have you done mains with engine in car

KilnRed;276 wrote: Brad,

I don't know how else to put it. I am impressed. Thank you very much for making your project a pleasure for so many others to enjoy, first off. You have quite the character. That much is obvious. The "consensus way" is not necessarily your preferred choice for doing things. That's an admirable characteristic to say the least.

So far, I just have one question and one only. Are you not feeling physically as though you've been in a bull fight after you get done working on your car for an evening or whenever it may be? Your approach to this looks like hell on the back and joints to be quite honest.

Thanks Buddy,
That is a very high complement. Thank-you

To answer your question...

I was trained as a flat rate GM mechanic and learned early on, that you don't have to use the factory method to complete the job, (Some times)
Sometimes trying to take the short cut cost you time and scraped knuckles and a new vocabulary.
I have always done north american V8 mains from the bottom unless there is a reason to remove the engine. To R&R a chevy 350 is 5 to 6 hours and if you can save that time, its money in your pocket.

This 928 old girl is a real learning curve to say the least, but you never know till you try.
As a mechanic for the past 20 years I have spent lots of time on a creeper repairing cars.
The creeper i have is comfortable enough to fall asleep on. Do I hurt after?, your dam right. Some of it is due to old age and some is due to past injuries from doing it wrong.

I wish I had a hoist so that I could put the car up high enough to stand under it, but down the road I plan to get one.
I bought this house last year and have not installed a over head crane yet, that is also coming.
So since I plan on taking this beast on holidays in June and July I don't have much time. I know that when I get at it, it wont take long, I'm just not enthused enough yet, Ha Ha or it would be done by now. Parts are another issue.

I guess to be fully honest, I didn't realize what all was involved with doing the mains on this car, but would I do a mop and go main job like this again? FOR SURE not a big deal.

Now this winter I will pull the engine because I want to detail and replace everything. I need to have it done by feb because it goes for a complete paint inside and out, if I have the coin by then that is.

Thanks again Kilnred.
Ill always be here to add my experience, but that is not much on the 928

KilnRed;276 wrote: Your approach to this looks like hell on the back and joints to be quite honest.

Interesting, that there is actually a key physical advantage to the way Brad is doing it, at least in my case. My 50+ old back is really unhappy when bending over, as in doing under hood work like pulling a motor, but it really doesn't have any issue with laying on a creeper and rolling around under the car. I did the motor mount, oil pan project last year, including removing the cross member, and while I am sure it took me longer than it should, it wasn't due to my back. As they say opinions may vary or perhaps in this case backs may vary

Thanks for your contributions Brad

admin;278 wrote: Interesting, that there is actually a key physical advantage to the way Brad is doing it, at least in my case. My 50+ old back is really unhappy when bending over, as in doing under hood work like pulling a motor, but it really doesn't have any issue with laying on a creeper and rolling around under the car. I did the motor mount, oil pan project last year, including removing the cross member, and while I am sure it took me longer than it should, it wasn't due to my back. As they say opinions may vary or perhaps in this case backs may vary

Thanks for your contributions Brad

I would agree with you if we were talking about changing spark plugs vs. a starter. The is no better physical aid to doing a job of this magnitude than with the help of an engine stand. Besides that, I just find it really hard to work with higher torque applications from my back. I need my legs under me, but I'm not a super strong person so perhaps that's why.

I'll just go right on ahead and admit it. There is NO WAY possible that I could stand the physical AND mental stress of changing main bearings in my 928 with the engine in the car. Not only that, I know I would damage the crank beyond repair somehow if I even tried it this way. I can only imagine how nice it must be to carefully remove a big piece of forged steel from the engine with one hand as Brad must/has. These disadvantages to doing this job this way is what impresses me so much about this approach. I don't understand why Brad is doing it this way, but I certainly respect his efforts and cheer him on. And if all goes well as I assume it will, then Brad Haugen becomes the equivalent of a John Rambo to mechanical work in my opinion. LOL

ha ha ha you are kiln me red;

No i will not be removing the crank, here is what I will do.

I have a strap on the front of the crank


this will stop the front from dropping. On the rear i will install two of the drive shaft bolts. I have a wedge under the drive shaft in the TT. I have a small floor jack under the TT.
The weight will come off the bearings and i slide them out by spinning them. I can lower the crank if i have to, to wipe it down and inspect. Slide in the new shells. Install the girdle and torque to crush the bearings. smack the crank with the rubber hammer. Remove the girdle, lay the plastic-gauge on top of the crank and reinstall and torque. remove it again and inspect, roll the crank if I have to.

OK guys what do you think, will it work?
I have done literally hundreds of Nrth engines like this. warranty will not pay to remove the engine especially on one of the new V 6 engines were everything is in the open. Just thought I would try the same here. A lot more work then what I expected, But I didn't expect it to be a piece of cake either.

I hope this reconfirms your faith in me BUT please keep talking and let me know what you think because the LAST thing I want to do is F*$# up this block or crank. I am more concerned about the torque on the 3/8 bolts that are between the outside main studs. They go very close to the cylinder walls and with the heat and expansion, if the torque isn't exact it could cause a dip or a lump in the cylinder walls that the ring will ride over.

I think you will know (based on your experience) if you have done it right or not. Did you find the torque specs and pattern in the workshop manuals?

I thought the comment in another forum about the need for line boring was interesting. I hadn't heard that before, and in the few 928 motors I have rebuilt, haven't done so. I did have failures though, but they were with the main bearings, rather the rod bearings which is a known 928 motor issue when tracked.

Yes the line bore comment was... interesting eh.

Normally if you spun a bearing or had to repair a main bearing cap on a V8 then you would put on a new main cap which would have a smaller inside diameter. Insert the boring bar and line bore the crank. Now there is more to it and the crank center line is made true to the piston bores I believe making the block what is called "square". Now I am not a machinist but I took automotive engineering at letourneau university a long time ago and it was something like that.

The only way I see him needing a line bore is if the girdle had to be replaced, then the used one or damaged one would be shaved down a few thou and then line bored,
or maybe a new crank if the dia was different

I have the bolt pattern for the main studs but didn't notice the specs on the other bolts that thread into the cylinder wall.