re: 2L timing chain question

[bearbvd@domain.elided (Greg Hermann)]

At 2:13 PM 1/18/02, Stuart Thomson wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>Tony Sims asked about rotating the bottom end of a 4C motor without the
>top connected.
>
>Greg Hermann responded in the usual manner saying that rotation of the
>crank (hence movement of the pistons vertically) will be enough to upset
>the liners and necessitate replacement of the o-rings.
>
>Now I have two 1750 motors apart at the moment and I though about removing
>the liners and pistons to clean out the crud that's inside the water
>jacket.  I have read all the manuals, and read the parts like Greg's post
>about the liners separating from the block, so I expected that with a
>little encouragement, they'd pop right out.  No way!  The liners are stuck
>big time, so there must be a trick to this.  Tuesday night, Alfa club
>committee meeting at a place just across the road from a reputable Alfa
>mechanic, I go in to fill some time before the meeting, start talking
>about liners, how do you get them out etc.?  No trick, just BFI (that's
>Brute Force and Ignorance) and a tool made to sit in the centre of the
>liner so as to give you something to hit with a hammer.  Now I figure if
>that's how much force I need to use to get the buggers out, what's the use
>of the liner retaining clamps?
>
>Anyone out there had a four cylinder liner separate from the block in this
>manner?  (Or are we all just goody-goodies and use the retainers all the
>time?)  Apparently the six cylinder (V6, not 2600) motors are susceptible
>to liner separation.
>
>Cheers
>Stuart Thomson

All depends on how long the liners have been in there and HOW much crud has
built up. I have seen liners that were stubborn about coming out, and I
have also had them come up from the slightest rotation of the engine. With
very little correlation to how long the engine had been together. No way of
knowing what you've got until one pops up. Which is NOT a happy picture
when you didn't want it to happen.

As for removing stubborn liners-- If you are NOT planning to re-use the
liner, an old diesel mechanic trick is to run a small bead of weld around
the inside of the bore just below where the liner begins to enter the bore
into which it fits in the block.

Let the weld cool, and turn the block upside down. The liner(s) will
usually fall out, one tap might be required. The shrinkage of the weld
loosens things right up.

Greg

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