor takes a lot of time, effort, and money, depending on what all you are getting into.

Elaborate a bit on your long term goals here, and folks will be better able to steer you in the right direction.

New head bolts are a must if using OEM, as they are torque-to-yield and are designed to stretch.
Head gasket
Permatex Ultra Grey
Piston rings

...and then what Jim said.

Lol, get a ve.. less of a headache, less time involved an well worth the cash

acl standards
rear main seal
front main seal
vet head gasket
piston rings arent necessary but its one of those things if you have the motor open you can change them. I wouldn't but thats me
oil pump is fine no need to change it just make sure to clean the oil pickup
stock headbolts or mazworx
water pump isn't necessary if yours is in good condition

More than likely your stock cross hatch will be mint so need for a cylinder hone

would hot tank the block (local machine shop can do that)

If your going to do new rings, might as well do a quick hone, even with a ball hone to help them seat correctly.

Also from my recent research (actually building a de at the moment) "hot tanking" aluminum heads or blocks isn't recommended.

But the rest of that is bang on.

idk about the hot tanking seems like everyone and their mother does it and haven't had bad effects on the parts

Fair enough, its something I recently learned, I think from a Nissan fsm even.. I guesss the preferred method is a ultra sonic hot water bath or steam or something. But I hear ya man I know plenty of guys that have had no known issues.

You mean vatting the block and head? Certain hot tank chemicals can "stain" aluminum and turn the parts dark. Any competent machine shop will know what to do with aluminum parts to clean them. And plus one on the quick hone of the bores.

FSM will greatly help you figure out bearings. But since you have rod knock take the crank and all rods to the machine shop to have them "mic" everything. Chances are the rod journals will have to be machined, and most machine shops will machine the main journals at the same time as the rod journals. The machine shop can also fix rod caps if damaged slightly (as long as they are not the cracked-cap variety) and they can tell you which thickness bearings to get after the machining.

Yeah, stuff starts adding up quickly.. which is why I was sayin to just get a 've lol.. it's a better motor for many reasons..