Newish Engine

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I have a 1995 LWB sitting in my driveway that I just decided to give up on about a year ago when I realized someone had stuck a 3.9 block in it to “fix” whatever issue they were having with the original 4.2. Just wasn’t worth the trouble to work out all the crap knowing it was not the right engine anyway.

So I’ve been keeping an eye out for bargains on whatever I might need to refurb the thing later on.

I picked up a 4.2 engine that the seller got with a vehicle he bought from a guy who bought it from a guy who said the engine had been “rebuilt”. Well, obviously, it was a gamble based on that pedigree, but also because all the hoses are questionable, and the rest of the engine looks like it was pulled out, power washed, then sat on a palette since then. Years.

I had in mind to do the heads and seals, make it looks good, then go from there. But I used a borescope today to look into the plug holes, and found what amounts to 8 cylinders that look to never have been run. The walls and tops of the cylinders are 100% clean. You can still clearly read the numbers.

The exhaust valves look used. But looking at the rockers, I’d say they were also unused after refurb.

So, it will need a lot of stuff transferred over from the old engine, lots of new bolts and belts and such, but at this point, what would you do before dropping it in and turning the key?
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Al Swearengen

New member
Buy a set of 4 hole Gen 3 Bosch injectors and o-rings - make SURE they are Bosch and not junk from the Peoples Republic/Middle Kingdom Those look like the single jet Lucas.
 

rocky

NAS-ROW Addict
Those hoses look as clean as the cylinders.
Hopefully the missing Dizzy cap was on before storage...hate for water/mice etc to get in there.
Make sure it turns, fresh oil.
Can't decide whether that water pump is new or old. If old, does it turn smoothly? Perhaps its worth pulling it to assess condition while the coolant passages are still dry (and hopefully rust free).

Overall, you seem to have lucked out.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I think a few of the hoses are OK, but even ones that look OK do have splits in them here or there. I have a new dizzy and leads already, and may look into swapping the front cover for a serp type. I'll see if I can get a look into the water pump as well.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
The inside of the pump looks totally clean.

Questions:

Since this is an older version of the 4.2, I’d like to fit it to my ‘95 by swapping the front cover and pulleys over to the new engine. I will also be taking what good hoses I can find, the new dizzy and leads than only have a few hundred miles on them, the newish MAF, newish alternator, and the AC compressor.

What will need to be done to swap the ‘95 front cover over to this new engine?

Also, should I take this opportunity to look into an upgraded cam shaft?

And what other stuff would you make sure to do before installing?
 
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