Ruby mk2 block removal in situ ?

[Joe eck]

Is it possible / practical to remove a mk2 Ruby cylinder block with the engine in the car and, if so, how are the Pistons re inserted ?
Regards
Joe.

[Greig Smith]

Hi Joe

Yes, I've done it in a friend's car. I pulled the sump off, marked the bearing caps and rods 1 to 4 with white paint after spraying them with brake cleaner to remove the oil.

I then popped each piston up out the top and then pulled the block off - in our case the tin baffles were snipped open and didn't go back again.

We honed the block and refitted it in situ. Popped the pistons back in, torqued up the big ends, fitted the head and Gino took it up the Simola Hillclimb in May & it's still running like clockwork mouse.

Aye
Greig

[GK5268]

I had been forced into doing it, several times... as above, easy enough to pull the block off either with pistons disconnected inside the block or block off leaving the pistons hanging around.

For re-fitting, oil baffles not returned, if the engine has been over-bored then the conrods can be carefully slid down the bores and it is easy enough with a piston ring compressor. If the bores are at standard, the conrods will probably not go down, so fit them in the block on the bench, pistons at the top of travel, re-fit and connect 1 & 4 or 2 & 3, carefully rotating the crankshaft to correspond first with your choice, once the first pair have been connected, carefully turn the engine over to connect the second pair. The key is not to re-fit the oil baffles.

Quite a painless way of doing this!

[Nick Lettington]

I did mine leaving the pistons in situ. Loosened the rear engine mountings, jacked up the gearbox slightly and took the block off.

To reassemble, I made four piston ring compressors from strips of aluminium sheet offcuts, lowered the block onto two pistons, removed their makeshift compressors from the con rods, turned the crank until the next two pistons were higher, lowering the block at the same tine.. A couple of blocks of wood supported the block while I extracted the second pair of makeshift ring compressors then dropped the block home. 

Second time I did this on another engine, I manged to break a piston ring. Still... 50% record... Good job I'm not a pilot or surgeon.

[Bob Culver]

This topic came up before. Particualry for original set ups the consensus then was like the Punch advice to man about to get married...."Dont"!

[Ian Williams]

Yes it is possible to do as others have described, but I have to ask why? it is in my opinion so much more difficult to do the job like that than simply removing the engine, for a start the accessibility to everything is so bloody difficult, particularly on a Ruby, and with those complications are you actually saving yourself any time?

[Alan]

Agree with Ian. I wouldn’t even think about it.

[Martin Prior]

I'm with Bob, Ian and Alan on this.

I routinely remove engines, even for quite minor jobs - in the long run it's far simpler and easier.

[John Mason]

When re fitting the pistons to the block (engine in or out) I find it helpful to put a bar across the top of the block held on by bolts screwed into the threaded holes for the head studs. This prevents the pistons being pushed through the top by accident. Once the block is secured to the crankcase and big end caps in place remove the bar. If you are replacing the block to piston still attached to the crank then this is not required.

John Mason

[Bob Culver]

It is a question of which wrecks your back the most. A short sharp lift or being bent over for hours. The risk of errors unseen is far greater in the car.