Building An Engine, What Specialty Tools To Buy?

[Deceptive]

So, I decided to say **** it and I am either going to successfully build my 2V 4.6 or make a very expensive paperweight. That being said, other than wrenches and sockets, what do I buy? And where to buy it from?

All the machining is done but it is the assembly I need to do.

Also, what is so good articles, books, whatever that I could buy to help me with assembly, measurements, tolerances, and those type things?


“My Type-R Avalon is fast!”-Cockbruhs

 

[beau t]

1/2 in and 3/8 torque wrenches, you can get by with a 3/8 but it makes it easier for head bolts with a 1/2 - both in a flex head also

 

[BOOGIE MAN]

A high quality torque wrench is an absolute must have

Posts and likes are not mine.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

A high quality torque wrench is an absolute must have

Posts and likes are not mine.

MMR disagrees

 

[Junior00]

TQ wrench, ring filer, ring compressor, mic for checking clearances...there are a lot of things you can cheat with such as plastigauge but I'm not a huge fan especially if you aren't dealing with factory tolerances/machining. As far as the heads, spring compressor is nice to have.

Edit* I have a spring compressor for the mod heads if you need it.

 

[Machdup1]

100 count of ****ing 10mm sockets.

 

[DiB14-SAFD]

A case of beer to bribe a buddy that knows how to build engines to help you out.

 

[RedVenom48]

So, I decided to say **** it and I am either going to successfully build my 2V 4.6 or make a very expensive paperweight. That being said, other than wrenches and sockets, what do I buy? And where to buy it from?

All the machining is done but it is the assembly I need to do.

Also, what is so good articles, books, whatever that I could buy to help me with assembly, measurements, tolerances, and those type things?


“My Type-R Avalon is fast!”-Cockbruhs

Piston ring compressor for sure. ARP makes a KILLER cone type tool. ONly downside is that its bore specific, so if you ever want to do other engines or bore sizes, you gotta buy a new one. For the price though, they are hard to beat:

Tools - Piston Ring Compressors


Youll want a Modular valve spring compressor like this to get your roller fingers installed after the cams are in:

modular 2v valve spring tool - Google Search


If youre going with non factory cams, a cam wheel would be good to have. Verify cams are installed correctly. Process is a little time consuming but ultimately not hard. Lots of youtube videos about it.

Lots of engine assembly lube for the bearings. (DRY on the backside of the mains and rods, lube on the crank/rod journal side). Engine oil wont cut it as theres no way to prime the oil system without spinning the engine on a mod motor. At least, none that Im aware of. Lube will let you start the engine and protects the bearings/ cam journals until the oil pump fills and can flow through the engine to generate pressure.

Make damn sure you have the correct head gaskets on the correct bank in the proper orientation. Some are quite similar, unsure about how Mod 2Vs are. Had a friend at work get a Toyota 2JZ headgasket on backwards... had to redo the whole job because the car would overheat.

 

[IronSnake]

It depends on how you decided to install the bearings and check everything.

You'll want a seriously good set of calipers to check the bearing surfaces. Then you'll want a dial bore gauge to check the cylinder sizes and bearing sizes after you pre-install them. Plastigauge "works" but on 4.6's I've found its better to do it this way. You can mic' out every bearing surface and bore size every bearing cap.

The other tip I have for you is:
1) Don't drink beer. Don't do it when you feel even remotely unwell or out of sorts. Mistakes are easily made
2) Don't do it with a party of people. A max of 1 additional person to help
3) Don't have a ton of distractions- Music, Radio, TV, etc. Try to stay as focused as possible

I'm sure the above doesn't matter to engine builders with tons of experience and time in the field, but the above made the biggest difference and cut down on mistakes for me.

 

[08mojo]

So, I decided to say **** it and I am either going to successfully build my 2V 4.6 or make a very expensive paperweight. That being said, other than wrenches and sockets, what do I buy? And where to buy it from?

All the machining is done but it is the assembly I need to do.

Also, what is so good articles, books, whatever that I could buy to help me with assembly, measurements, tolerances, and those type things?


“My Type-R Avalon is fast!”-Cockbruhs

I would strongly suggest you have the machine shop measure all of the bearing clearances. You can measure ring gap, etc with feeler gauges. Machine shop should have also ensure the bores are the right diameter for the pistons you're using and square.

Outside of that:

• buy the best quality torque wrench you can afford
• buy high quality lintless rags

Suggestions while building:

• have a beer while building
• entertain buddies while building
• this is not a complicated process, the machine shop should have done the work that requires strict focus for you

 

[96dreamer]

Pro tip. Coffee filters make excellent last stage wipe down rags. They're lint free and show any dirt that they pick up. I like spraying them with atf and wiping down the cylinder walls and other surfaces.

 

[Deceptive]

I would strongly suggest you have the machine shop measure all of the bearing clearances. You can measure ring gap, etc with feeler gauges. Machine shop should have also ensure the bores are the right diameter for the pistons you're using and square.

Outside of that:

• buy the best quality torque wrench you can afford
• buy high quality lintless rags

Suggestions while building:

• have a beer while building
• entertain buddies while building
• this is not a complicated process, the machine shop should have done the work that requires strict focus for you

The machine shop had EVERYTHING when they did the machining. Fasteners, pistons, rods, crank, cams, yesterday’s boxer briefs, etc...

I am doing it all the rest of the way. I either succeed or waste $10k and end up pissed off doing a Coyote Swap.

So, what do I need to properly check tolerances, gaps, what has not been mentioned?


“My Type-R Avalon is fast!”-Cockbruhs

 

[04DeadShort]

A set of micrometers, inside diameter bore gauge and dial calipers with mounting bases. To degree the cams you need a adjustable lash adjuster, piston stop and a degree wheel. If you need a valve spring compressor, this company makes a sweet setup. I have the 4 valve plate.

Ford Modular 4.6L 5.4L 2V Valve Spring Compressor

 

[Black02GT]

MMR disagrees

My rod on the LIE service road back in the day agrees.

 

[PhoenixM3]

So, I decided to say **** it and I am either going to successfully build my 2V 4.6 or make a very expensive paperweight. That being said, other than wrenches and sockets, what do I buy? And where to buy it from?

All the machining is done but it is the assembly I need to do.

Also, what is so good articles, books, whatever that I could buy to help me with assembly, measurements, tolerances, and those type things?


“My Type-R Avalon is fast!”-Cockbruhs

Angle grinder and hammer

 

[IronSnake]

MY rod on the LIE service road back in the day agrees.

I lol'd

 

[SecondhandSnake]

From my experience-

Torque wrenches - 1/2" and 3/8"
Dial bore gauge
Micrometer set
Piston ring compressor
Piston ring installer tool
Ring filer
Snap ring pliers (if using that type of piston)
Feeler gauges
Paint pen
Deadblow
Nitrile gloves
Some sort of oiler- squirt bottles or the old can types work
Sooooo much assembly lube
Solvent/cleaner
Plastic bag to cover the engine
Notebook

If doing the top end-
Valve spring compressor (I like the TFS one)
Magnet tool (especially for keepers)
Degreeing kit
Modular specific piston stop
Solid lash adjuster (I used one from Comp)

Depending on the rods you may need a rod splitter. You can make one yourself with some bolts or all thread though.

I would recommend both the Ford service manual and the Sean Hyland books for building one. The service manual is probably the best resource.

One thing I like doing for more precision builds is keeping a build notebook for it. That way you can mark off what you've torqued, what values, where you've left off, measurements/tolerances etc... It really helps with keeping track of things. And you have a record if you ever need to go back and look at it.

The other tip I have for you is:
1) Don't drink beer. Don't do it when you feel even remotely unwell or out of sorts. Mistakes are easily made
2) Don't do it with a party of people. A max of 1 additional person to help
3) Don't have a ton of distractions- Music, Radio, TV, etc. Try to stay as focused as possible

I'm sure the above doesn't matter to engine builders with tons of experience and time in the field, but the above made the biggest difference and cut down on mistakes for me.

Beer and music is like a requirement for it. That said, you definitely need to know when to stop while you're doing it. There's times you can either keep working or have another beer, but not both.

I agree with nobody else in the garage while building it though. Sometimes an extra set of hands is nice, but engine building isn't one of them. You need to have intimate knowledge of each and every thing that's been done.