finally got an engine

[goosyganger]

Ok, so i finally bought a g40 engine, well excited about getting stuck into it. any recommendations on where to start? was thinking of pulling the head off/appart and getting some work done on that?

Nik

[PeteG40]

i'd recommend making sure you've got everything first! many conversions have little bits missing.

but if you're rebuilding it, charger health is a good start and top end/engine condition.

[goosyganger]

i'd recommend making sure you've got everything first! many conversions have little bits missing.

but if you're rebuilding it, charger health is a good start and top end/engine condition.

I havent got everything that i need yet. i thought id sort out the condition of the lump first and then concentrate on accumilating the bits. Am yet to get a charge but will also make sure that it is in good condition before it goes in. But this is further in the future.

If i want to avoid taking apart the bottom end, what sort of thing can i do to make sure its on good running order. For example, can i change the piston rings etc? sorry my knowledge in this is limited.

Nik

[breadman]

Hi Nik,
It's a difficult one trying to decide how far you go with the engine. If the engine is genuinely good, I'd just change the water pump, cam belt, head gasket and give it a thorough service. The thing is the engine you have bought is incomplete, so you won't know its condition until you start checking it. Having said this, they are generally strong engines.
At this point, it is worth deciding how far you want to go with tuning it. It is pointless rebuilding the engine with mechanically standard components if you then later decide on a full on 200bhp conversion.
Obviously the best route though is to strip and rebuild the engine, but this can be expensive. I would recommend removing the head at least. If the engine has run lean at any time it could have started to melt a piston crown. You will also be able to check the cylinder bores for score marks and ovality.
It's a fair amount of work to change piston rings. Though the crank can stay put, pretty much everything else does have to be stripped. Not a problem if you know what you're doing, but obviously more money to spend if you don't.
The cylinder head's are normally free from problems, but it's worthwhile having the face skimmed to ensure it's flat.
The injection components should be in good order, so get the injectors cleaned and tested. The fuel filter and ideally the inline fuel pump should be replaced. A blocked filter or inline fuel pump failure can lead to instant piston melting - expensive!
Once you have a decent core engine you can get all the other parts you need. It's an expensive way of doing it though. In the long run it would've probably been a lot cheaper buying a poor condition but complete and running G40. 
Hope this helps and good luck.
Richard.

[goosyganger]

Hi Nik,
It's a difficult one trying to decide how far you go with the engine. If the engine is genuinely good, I'd just change the water pump, cam belt, head gasket and give it a thorough service. The thing is the engine you have bought is incomplete, so you won't know its condition until you start checking it. Having said this, they are generally strong engines.
At this point, it is worth deciding how far you want to go with tuning it. It is pointless rebuilding the engine with mechanically standard components if you then later decide on a full on 200bhp conversion.
Obviously the best route though is to strip and rebuild the engine, but this can be expensive. I would recommend removing the head at least. If the engine has run lean at any time it could have started to melt a piston crown. You will also be able to check the cylinder bores for score marks and ovality.
It's a fair amount of work to change piston rings. Though the crank can stay put, pretty much everything else does have to be stripped. Not a problem if you know what you're doing, but obviously more money to spend if you don't.
The cylinder head's are normally free from problems, but it's worthwhile having the face skimmed to ensure it's flat.
The injection components should be in good order, so get the injectors cleaned and tested. The fuel filter and ideally the inline fuel pump should be replaced. A blocked filter or inline fuel pump failure can lead to instant piston melting - expensive!
Once you have a decent core engine you can get all the other parts you need. It's an expensive way of doing it though. In the long run it would've probably been a lot cheaper buying a poor condition but complete and running G40. 
Hope this helps and good luck.
Richard.

Hi Richard,
Thanks for the advice, all really helpful. In terms of engine condition, its hard to say. only way to find out is to crack to bad boy open. But a general service and clean up will happen.
I totally agree with the point on making a decision, I dont want to have to keep taking the engine in and out.
Cool, at least now I have a few things to look out for. I do also have a few people around that are willing to help that know the engines inside out, or at the very least know what goes where, so luckily im not alone and dont really expect to spend a huge amount on getting the work done.
I think i got the lump for a pretty decent price considering, plus I have my GT as a bit of a donor on some of the parks, so hopefully it wont be toooo costly. However, we know how these things turn out, always get carried away with the mods and spend way more then you want but definatly worth it.

Thanks for the help
Nik