Bottom End Build: Knocked Out

After doing a little research on removing knock pins, decided to give it a shot since with the knock pin in there, both case and pump were essentially useless.

YouTube videos suggest putting in a socket that fits inside the pin exactly, then using locking pliers to clamp down and twist it out.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a socket small enough to fit.  Decided to try it with a bolt instead, which didn't quite fit flush.

So the pin deformed quite a bit when I used the pliers, but I knew I was going to discard it anyway, so I had the luxury.

Lo and behold, just by continuing to twist it left and right, back and forth, it just slowly worked its way out.  Knock pin out, oil pump in, job done...

Bottom End Build: Trochoid Blues

Realized today that the trochoid pump I have won't work with the crankcase because the case seems to have a knock pin in the hole where the pump is supposed to fit - essentially making them both "male".

Spares: OIl Pump Install

Reslotted the stuck screw and the Lisle did the rest, but then realized that even with the screws out, the two halves of the oil body aren't coming apart very easily.  Decided not to force it at this point and just installed it along with the pipe.

Don't quite get how the pipe is supposed to work now that I've seen it up close.  Let's see what the Yahoo group has to say.

Spares: Geared Oil Pump with Pipe

New geared oil pump and pipe.  One of two screws was frozen.  Haven't tried to fit the pipe yet.

Spare Engine: Better to be Lucky

Caught some very lucky breaks today.  There were a couple times I thought things were definitely going south, but somehow we pulled through.

Not only were all the screws frozen on the oil pump (impact driver knocked them out easily), but then it was hard as hell getting the halves apart.

Actually damaged the metal hammering it apart with a screwdriver, but I didn't have much choice.

These three screws holding the cam assembly turned out to be the toughest frozen screws ever.  Mainly because the screws were such soft metal that they wanted to tear apart at the slightest turn.  Plus, I couldn't really get the Dremel cutting wheel square on any of them, so they all had to be cut at a weird slanted angle. I was almost positive I'd have to resort to other means to beyond the Dremel/Lisle to get them free, but this was the first lucky break when the impact driver knocked them all loose (though it took an unusual 4-5 hard blows).

Switched over to working on the crappier of the 2 spare heads.  I plan to media blast one of them, sacrificing it for the benefit of the "model engine".  It turned out to be in really horrible condition anyway, and probably not something I'd ever want to risk running in a working engine.


First time using the tweezers to pull the keepers.  Worked pretty well, but the buggers are still pretty tricky to yank out.

Then discovered that the intake valve was absolutely frozen into place.  It wouldn't budge a millimeter.

Used the alternator puller like a punch to hammer it down.  But even then, it was taking heavy blows just to get it to move.  It was chock full of rust-colored powder.

Luckily, the exhaust valve came out without too much fuss.

Which was a good thing because I had to use the exhaust valve to punch out the intake!  (pretty clever idea if I do say so myself)

Finally out!  That was another lucky break.

Major corrosion.