vfast

when pulling the engine apart take your time and really lok at thing, most just dive in and tear it down asap..you don't learn anything from that....

roundman

another tip, when you get the block back from the machine shop, get a set of engine cleaning brushes and throughly wash out the block and every passageway in it to remove any gunk, debris, leftover sand from casting, etc. this includes the crankshaft too, even if you get a new one. pull the plugs from the ends of the block for the oil galleys and make sure you run the brush through these also. the better the job of cleaning you do, the better the chances the motor was last longer as the cleaner it is when you assemble it, the better it will be. after the first washing and rinsing, blow out the passages with compressed air and repeat the cleaning a second time. wear the brushes out if you have to, but make sure you get every bit of loose stuff removed. it only takes one spec of hard stuff to ruin a new bearing, so be especially diligent in cleaning the block out. after the final rinsing, blow dry with air, then lightly oil the cylinder bores and other interior surfaces so it can't rust, then get a large, heavy wall plastic trash bag and bag up the block on the stand and keep it bagged up between working times on it. you can't keep it too clean while you're working on it. good luck with the rebuild!