In 2021 Paulo removed the Endura 1.0 8v from the family's Ford Ka 1998, stripped it down to the last bolt, sent the block and cylinder head to a machine shop, balanced the connecting rods and pistons at home with precision scales and a Dremel, measured every clearance, put everything back together — and the car started. The complete series has 27 episodes and almost 8 hours of video. This page maps it out: what happens at each stage, the torques used, the tools, and links to the exact moment of each step.
The complete story of this rebuild in 138 pages: real photos of the process, the mistakes, the successes and reflections that did not fit into the videos. Written by Paulo himself.
Kindle eBook · 138 pages · ⭐ 4,5 · R$ 9,99 (free with Kindle Unlimited)
How to use this guide
Each stage summarizes the work and includes links ▶ straight to the moment in the video. Torques are given in kgf·m (what Paulo calls "kilos") and N·m. This documents the work done on an Endura 1.0 8v in a home garage — always check your engine's workshop manual before applying any value.
Process contents
- The decision and dismantling (Ep. 1–2)
- Assessing the damage (Ep. 3)
- Balancing connecting rods and pistons at home (Ep. 4.1–4.3)
- Professional machining and costs (Ep. 5)
- New oil seals (Ep. 6)
- Measuring clearances and tolerances (Ep. 7.1–7.3)
- Cleaning the block and rocker arms (Ep. 8–9)
- Cylinder head work: porting, valves and chamber volume (Ep. 10.1–10.3 and 12)
- Painting the engine (Ep. 11)
- Engine assembly (Ep. 13.1–13.4)
- Engine back in the car (Ep. 14.1–14.3)
- The first start (Ep. 15)
Extras: 10 tips from someone who did it · torque table for the series · tools used · frequently asked questions
Stage 1 — The decision and dismantling (Ep. 1–2)
It all starts with the question every old-car owner has asked: is a rebuild worth it? In Episode 1 Paulo explains why he decided to rebuild the Endura — then gets straight into dismantling, with a practical lesson in organization: identify and store every bolt, take photos before undoing anything, and separate parts by subsystem. This habit saves the assembly process months later.
In Episode 2 the engine comes out of the car ("by brute force," without a hoist) and the first surprises appear: an oil pump in poor condition and badly worn crankshaft main bearings — the kind of finding that confirms the rebuild came at the right time.
- ▶ 1:00 — Why I am rebuilding the engine
- ▶ 4:25 — Tips for dismantling and storing parts
- ▶ 10:49 — Condition after removing the cylinder head
- ▶ 3:55 — Removing the engine from the car
- ▶ 7:21 — Surprise: worn crankshaft bearings
- ▶ 10:23 — Identifying and organizing bolts
Pages on this site: Episode 1 · Episode 2
Stage 2 — Assessing the damage (Ep. 3)
With the engine on the bench, it is time to assess each part: cylinder head (including a broken bolt in the rocker shaft support), manifolds, crankshaft, flywheel, oil pump, camshaft and block. The episode also answers a classic question for anyone opening their first engine: which valve is the intake and which is the exhaust — and explains every component of the Endura cylinder head.
- ▶ 3:18 — Problems found in the cylinder head
- ▶ 6:50 — Which is the intake valve and which is the exhaust valve?
- ▶ 6:59 — Endura cylinder head components
- ▶ 19:05 — Camshaft
- ▶ 20:19 — Block condition
Page on this site: Episode 3
Stage 3 — Balancing connecting rods and pistons at home (Ep. 4.1–4.3)
The most hands-on garage part of the series: matching the weight of the 4 pistons, pins and connecting rods, first using kitchen scales and then a pocket precision scale — and removing material with a Dremel, file and grinding wheel from the areas permitted by the manufacturer. Paulo shows where weight can be removed from the piston, how to weigh the connecting rod with the big and small ends separately, and even the weight difference between the bolts on the caps.
- ▶ 2:00 — Why balance the engine?
- ▶ 4:23 — Weighing the pistons
- ▶ 5:50 — Where to remove weight from the piston
- ▶ 8:38 — Using the Dremel to remove material
- ▶ 2:49 — Balancing connecting rod weights
- ▶ 14:25 — Final balancing result
Pages on this site: Ep. 4.1 · Ep. 4.2 · Ep. 4.3
Stage 4 — Professional machining and costs (Ep. 5)
Not everything can be done at home: the block, cylinder head, crankshaft and camshaft went to a professional engine machine shop. In this episode Paulo gives a frank account of what was done and how much it cost — labor and parts, item by item. It is one of the few public records of actual engine rebuild costs on Brazilian YouTube (the figures are from 2021; use them as a rough guide, not a quote).
- ▶ 4:50 — What the machine shop did
- ▶ 5:06 — Service costs
- ▶ 5:30 — Parts costs
- ▶ 8:33 — Parts back from the machine shop
Page on this site: Episode 5
Stage 5 — New oil seals (Ep. 6)
An open engine means new seals, no question. The highlight here is the homemade MDF tool Paulo made to press the camshaft and crankshaft seals in evenly, without hammering directly on the part — a zero-cost solution for a delicate job.
- ▶ 6:43 — Homemade crankshaft seal tool
- ▶ 12:22 — Installing the camshaft seal
- ▶ 15:42 — Installing the crankshaft seal
Page on this site: Episode 6
Stage 6 — Measuring clearances and tolerances (Ep. 7.1–7.3)
The stage that separates "assembling an engine" from "assembling it properly": checking every clearance against the specification before assembly. Using feeler gauges, a micrometer, a dial bore gauge and a dial indicator, Paulo measures camshaft end float, piston and cylinder diameters, crankshaft tolerances (where he found a problem — and shows how he solved it) and the piston ring end gaps, adjusted ring by ring with a rotary tool.
- ▶ 6:00 — Camshaft end float
- ▶ 10:00 — Piston diameters × block
- ▶ 0:10 — Crankshaft dimensions and tolerances
- ▶ 3:32 — Crankshaft clearance problem and solution
- ▶ 2:00 — Checking piston ring end gaps
- ▶ 8:00 — Adjusting the ring to size
Pages on this site: Ep. 7.1 · Ep. 7.2 · Ep. 7.3
Stage 7 — Cleaning the block and rocker arms (Ep. 8–9)
Before assembly, a thorough cleaning: Episode 8 tackles the block oil galleries (including a blocked camshaft oil hole — a discovery that could have killed the rebuilt engine), removes the plugs with a puller, cleans the threads, levels the top and bottom of the block with fine sandpaper, and finishes with a full wash and oil to prevent rust. Episode 9 gives the same care to the rocker shaft: dismantling, cleaning the internal oil passages, 1500-grit sandpaper on the shaft and reassembly in the correct position.
- ▶ 5:17 — Problem in the camshaft oil passages
- ▶ 7:10 — Clearing the oil hole
- ▶ 12:55 — Washing the block and oil galleries
- ▶ 0:38 — Dismantling the rocker shaft
- ▶ 12:04 — Rocker arm assembly position
Pages on this site: Ep. 8 · Ep. 9
Stage 8 — Cylinder head work: porting, valves and chamber volume (Ep. 10.1–10.3 and 12)
The most technical stage of the series. On the cylinder head, Paulo does the work no machine shop includes as standard: deburring and polishing the combustion chambers and ports (taking advantage of the swirling flow pattern — swirl — of the Endura intake), valve lapping using the axial method with coarse and fine paste, and the beginnings of porting between the ports and exhaust manifold. Episode 12 wraps up with measuring combustion chamber volume using a graduated syringe — the classic way to check compression ratio after modifying a chamber.
- ▶ 1:35 — Cylinder head work plan
- ▶ 9:58 — Swirl flow in the Endura intake
- ▶ 1:27 — Sanding combustion chamber burrs
- ▶ 0:40 — Lapped versus unlapped valve
- ▶ 4:27 — Lapping using the axial method
- ▶ 7:45 — Measuring chamber volume with a syringe
Pages on this site: Ep. 10.1 · Ep. 10.2 · Ep. 10.3 · Ep. 12
Stage 9 — Painting the engine (Ep. 11)
"It has to look good as well as work": etch primer + PU primer, spray-gun painting on the block and black parts, and the result visible in all subsequent episodes. It also protects — a painted engine rusts less and makes leaks easier to spot.
Page on this site: Episode 11
Stage 10 — Engine assembly (Ep. 13.1–13.4)
The moment of truth, in 4 parts. 13.1: block threads cleaned with a tap and brush, new oil gallery plug (1,8 kgf·m). 13.2: cylinder walls cleaned with degreaser and ATF oil (a tip from @AdamLZ), lifters, camshaft, bearing shells, thrust washers and the balanced crankshaft back in the block — with the main bearing caps tightened to 9,5 kgf·m in a spiral from the center main bearing. 13.3: rings fitted to the pistons with attention to end gap orientation, pistons inserted into the block with a ring compressor, connecting rod caps (tightening + 90° with new bolts) and setting the cam timing. 13.4: chain tensioner and cover, rear seal, oil pan (with tightening sequence), flywheel, clutch and crankshaft pulley.
- ▶ 5:35 — Oil gallery plug
- ▶ 1:33 — Cleaning the cylinders with ATF oil
- ▶ 13:55 — Bearing shells and thrust washers
- ▶ 25:49 — Crankshaft main bearing torque
- ▶ 5:48 — Ring end gap orientation
- ▶ 7:29 — Installing the pistons in the block
- ▶ 15:54 — Setting the cam timing
- ▶ 7:10 — Installing the oil pan
- ▶ 14:34 — Flywheel
Pages on this site: Ep. 13.1 · Ep. 13.2 · Ep. 13.3 · Ep. 13.4
Stage 11 — Engine back in the car (Ep. 14.1–14.3)
Engine into the bay (hydraulic jack, patience and more brute force), water pump, oil pump, coil, position sensors and starter motor. Then the cylinder head fitted to the block — new bolts, tightening in three stages (3 kgf·m → +90° → +90°, in the correct sequence) — manifolds, new spark plugs tightened to the manual specification, rocker arms, cooling hoses and an oil pressure test before attempting any start. A thoughtful detail: crank the engine with the spark plugs removed until oil pressure rises.
- ▶ 0:25 — Putting the engine in the car
- ▶ 7:23 — Fitting the cylinder head to the block
- ▶ 9:03 — Tightening the cylinder head in 3 stages
- ▶ 14:28 — New spark plugs
- ▶ 12:15 — Cooling hoses
- ▶ 20:21 — Testing oil pressure
Pages on this site: Ep. 14.1 · Ep. 14 · Ep. 14.3
Stage 12 — The first start (Ep. 15, finale)
"Either it runs well and makes me happy, or it runs badly..." — the final episode puts months of work on the line with a turn of the ignition key. First attempt: silence from the fuel pump. Second: nothing. Third: strange noise, switch off. Fourth attempt: it starts — with perfect idle, checked on the DashCommand app. The episode ends with reassembling the car, the road test and final thoughts from someone who spent months on an engine and heard it come back to life.
- ▶ 0:35 — Final checks
- ▶ 3:18 — Fourth attempt: success!
- ▶ 5:28 — Perfect idle
- ▶ 12:37 — Road-testing the car
- ▶ 15:49 — Final thoughts
Page on this site: Episode 15 (finale)
Bonus — 10 tips from someone who did it
After the series, Paulo distilled what he learned into 10 tips (watch on YouTube): know when to stop, think before acting, clean the engine bay and parts, measure everything, take lots of photos and check repeatedly. If you can watch only one video before deciding whether to tackle a rebuild, this is it.
Tightening torques used in the series
Values quoted and applied in the videos, on an Endura 1.0 8v — with links to the moment each appears. They do not replace your engine's workshop manual.
Engine bottom end
Scroll horizontally to see all table columns.
| Component | Torque | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Crankshaft main bearing caps | 93 N·m (9,5 kgf·m) | spiral sequence starting from the center main bearing — watch in the video (25:47) |
| Connecting rod cap bolts | see note ⚠ | initial tightening + 90°, new bolts — assembly (14:16) · checking the manual (8:24) |
| Oil gallery plug | 18 N·m (1,8 kgf·m) | manual + Ford Australia forum — watch in the video (5:42) |
| Oil pan bolts | 10–11 N·m (≈1 kgf·m) | aluminum oil pan, specific tightening sequence — watch in the video (10:01) |
| Flywheel | 66 N·m (6,7 kgf·m) | watch in the video (15:16) |
| Clutch pressure plate | 29 N·m (3,0 kgf·m) | watch in the video (17:03) |
| Front crankshaft pulley (damper) | 113 N·m (11,5 kgf·m) | watch in the video (15:26) |
⚠ Connecting rod bolts: in Ep. 7.2 the manual is quoted as 4 kgf·m + 90°; in the assembly audio (Ep. 13.3) it sounds like "0,4 kilos" + 90°. As these two mentions differ by a factor of 10, do not use either without checking the Endura workshop manual — connecting rod tightening is critical. In both cases: always use new bolts.
Timing and chain
Scroll horizontally to see all table columns.
| Component | Torque | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Timing chain pulley/sprocket | 27 N·m (2,8 kgf·m) | confirmed in two manuals — watch in the video (14:16) |
| Timing chain indicator/guide | 0,8–1 N·m | "so low you tighten it with your fingertips" — watch in the video (1:51) |
| Timing chain plate/cover | 9 N·m (0,9 kgf·m) | watch in the video (2:43) |
| Rear oil seal cover | 18 N·m (1,8 kgf·m) | watch in the video (4:55) |
Cylinder head and ancillary components
Scroll horizontally to see all table columns.
| Component | Torque | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cylinder head bolts | 29 N·m (3 kgf·m) + 90° + 90° | three stages, sequence 1→6, new bolts — watch in the video (9:03) |
| Intake manifold | 18 N·m (1,8 kgf·m) | watch in the video |
| Spark plugs | 7 N·m (0,7 kgf·m) | Ford manual value (not NGK's) — watch in the video (14:28) |
| Idle control actuator | 10 N·m (1,0 kgf·m) | watch in the video (1:58) |
| Oil pump | 18 N·m (1,8 kgf·m) | watch in the video (10:50) |
| Water pump / pulley | 10 N·m (1,0 kgf·m) | watch in the video (3:26) |
| Starter motor | 34 N·m (3,5 kgf·m) | watch in the video (15:44) |
| Engine mount (rubber mounting) | 62 N·m (6,3 kgf·m) | watch in the video (12:38) |
| Camshaft position sensor (phase) | 10 N·m (1,0 kgf·m) | watch in the video (13:48) |
| Crankshaft position sensor | 7 N·m (0,7 kgf·m) | watch in the video (13:48) |
Tools used in the series
What was actually used throughout the 27 episodes — excluding basic tools (sockets, combination wrenches, screwdriver). For tools marked 🛒, the link takes you to the option the channel recommends on Mercado Livre:
- Low-range torque wrench (fine tightening: oil pan, manifolds, spark plugs) —
- Mid-range torque wrench (main bearings, cylinder head, flywheel) —
- Precision scales (balancing)
- Outside micrometer + dial bore gauge (clearances)
- Feeler gauges (rings, end float)
- Dial indicator with stand
- Dremel / rotary tool with sanding discs and drums —
- Drill + bits (oil galleries, rocker arms) —
- Piston ring pliers + ring compressor
- Thread tap + brush (thread cleaning)
- Plug puller (TOC-140)
- Valve lapping stick + compounds (coarse and fine)
- Graduated syringes 5/10 ml (chamber volume)
- Spray gun (primer and paint) —
- Air compressor (painting and cleaning) —
- Hydraulic jack (engine into the car) —
- File, grinding wheel and vise (connecting rod balancing) — vise:
The 🛒 buttons open the options recommended by the channel on Mercado Livre — affiliate links: the channel receives a small commission at no extra cost to you.
For choosing tools for your garage, also see Basic tools (part 1) and auxiliary tools (part 2).
Frequently asked questions
Can you rebuild an engine at home?
Partly. Dismantling, assessment, balancing, measurements, cleaning, cylinder head work (polishing/lapping) and all assembly were done in a home garage in this series. What requires a professional machine shop: block machining, cylinder head resurfacing, crankshaft and camshaft — exactly what Paulo outsourced (Stage 4).
How much does an Endura engine rebuild cost?
Episode 5 details the labor and parts costs paid in 2021. The figures have changed since then, but the proportions (which costs most: machining, parts, mandatory replacement items) still provide a useful budgeting guide.
Which measuring tools are essential?
In the series: feeler gauges, outside micrometer, dial bore gauge, dial indicator and torque wrenches (one low-range and one mid-range). Without them there is no way to check clearances or tighten to specification — see Stage 6.
Did the engine work?
Yes — on the fourth starting attempt, with a stable idle, and it then passed the road test (Stage 12).
Page compiled from the transcripts, chapters and technical notes of the series' 27 episodes. Videos recorded in 2021; prices and parts availability may have changed.