Top end rebuild or Re-power?

[westwinds]

If it's your own time, it costs nothing to get the engine apart and find what the issues are. Even if you do a top end, you will not know if you have a reliable engine without complete disassembly. By the way, I liked the idea of asking the hot rod folks about a good machine shop. It takes a lot of careful thinking and work to make a good hot rod engine.

[Cheechako]

It is possible for you to do your own overhaul if you are doing the head anyway. As Sailorchic mentioned...it's not too complicated. If the ridge at the top of the cyls in not too bad, you may get by by just honing the cylinders, cleaning all up and installing new rings on the pistons (chek those pistons closely!) Then possibly new rod bearings etc. We used to call this an overhaul as opposed to a rebuild. A rebuild would renew everything. You need to have the capability of measuring some things.

[westwinds]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Rebuilding is easier and less costly. I just rebuilt my 3gm30f this last july and august... Here's the link to my summer of discontent.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ar-107705.html

I've over 55 hours on the new rebuilt and it works fine. Mine had no rust though.

I found a good machine shop, by talking to a few custom car guys. The machine shop had a big cat block and my dinky yanmar block. They did a great job too.

That link is very informative sailorchic. I see it went on for 28 pages!