138 engine rebuild

[lostsheep]

Hi everyone

I'm new to the forum
I have a 1959 FC Special Sedan with a 138 motor.  I've started rebuilding the motor and have pulled everything apart and am in the process of putting everything together with new bearings/rings etc.  I have 40 thous overbore rings how ever it appears that my bore is 80 thous over!? my piston skirt diameter measures 80.8 mm and as far as I'm aware the normal bore size would be 78.88 and with a 40 thous it would bring it up to approx 79.91..

Is 80 thous over 'normal' or am I doing something wrong? Can you get rings this size?

Thanks    :)

Cheers

Jules

[zulu]

Is it a 138 red motor, or a 138 grey motor?

[lostsheep]

I only found out today that there was such a thing as a 138 red motors.. is there any way I can tell (apart from colour of course - it was painted grey  ;D).  engine numbers perhaps?

cheers

[FC427]

It looks like a  149 or  161  or 179 or 186 or 202 nothing like a Grey they also have two smaller side plates  ;D ;D ;D ;D....FC427.....

[lostsheep]

well this one has one side engine plate and 3 engine mounts, one front and two rear (i know the 186 only has 2 engine mounts) and looks nothing like any other red motor I have seen

[FC427]

So you must have a grey  might be an EJ engine with the 31/8 bore   I'm certain some one on hear will give you the proper identification if you list the engine number ....FC427....

[lostsheep]

may have found some answers here (old thread perhaps, are these people still around?)

http://fefcholden.org.au/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=6757.0

It could be possible that it has been bored to 3 3/16" or 80.9 mm - It appears that JP made pistons this size.. maybe they still make oil rings

[EffCee]

Julianslobe,

Approx 2 and1/2 years ago I did an engine rebuild on a car whose parts were obsolete. I was able to take the pistons to the local engine shop, they were able to turn out the pistons to suit a set of rings that were from another vehicle that matched the bore size. I suggest you try the same to see what you can come up with. Just make sure that you find out what vehicle the rings are from, if you ever need more of them.

You will need to check ring end gaps in the bore to ensure that you have the correct ring end gaps

Keith

[lostsheep]

Thanks for your posts! I have managed to track down some oil rings for a 138 at .080" overbore (or 3 3/16" bore).   :) ;D

There were two numbers on the engine one on the middle of the block and one near the distributer.
     L232
     J86460

If some one could enlighten me as to what these mean that would be great.   ;D  Also does anyone happen to know what the numbers inside the crank housing mean (A23 B21 C23)?

Thanks heaps

Jules

[Stewy]

Hi Jules and welcome,
I can help a little that your grey motor was from an EJ holden so its one of the last lot before the change to red motors in the EH.
The engine block casting number L232 refers to the block being cast on the 23rd of december 1962.
The engine number J86460 says that it is 138 and the engine numbers started from july 1962 at number J1001
Always happy to be proven wrong, this is from some of my info.
Hope this helps. Cheers Stewy. :)

[fe350chev]

did u get the engine running?

[lostsheep]

Not running yet as I have had to go back to work (the old girl is 1000km away :( but keen to get back to it in April during my next set of holidays!!  :)