Rebuilding a Chris Craft 283 CID V8 engine
 
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Back from the machine shop. (06-MAR-2009)

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Prepping the block for paint. (07-MAR-2009)

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Block primed with DuPont 2580CR urethane primer.  (06-MAR-2009)

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Pressure washing the engine block.(14-MAR-2009)

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Intake manifold has a large hole in the bottom of the plenum.  It will have to be replaced.

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  (28-MAR-2009)

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Cut and place a strip of plastigauge on a main bearing cap.

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Torque the main bearing cap bolts to 65 ft/lbs.

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Determinine the clearance by matching up the compressed plastigauge strip with the plastigauge kit's ruler.  Crankshaft main bearing clearance : 001" - .004"

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Coat the camshaft running surfaces with assembly lube and install it in the engine.

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Install rear oil seal.

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Locate the camshaft gear's timing mark and mark it with some Liquid Paper.

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Install the crankshaft and main bearing caps.  Ensure that the crankshaft and camshaft timing marks are aligned properly.

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Measure piston ring gap.  Reccommended clearances are usually included with the piston ring set.

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Install piston without rings to check bearing clearances.  Stock cast pistons were upgraded to forged units (.030" oversize).

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Cut and place a strip of plastigauge on the connecting rod cap bearing.

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Torque the cap bolts and measure the connecting rod side clearance (two rods) : .008" - .014"

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Connecting rod bearing clearance : .001"-.004"

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Installing the piston with a piston ring compressor. (03-APR-2009)

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Installing the connecting rods.

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Short block completed.

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Engine Clearances

Cyl
Main
bearing
Top
Ring
Middle
Ring
Connecting
Rod
Rod Side
Clearance
1 .0015 .017 .017 .001 .009
2 .002 .017 .016 .001
3 .0015 .018 .018 .001 .010
4 .002 .016 .016 .0015
5 .003 .017 .018 .001 .010
6   .017 .017 .001
7   .018 .016 .0015 .011
8   .017 .017 .0015
Crankshaft end play .003"
 
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Exhaust manifolds and other painted parts were chemically stripped and sandblasted. (09-APR-2009)

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Parts were primed with DuPont 2580CR DTM urethane primer. (10-APR-2009)

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Aluminum oil pan was etched with DuPont Metal Conditioner prior to priming.  This promotes paint adhesion on bare aluminum parts.

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Flywheel.

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To stabilize the color and kick up the topcoat, we sprayed a white basecoat.  Paint is DuPont Imron urethane.

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We couldn't get an Imron color match to the Chris-Craft blue, so we used a Nason acrylic enamel which was custom mixed using DuPont's Kodak color match system.

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Rebuilt heads.  New valves, valve guides and valve seats. (11-APR-2009)

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Marine head gasket.

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Cylinder heads torqued to 65 ft/lbs.

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We completed the valve train by replacing the old solid lifters with a Comp Cams solid lifter kit.  The original pushrods and rocker arms were in good shape so they were cleaned and reused.

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Frost plug holes were scuffed to bare metal. (13-APR-2009)

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Brass frost plugs installed with a socket used as a drift.

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Oil pump, pickup hose and pickup screen assembly installed.

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Oil pan installed.  We prepainted the block's front face because it will be partially obstructed when the rear cover is installed.

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Rear cover installed.

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As soon as the engine is buttoned up, the cylinder heads will be primed, remaining non-blue parts will be painted white and then topcoated with blue paint.

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Water pump bead blasted. (17-APR-2009)

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Bare sandblasted/bead blasted parts.

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Parts primed with DuPont 2580CR DTM urethane primer.

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Base coat of white Imron urethane.

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Nason acrylic enamel custom mixed to match Chris-Craft Blue.

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Engine block painted.

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Assembly begins. (22-APR-2009)

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Water pump sprayed with Nason Urethane Clear to protect the raw aluminium and bronze parts.

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Polyester body filler applied to the valve covers.

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Primed, base-coated white Imron and topcoated with blue acrylic enamel.

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Paragon HF7 transmission bead-blasted and chemically stripped.

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Primed.

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Base-coated.

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Top coated.

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Mounted on the engine run stand and re-assembled.

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Click the 'Play' button (>) to see the video.

Chris-Craft 283 HO - First startup

Chris-Craft 283 HO - Engine break-in

Chris-Craft 283 HO installation

Glen-L Monaco Sea Trial

 
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Building the Glen-L Hot Rod : www.KaneCustomBoats.com      Published : 17-JUN-2009     Revised : 04-OCT-2018