Mounting V6 Block

[John042]

Good Day all. I want to start rebuilding my V6i engine.I've aquired an engine stand and can match the 4 x adaptor stand arms to aline with the bell housing mounting holes. Two at the bottom, with locating bushes, are about 1/4" bolts, the top ones, smaller,3/8"? My concern is, the bare block is fairly heavy without the crank and heads etc.So, are the FOUR mounting points man enough to support the weight? I'd be really pi**ed off to fracture the casting. Also I've aquired some gasket sets, top/bottom, together with a rubber sump gasket. Should there be some wedge seals in the kit for the rear bearing? Or is that part of the latter rubber sump gasket? Details from my Capri Haynes Manual show a diagram of two parts of a seal being tapped into place between the crank and the rear of the block? Thanks for any help. Cheers John C.

[mk2 24v]

I built my 24v cologne up on an engine stand using just the two top and two lower bell housing bolt holes without any problems
And I'm sure that's quite a bit heavier than a 2.8 or 2.9 12v lump

I do believe they are m12 thread size tho, but Ford like to use 13mm heads on their bolts for some reason


As for the later type rubber gasket, it should have some little tabs to fiddle in to the gaps on the rear baring carrier, but I usually add a little dab of sealant there as well for good measure

Edited by mk2 24v on Monday 8th December 13:35

[John042]

Thanks mk2 24v. Having carried the block from my truck into the workshop I can vouch for it's weightI just look at those small bolts and imagen that great lump hanging on 4 bolts Let alone the extra weight of the crank and heads! I'm assuming the rubber sump gasket is a later modification over the cork type which needed the two wedge seals? Thanks again for the reply and confidence boostCheers J C.

[mk2 24v]

I think the rubber gasket was used on the 2.9 Sierras originally.
The 4wd versions with the front diff in the sump had no gasket, and the 2.8 and even the 24v cosworth lump used the 4piece cork set.

Also, I seem to remember the loading for a bolt m8 sized is something like 1ton. So with 4 that are m12 it shouldnt be any problem to hold up an engine of 200 (ish) kg

[John042]

Thanks again mk2 24v. I'm more confident now to suspend my "Lump" on those boltsSo the rubber sump gasket is a one piece item which negates using wedge seals around the rear bearing? Thanks J C

[mk2 24v]

If by the rear bearing you mean the part that the sump goes up against, yes

Where the rear bearing cap goes in to the block I recall has a small dab along the edges for sealing up.

Also, if you are doing a complete rebuild of the cologne lump, check the condition of the camshaft bearings. As they are prone to being left alone and/or overlooked

[John042]

Cheers again mk2 24v. Yes the rubber sump gasket does have a raised circular part that must fit into the rear block area and of course the rear bearing seal a dab of sealant on its outer face. With all the parts, I've also got a new fast road cam. It's a bit of an unknown engine, in that it was dismantled 10 years ago. The block sent to "Greys of Essex" to be chemically cleaned, bores honed. The crank is standard as are the bores both in perfect condition (36000 miles). The core plugs look new? Replaced after cleaning?? According to the previous owner the engine was pulled because of an intermittent rattle whilst the car was re-trimed. So condition of the cam bearings will be checked. Thanks. J C

[Sardonicus]

You can lift a fully dressed Essex V6 (heavier than the Cologne) on just two 5/16 exhaust bolts so you have nothing to fear, the shearing force alone far outweigh the gross weight of the engine.

[John042]

Thankyou all for reassuring me but my area of concern was not the sheer load of the mounting bolts but the strength of the block casting webs at the rear of the engine. I know you hang a gearbox on these mounting bolts but that is also supported by the gearbox mounts. Sorry, I fret a bit, to long working on Hercules C130'sDid I tell you the time when "we" nearly dropped a Herc' engine? All because someone had incorrectly marked the lifting sling positions I shall now mount my engine into its stand and give it a "good seeing too". Happy days all. Cheers JC.