F2 Engine Rebuild Tips

This page is written to provide basic tips on rebuilding the F2 engine use in the B2200 and other cars using this block. Most of these tips are universal for all engines. On this page I will also try to include major mistakes people common make while doing engine rebuilds especially mistakes that could prove fatal to the engine.

1. Research before you start. I recommend a minimum of 2 sources of engine specific information, haynes manual, chiltons, factory manual, this site, etc.... Also a third source for engine building, preferably a reputable published book. Note that not all information in books or any other source is right or the best thing to do.

2. Cleanlyness is everything!! Keep all parts and your work area clean and organized. If you do not have access to a garage or storage area that can be prepped for work, your kitchen is probably the best bet to do as much assembly as possable.

3. Have a sharpie marker and lots of zip lock bags ready. Label bags before removing parts, clean and lightly oil parts before putting in bag. Also some sort of work cart with shelves is recommended to organize and store larger parts such as piston/connecting rod assemblies, oil pump, water pump, cylinder head, etc.... Keep the entire cart covered with a large clean trash bag when not in use or cover each shelf with a trash bag.

4. PAY ATTENTION TO BOLTS AS YOU REMOVE THEM!!! It is very common for parts to have different length or size bolts used on the same part. Keep a notebook handy and draw a quick sketch of the bolt pattern layout, make sure to title the page with the part the bolts go to, add notes for the bolts and if there is anything wrong or missing you notice while disassembling.

5. If you have a digital camera take lots of pictures especially of parts such as bearings, timing marks, distributor alignment, cam sprocket etc. Use white out to mark things that require alignment later such as distributor advance, cam sprocket alignment with dowl, etc... Later when you are reassembling using your reference material you can compare that to how it was dissassembled. If you experience problems later you can reference back to the original setup to aid troubleshooting. Note that if the engine was not in running order before the rebuild that the original installation should be recorded but not trusted.

6. At a minimum aquire some cheap measuring equipment, you should have a 1", 2", and 4" micrometers, a set of dial calipers, and some T-gauges. These can be aquired cheaply from Harbor Frieght and other places. Cheap equipment is far better than no equipment and taking even half way accurate measurments can sometimes save you hundreds of dollars later.

7. Mark parts with a sharpie, this is relatively permanent and will easily clean off before assembly. For example mark on piston skirt the cylinder number, also mark on the connecting rods, bearing caps, etc... Also mark which way parts mated, if you flip a bearing cap around from what was machined when you assemble the engine it will be fatal to the engine within minutes of starting it the first time (if it will start or run at all).

8. Cast engine blocks always have trapped core sand in the metal, although usually not fatal it can definatly prove benificial to clean some of these areas to increase longevity. Look in corners and crevaces for areas which look like sand might be trapped and grind them out with a dremel or some other tool, remove the as little metal as possable to remove the loose material. Also smooth out areas of casting flash, this removes stress risers and reduces the chances of something breaking off and getting into the oil.

9. MAKE SURE PISTON RINGS ARE STAGGERD BEFORE INSTALLING!!!

10. Keep new engine bearings in their bags until they are ready to be measured and installed. When purchasing new bearings do not accept any package which has been opened in any way, even if the seller opens the plastic bag in front of you. Keep them air tight until you are ready to install them. Ask about return or exchange policies before purchasing, just because they are new DOESN'T mean that they are the right size or free of defects. DO NOT EVER TOUCH THE BACK SIDE OR FACE OF THE BEARING AT ANY TIME!!!! Oil from your fingers will cause clearance and hot spot problems in bearings that WILL cause rapid failure.

11. Clean almost all metal parts with paint thinner or acetone before intallation, then oil or lube as neccessary. Parts must have no residue on them after they are cleaned.

12. After engine block has been completly machined clean with HOT SOAPY WATER!! NO SOLVENTS such as paint thinner, acetone, brake clean, etc... Solvents leave residue on the metal that will cause the cylinders to glaze when the engine is started. The result is rings that will not seat, have blowby, and leak oil for the life of the engine. Use tide, dawn, palmolive, etc to clean the block, then immediatly dry with compressed air and wipe down with LINT FREE CLOTH then oil cylinders with engine oil. Cast iron blocks will rust within minutes of contact with water so time is crucial.