19 Must Have Engine Rebuilding Tools

All the engine rebuilding tools you need to restore an IC engine to its optimal performance.

Rebuilding an engine need not be a difficult task, as long as you have the right tools. In this article, we list 19 essential engine rebuilding tools that will make your experience much smoother and the results, superb. Keep reading below to learn more about this car repair task and what you need.

About Tools for Engine Rebuild

Engine rebuilding requires time, patience, and most importantly, the right tools. Even if you have never attempted an engine rebuild before, with the proper tools and some guidance, you can achieve professional results.

Essential engine rebuild tools are broadly classified into engine removal tools, engine timing tools, engine honing tools, and engine cleaning tools. Other miscellaneous engine rebuild tools needed include those for measuring, fastening, and installing engine parts. Here are brief descriptions of each tool category.

Engine Removal Tools

It is essential to have the right tools to remove the engine from the car. The most common engine removal tool is a floor jack. A floor jack is used to raise the vehicle so that you can place stands under. Other engine removal tools include wrenches, sockets, and equipment to lift the engine out of the vehicle.

Engine Timing Tools

Once the engine is removed from the vehicle, you will need to set the timing before proceeding with the rebuild. Engine timing tools help ensure that the camshaft and crankshaft are in sync and that the valves open and close at the right time. The most important engine locking tools are the camshaft and crankshaft timing tools.

Engine Honing Tools

After the engine is removed and the timing is set, you will engine boring tools to hone the cylinders to prep them for new piston rings. Engine honing tools smooth out the cylinder walls so that the new rings can seat properly. These include a honing stone and a ring expander.

Engine Cleaning Tools

Once the cylinders are honed, it is important to clean all of the engine parts before reassembling them. Engine cleaning tools remove all of the dirt, grime, and old oil from engine parts. Cleaning tools and supplies include a degreaser, a parts washer, and brushes. Engine cleaning solvents may also be used to dissolve stubborn deposits.

Engine Measuring Tools

After cleaning, you will need to measure various engine parts to ensure that they meet specifications. Measuring tools help you determine if an engine part is within tolerance or needs to be replaced. Common engine measuring tools used during a rebuild include a micrometer, calipers, and feeler gauges.

Engine Assembly Tools

During the engine rebuild process, you will need to fasten various engine parts together. Fastening or engine assembly tools help you secure engine parts so that they do not come loose during operation. For example, piston rings are installed with a ring compressor, while bearings are installed with a press.

Engine Rebuild Tools List

As we have seen, engine rebuilding requires a variety of different tools. These are tools that will ensure the success of your engine rebuild project, whether you’re a mechanic or repair enthusiast. Below is a list of all the essential engine rebuilding tools you will need.

1. Micrometers

One of the most essential engine rebuild tools for engine builders is a good set of micrometers. With these, you can measure various outer dimensions of your engine parts, such as the thickness of valve stems, valve guides, and piston rings. This type of precision measurement is critical to ensure that all the parts on your engine are within tolerance.

2. Cam Bearing Installation Kit

This is another of the engine overhaul tools for mechanics and DIY car owners alike. The cam bearing installation kit includes pieces you need to install cam bearings on your engine, including a bearing splitter, bearing driver, and other pieces needed to complete the task.

3. Spring Height Tool

This tool is used to measure the height of your valve springs. The measurement is important in order to ensure that your engine rebuild is successful. In addition to providing for accuracy, this ensures you get things done quickly.

4. Crankshaft Socket

The crankshaft socket helps with removing and installing crankshafts on engines. It’s a specially-designed socket that fits over the crankshaft and has several pins and ridges on it that help to hold the crankshaft in place. This makes removing and installing the crankshaft a lot easier.

5. Valve Spring Compressor

Another of the most crucial tools for engine rebuilding and used to compress valve springs so that they can be removed or installed. It’s a handy tool to have when working on valves, as it makes removing and installing valve springs a lot easier. The arms of the compressor can be adjusted to fit various valve spring sizes.

6. Spring Tester

A spring tester is also one of the most important engine rebuilding tools. You use to test the tension of springs. It ensures that the springs are properly tensioned. The tester has a scale that indicates the amount of tension in the spring.

7. Camshaft Holder

This is a clamp-style holder that fits around the camshaft and has several pins and ridges on it that help to hold the camshaft in place. That gives you an allowance to work on the camshaft without having to worry about it slipping out of your hands.

8. Piston Ring Compressor

A piston ring compressor is a device used to compress the piston rings so that they can be installed onto the piston. The arms of the compressor can be adjusted to fit various piston sizes. Once the rings are installed, the compressor can be removed and reused on another piston.

9. Honing Tool

The honing tools consist of several abrasive stones that help to smooth out the surfaces of the engine parts. These include engine valve seat grinding tools and cylinder boring tools. The smoothening process ensures that the valves seat properly on their positions and cylinders are to required specs.

10. Rod Bolt Stretch Gauge

A rod bolt stretch gauge comes in handy when working on connecting rods. You need it to measure the amount of stretch in the rod bolts. This is a critical piece of information to have when setting up your engine, as it helps you ensure that the rod bolts are properly tensioned.

11. Dial Calipers

A dial caliper is, undoubtedly, one of the engine reconditioning tools that you cannot do without. It helps you take precise measurements of engine components, such as cylinder walls, bearings, and piston rings. A good set of dial calipers will have a large range of measurements, so that it can be used on a variety of engine sizes.

12. Valve Seal Installer

As the name suggests, a valve seal installer is a tool used to install valve seals onto valves. The tool often comes as a kit with several different size pieces that correspond to different sized valve seals. Valve seal installers help prevent damage when rebuilding your engine.

13. Feeler Gauges

Feeler gauges are useful engine rebuilding tools. They take very precise measurements of the clearance between two engine parts. Such parts include: the clearance between the piston and the cylinder wall, the clearance between the valve and the valve seat, and so on.

14. Torque Wrench

A torque wrench is used to apply the correct amount of torque to nuts and bolts. This helps you ensure that all the parts are properly tightened. The torque wrench has several different settings on it that correspond to different levels of torque, allowing you to accurately set the tension on the nuts and bolts.

15. Deck Bridge Tool

Engine deck bridge tools are essential engine rebuilding tools that help to measure piston-deck clearances. It may come with or without a dial indicator. A universal deck bridge is more versatile if you intend to rebuild different engines.

16. Dial Indicator

A dial indicator is a tool for measuring the amount of wear, straightness, amount of travel, and other out-of-specs problems on engine parts. You can use it to check various components such as crankshaft, camshaft, etc. Usually comes with a magnetic base.

17. Harmonic Balancer Puller

A harmonic balancer puller helps with removing the harmonic balancer from the engine. The tool has several different jaws that correspond to different sized harmonic balancers. A universal puller is more advisable for users intending to rebuild a variety of different engines.

18. Work light

A work light is a good addition to your collection or toolbox for engine rebuilding tools. It helps you see what you’re working on, even in dark spaces. The light can be directed to shine on the area you’re working on, so that you can see what you’re doing.

19. Valve spring tester

A valve spring tester tests the tension of the valve springs. Valve spring strength is an important factor in the overall engine performance. This makes the valve spring tester an important piece of equipment and, therefore, one of the engine rebuild tools needed by mechanics and DIYers.

Conclusion

Having the right tools is essential for any engine rebuild project. With the proper engine rebuilding tools, you can achieve professional results, even if you have never attempted the task before. The most important engine rebuild tools are engine removal tools, engine timing tools, engine honing tools, and engine cleaning tools. Other miscellaneous engine rebuild tools needed include those for measuring, fastening, and installing engine parts.