How To Rebuild A 200ci Six Part 1

Because pistons and cylinder walls are of dissimilar metals, they corrode and tend to bond together when an engine sits for a long time. We had to use penetrating oil in each cylinder to free the pistons. Cylinder wall damage was so bad on the No. 1 cylinder that it had to be sleeved. Cylinder sleeving runs approximately $100 per bore depending on shop rates.

The amount of sludge in Gary's oil pan was remarkable, again due to infrequent oil changes when it was running long ago. Gary's oil pan was rusted beyond repair so we ordered a new one from National Parts Depot.

JGM removes the harmonic balancer using a standard puller. Damper Dudes will rebuild Gary's original balancer to like-new condition.

Timing cover removal is easy using a 3/8-inch socket. The water pump has already been removed.

Here's the factory timing set. There's always debate over whether or not to use an oil slinger (on the crankshaft). Always reinstall the slinger if you're going with a stock timing set. Only when you use a dual-roller timing set do you delete the slinger. The slinger serves two purposes-to keep excess oil away from the crank seal and to lubricate the timing set.

Cam retainer removal is next using a 1/2-inch socket. Take note of how the retainer is installed.

Because Gary's engine has seized, we're going to have to remove the crankshaft first. All rods are disconnected as shown along with main caps.