overhaul advice

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I'm considering doing a light overhaul on my engine.

I'm still running a cast crank and strongly considering swapping it out for a forged one before it blows apart and contaminates everything with bearing material.

I also still have the stock paper head gaskets that came on the early cars. I have some reason to believe they are leaking a bit of coolant. One of my plugs ground straps had a green tinge to it the other day and the car does not want to pull smoothly through the top of 3rd.

Compression and oil pressure is great, so my real question is should I re-ring the engine while it is apart or leave well enough alone and just swap cranks and the head gaskets?

There seems to be some risk in my mind to hand honing and if I get a machine shop to do it I may as well get it bored and go to forged pistons while I got it apart.

Then I'd also get the rods checked for round, etc. etc. and quickly this turns from being cheap to a ton of money.

[1stStealthN/A]

I would spend the extra money on a complete rebuild.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I would spend the extra money on a complete rebuild.

right and $2500 later how better off am I really when I have great compression and oil pressure now? Too many people do a full rebuild and their car never runs right again.

[TwIzTeD_3kGt]

right and $2500 later how better off am I really when I have great compression and oil pressure now? Too many people do a full rebuild and their car never runs right again.

Ain't that the truth.

[akotten]

right and $2500 later how better off am I really when I have great compression and oil pressure now? Too many people do a full rebuild and their car never runs right again.

Full time member of that club haha

[green-lantern]

right and $2500 later how better off am I really when I have great compression and oil pressure now? Too many people do a full rebuild and their car never runs right again.

lol that's the truth!

I don't think most people get the engine rebuilt correctly. I'm a bit shocked to hear that you are contemplating replacing rings. I guess I should read this whole thread then comment. I'd never replace head gaskets and crank without honing cylinders and replacing rings. I'll read the thread and comment more.

[Hammer]

What is your end goal? Are you adverse to doing this more than once? It sounds like you have more time than money. If that is true then do what is needed now do the rest later.

[skater334]

No matter what you do for an "overhaul", you still need to have yours re-surfaced. Sry man, hope it works out.

[TwIzTeD_3kGt]

If you're going to go through the trouble of removing the pistons, then yeah I would replace the rings at least. I wouldn't ever hand-hone an engine I plan to put power to, but maybe you're braver than I.

[Hans@GZP]

Slam a forged crank with new bearings in it, some new gaskets, pumps, and belts.... drive it till it blows. Hell, I did a crank swap in a vr4 with the engine still in the car and now it has well over 60k miles on it with great oil pressure.