Advice for a beginner

[PommyDave]

Hi, I've recently inherited x2 Holden 202 engines. Both are complete (without gearboxes), one is blue & one is red, and both are stock standard as far as I know.

I'm a total beginner when it comes to working on cars/ engines & have nobody I know locally to teach me, so I'm learning the very basics via forums & YouTube etc.

I am currently stripping down the blue engine to try to work out which bit does what & I have been told my first job is to get the block acid-dipped to find out if it's actually a worthwhile project. In a perfect world I would then rebuild it with quality parts (and hopefully adding a bit of oomph), before finding a car to stick it in.

I have the space and the time and it's purely a teach-myself hobby.

My question (and I'm sorry if it's a silly one) is how do I learn which components are compatible with each other? I feel that trial & error would waste a lot of $$$, but if I asked a workshop for help I'd either get fleeced or laughed back out the door?

Thank you.

 

[Ginger Beer]

Don't get it acid dipped































































If you don't have a car to put them in just pull one apart for look

 

[Immortality]

Get yourself a car manual for those engines/models as they have a wealth of info to suit a standard rebuild/maintenance.

Engines, how they work are actually fairly basic in concept but to make an engine run well requires detail and accuracy.

I'd start with doing a basic refresh of an engine, gaskets, seals etc. Get it running, chuck it in a car feel like you have accomplished something and then move on to something bigger.

The more you get into engines and the more you want to modify the more you will need in terms of tools and know how. It's a hobby that soon becomes a passion and then an obsession.

As above, I wouldn't bother with an acid dip until you understand the basics. that sort of stuff is when doing a full rebuild and the machine shop is going to clean it up before doing a whole lot of machining operations. At this point you are outlaying a fair bit of coin.

 

[PommyDave]

Thanks for the advice! I should add I have stripped down the blue engine as far as I can (for now), and the reason I mention acid dipping is that it looks as if there is a fair bit of surface corrosion around the head- which I've cleaned myself as best I can- and inside at least one of the cylinders.

After I took off the water pump it also looks like there's some corrosion in the guts of the block too. I'll take some photos once the sun's up.

One of the old boys at work suggested acid-dipping to get everything as clean as possible so I can see what I'm working with and if the engine will run again after living under a tarp for 15 years. He explained it like sanding a house wall back to the bare surface before repainting as there's no point wasting my time on an engine that may well be scrap metal from day one.

 

[vc commodore]

The only bolt on things that are interchangeable between the 2 are water pump, with the pulley off that water pump, starter, alternator, flywheel and distributer.....

Both motors are very basic motors and a good start to learn with so best of luck

 

[the_boozer]

find a car the motor is going in first before you rebuild the motor that way the motor wont sit around for 5 years after its rebuilt and you rebuild a motor that can go in the car you buy. forget about adding a bit of oomph the Holden 6 isnt going to beat too many cars on the road now even with a big cam. A lot more parts to a car than just the engine.

 

[bluehighway]

Think more about what sort of car you want. Reconditioning an engine can be costly and is not as popular as it used to be. Your money might get better value in going with a runner. The red 202 regardless of condition should allow you to set timing adjust carb etc... modern engines use all sorts of trickery but can be found in very good condition for a fraction of rebuild price. Its a throw away game with many modern engines....tuning is via tablets or laptops these days so learning those skills will carry you far.... you need deep pockets if you want to enhance engines and I think its a trap many fall into .... nice to have 1000hp but with 100kmh speed limits its all a bit pointless.... theres a whole industry built around the need 4 speed but if its your daily driver its greed denying reality...Grab a cheap V8 while you can and be satisfied with what you have...because if your not satisfied with it chances are you will never be satisfied....and that will end up costing you a small fortune....my 10 cents...lol

 

[PommyDave]

Thanks BlueHighway. I think my primary goal to be honest is to simply prove to myself that I have the ability to learn the mindset & practical skills needed for such a project.

I'm approaching middle age, have a mortgage and a new baby, and so any pipe dreams of tearing up the highway at 300kph or getting a 202-engined Holden to do a wheelie at the lights are exactly that.

When I say 'a bit more oomph' I really only mean modernising the engine performance as much as possible & making sure I can keep up with modern traffic.

 

[Immortality]

Thanks for the advice! I should add I have stripped down the blue engine as far as I can (for now), and the reason I mention acid dipping is that it looks as if there is a fair bit of surface corrosion around the head- which I've cleaned myself as best I can- and inside at least one of the cylinders.

After I took off the water pump it also looks like there's some corrosion in the guts of the block too. I'll take some photos once the sun's up.

One of the old boys at work suggested acid-dipping to get everything as clean as possible so I can see what I'm working with and if the engine will run again after living under a tarp for 15 years. He explained it like sanding a house wall back to the bare surface before repainting as there's no point wasting my time on an engine that may well be scrap metal from day one.

Pictures would be good.

Rust and bores are a funny thing. A lite surface coating of rust can be cleaned off with a hone If the rust has pitted the bore than normally you'd bore the block to clean up the damage and fit a new piston but generally you'd do the whole block and not just a single bore. However, depending on where in the bore the pitting/damage is sometimes you can ignore it.

Rust in the guts is normal if it was run with only water for extended periods of time.

 

[PommyDave]

If the cylinders need boring out (and so new pistons would be required), do any other components need to be changed/ upgraded? Or can everything else remain standard?