I finally got the engine stripped down to the point of being ready for the welding repairs. The pieces that need welding are not on the engine block but the block is necessary to be able to accurately repair the broken parts. So the engine went back up on wheels. Much easier the second time around.
I didn’t lift it with the crane because I don’t trust the rotted wood beams so it was done, again, with jacks. Soon it will need to get mounted on something more substantial.
With a little help, the engine was rolled onto my trailer, fastened down and transported to the machine shop. They had better tools than I did for moving the engine.
Once they lifted the engine up, I drove out from under it. Piece of cake.
The machine shop has made jigs which match the layout of the block so the parts to be repaired can be mounted and welded straight. Actually, the cast iron will be brazed rather than welded.
The second part of the repairs involved the cylinders. There is a substantial ridge on the cylinders at the top of the piston ring line where cylinder wear has occurred. This kept me from removing the pistons out the top of the cylinders as I didn’t want to risk damaging the rings. A ridge reamer is what I have used in the past on other engines but I could not find one for 8-1/2″ cylinders! The other option was to lift the cylinders off the block to free the pistons but I am limited by ceiling height in my shop. The machine shop will use a custom hone to break the ridge or put the cylinders on a horizontal mill if necessary.
The machine shop has had the engine for over two months now but I’m not in a hurry. We are in the process of moving to a new house which doesn’t (yet) have a suitable shop, so I have no place (or time) to work on the engine for a while. It is likely the project will go dormant while I build a new shop which may not be ready for six months or more. There is plenty to do with all the parts currently on my bench but these will be crated up soon. And I currently have no idea where I’ll put the engine in the meantime.
All part of the adventure.