Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rating: 5
Page 4 of 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
The first item to go back into the block is the oil distributor.

You can see in the photo below the two holes in the block where it mounts.

In the exploded view of the parts, there are a couple of things to notice. Under the spring-loaded valve, there was a gasket that came out in pieces. I couldn't find a washer the same size (1/2 ID x 5/8 OD), so I made one out of a flattened piece of copper.

In the oil-on-the-towel-circle, there is a small curlyque of hard plastic that was caught in the spring valve. I have no idea what it is or where it came from. rudolph

In the bottom photo, I am starting to put the oil distributor into the block. Notice the hole on the side of the oil distributor body. This hole squirts oil into the oil reservoir for the center main bearing.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/17/18 10:23 PM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Filling Station - Chevrolet & GMC Reproduction Parts


Filling Station


Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
With the oil distributor in place, here's another view of the oil squirting hole. You can see why it is hard to see when the distributor is installed.

The next two pics illustrate attaching the fittings that go through the block. I smeared Permatex 3 on the two copper washers to prevent oil from leaking at these points.

Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/17/18 10:24 PM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Here are some pictures of the completely installed oil distributor. I smeared some Permatex 3 on the two copper washers on the bolts that hold the oil tube brackets because these bolts go through the block and are potential spots for oil leaks.

Thanks again to Ray Holland and his 'School is in Session' book which gave me the heads up to think about all bolts that go through the block. thanku

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/17/18 10:24 PM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 282
Likes: 2
Backyard Mechanic
Offline
Backyard Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 282
Likes: 2
Dean

something to consider....On my last rebuild, i gave the block a nice coat of paint before i got too far along. Then as i continued with the build it was a little easier installing items that were cleaned an painted the correct color (black or gray/green)

This made it easier than masking stuff off later



Mike Quezada
(559) 250-5427
mike.quezada@M2ProSol.com
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Good point, Mike, if I intended to paint the engine.

Nope. Not gonna do it. Lurch has that 'survivor' vibe going on and I don't want to disturb that.

laugh Dean

Last edited by Rustoholic; 07/08/17 09:48 AM. Reason: changed some words

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 19,756
Likes: 62
ChatMaster - 15,000
Offline
ChatMaster - 15,000
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 19,756
Likes: 62
Guess when you are nearly finished with the installation you will need to squirt some oil on the engine and throw dust on the fresh oil. That way you will simulate the old original look.

You surely don't want to have a "fresh" engine take away from the "out of the barn" appearance.


How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 93
Shade Tree Mechanic
Offline
Shade Tree Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 93
Originally Posted by Rustoholic
Good point, Mike, if I intended to paint the engine.

Nope. Not gonna do it. Lurch has that 'survivor' vibe going on and I don't want to disturb that.

laugh Dean

And as I've found out it's so hard maintaining that survivor look, every nut you undo takes a little bit away and it'll never be the same, and it takes ages for those patina pixies to put it back! :-)

Thanks for posting your progress here, I have to rebuild my 28 motor soon and I'm hoping to learn a few things.

Bernard


Whirrr whirrr chuff chuff de chuff........chuff......BRUMMMM!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Hmmm, I have a can full of black gold (sludge). Maybe I'll smear some on the engine after I'm sure everything works. yay

Cheers, Dean


Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 12
Grease Monkey
Offline
Grease Monkey
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by Rustoholic
After cutting out the hole for the thermostat, I drilled the holes for the two 1/4x20x1/2 brass bolts that will hold the bracket in place. For drilling sheet metal, I like using a stepped unibit type of drill bit. It cuts nicely and does not grab like a normal bit would do.

Next, I cut off the extra material using a hack saw and tin snips.

Viola!! Thermostat installed. One small step for mankind, one.... well, you get the idea.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

This is a really useful thread, thanks for taking the time to post.

I have '28 motor rebuild under way now. One of the things I am doing is fitting a modern thermostat (looks identical to yours) on mine, I have drilled a small hole in the thermostat rim which should prevent a potential air lock when filling the rad from cold, and also should allow just enough flow before the stat opens to prevent really hot water in the block being replaced by ice cold water from the rad when the thermostat does open during cold weather.

Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Thanks for the thanks, Stuart and Bernard. I don't keep a diary of my daily activities, but I wanted to capture this effort, so this thread does that for me in a wonderful way!

Regarding the hole that you drilled in the thermostat flange, I understand your point, but I'm not going to do the same for the following reasons:

  • Since the new thermostat did not come with a hole in the rim (and this thermostat is for a 1955 car), I suspect the thermostat designers don't think the extra hole is necessary.
  • Since I live in California, our weather is really mild, so I don't worry about extreme temperatures. If Lurch ultimately moves to a snowy climate, his new caretaker will have to consider whether or not he needs this hole in his head. wink


Cheers, Dean

Last edited by Rustoholic; 02/20/22 06:47 PM. Reason: typo

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
The next series of notes and pics cover the crankshaft and main bearings.

Earlier, I made the decision to use the following parts from Lurch's engine: front bearings, rear bearings, crankshaft, and flywheel. From Dick Olson's engine, I'm using the block and the middle main bearings.

The first picture below shows the bearing halves. When I looked closer at them individually, I noticed that some of the babbitt material migrated into the oil flow channels, thus clogging them.

I used a small, sharp hobby knife to cut and scrape the babbitt out of where it should not be. The next few photos illustrate this operation.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 10:55 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Here are some more pics of the main bearing cleanup operation.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 10:56 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Now comes a big moment of truth. Will these parts work together? (drum roll please!) Yes, but only after a few hiccups along the way.

I put the block half bearings in place and laid the crankshaft into them. Everything looks good so far (see the first photo). BTW, I had the crankshaft and flywheel balanced and polished. cool

Starting with the rear main bearing, I put some Plastigage on the crank, put the cap and bearing on, and tightened the bolts. I used around 50 foot pounds of pressure. This seemed appropriate for the 9/16-12 bolts. With no shims under the cap, the Plastigage indicated a .002 inch gap. Good to go! yay

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 10:56 AM. Reason: typo

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 19,756
Likes: 62
ChatMaster - 15,000
Offline
ChatMaster - 15,000
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 19,756
Likes: 62
Dean,
I have not had good experience with plasigauge and thick babbitt bearings. It can be used as a gross indication of the gap but only that. I am thinking that the babbitt and plastigauge are both flexible enough to compress a bit where the plastigauge is installed, thereby giving a close but false reading. The setting process in the Repair Manual is the best and most reliable.

Since you have a 0.002" indicated gap between the crankshaft and bearing I suggest you obtain some 0.001" sheet shim material (brass is my choice). Wrap a single layer around the crankshaft the same width as the bearing. Lubricate with light oil. Now place the crankshaft in place, lightly tighten the bearing cap and try to rotate the crankshaft. If it does rotate tighten to your intended torque and test again. If still rotates add another layer of 0.001" shim stock and test again. Once the crank does not rotate you will have a much better indication of the actual gap.


How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Thanks, Chipper. I agree that Plastigage is only an indicator. As you will see in future posts, I followed a similar vein to what you suggest.

Cheers, Dean


Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
The middle bearing gave me fits. This bearing came with this block, but the crankshaft and other two bearings are out of a different motor.

Mistake number one: I took the cap off the rear bearing before working with the middle bearing. I was focused on the bearing-at-the-moment and not keeping the big picture in mind. You'll see what I mean later.

With no shims under the middle bearing cap, the Plastigage indicated the gap was .004 inch . That's too big. I figured that the cap half bearing needed to come closer to the crank journal. To achieve this, I put a .002 inch shim in between the cap and its bearing half. With this shim in place, I noticed that the bearing edges were no longer flush with the cap, so I flat sanded (400 grit emerycloth laying on a flat steel plate) the bearing edges just enough to get the edges flush with the cap.

I put the cap/bearing on the block, put Plastigage on the middle journal, and tightened the bolts down. The Plastigage indicated that the gap was STILL .004 inch. What the (expletive deleted)!!? How can the gap be the same after I brought the two bearing halves closer together? wazzup

After a nap, a Diet Coke, and some intense visualization, it occurred to me that the crankshaft middle journal might not be sitting all with way down in the block bearing half. Using a feeler gauge, I found this to be the case. There was a .002 inch gap under the crankshaft. So, I raised the block bearing half with a .002 shim under it, did the Plastigage test again and now it showed a .002 inch gap. Whew!

Using Plastigage on the front bearing (with no shims under the cap), the gap appeared to be .002 inch. Cool!

Now I can bolt up the main bearing caps and move on (or so I thought). Stay tuned!

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 02/18/22 01:39 AM. Reason: added verbiage

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Thinking ahead a little, I thought now is the time to bolt the flywheel onto the crankshaft because after I put the rear main bearing cap in place, I cannot slide in the bolts for the flywheel. So, I put the flywheel in place, then laid the crankshaft in place, and bolted the flywheel to the crankshaft.

BTW, I marked the position of the flywheel to the crankshaft (with center punch marks) before I took them apart when I was dismantling Lurch's engine. This way, I can confidently bolt on the flywheel in the correct position.

Keep in mind that at this point in time, I have not tightened the main bearing caps yet after checking the clearance gaps with Plastigage.

The heads of the flywheel bolts rate a few sentences about them. They have copper washers under them to keep oil splatter away from the clutch area. Also, because the bolt heads sit snugly against the rear flange on the crankshaft, the copper washers need to be flush/flat with one of the hex sides in order to fit next to the flange on the crankshaft. The copper washer and the flat area is illustrated in the photo below.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

April 17, 2021 update:

A couple of comments were added to the post in the VCCA gallery where I uploaded the photos for this post. I am adding them here so that they are included inline with this discussion.

Comment from Chipper:
This is a great series for anyone working on an engine rebuild. A word of caution. Make triple sure to bolt the flywheel on in the correct position. I thought I had one on correctly and later found the timing mark was not in the window when I was ready to stab the distributor.

My response to Chipper:
Thanks for the kind words, Chipper.

And, a good note of caution.

I punched mating marks on the crankshaft and flywheel before I separated them, so I could put them back in the correct position.

Comment from Jim_Crowell:
My flywheel was taken off before I purchased the car. Any suggestions on how I should go about mounting it to make sure it’s in the right spot? Thanks.

My response to Jim:

The easiest process that I can think of is to put the flywheel on in any position and continue to put the rest of the engine together. When you get to the point of installing the distributor (and the engine is not mated to the tranny yet), rotate the engine so that cylinder one is at TDC on the compression stroke and then unbolt the flywheel and position it so that the U|C mark is on the pointer in the timing window of the flywheel cover.

Another possibility is to position the crankshaft with the cylinder number one offset pointing towards TDB. Then, bolt the flywheel onto the crankshaft so that the U|C mark is showing in the view window with the pointer that is in the flywheel cover. This should position the U|C mark at roughly 45 degrees down from the top of the engine on the distributor side of the engine. Keep in mind that if the flywheel is mounted like this before the camshaft is installed, the position of the flywheel might be 180 degrees off and will need to be re-positioned later.

Hope this helps. Dean

Last edited by Rustoholic; 04/17/21 10:57 PM. Reason: added comments inline that came in later

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Since I'm new to this engine rebuilding business, a little voice in the back of my head kept telling me to recheck the main bearing/clearance situation. I loosened the bearing cap bolts and, as before, I started with the rear bearing.

This time, I want to figure out the clearances without using Plastigage, as alluded to in the Shop Manual.

Since the crankshaft turned easily with no shims under the rear cap, I put a .003 inch shim in between the cap and its bearing half, thus bringing the two bearing halves closer together by .003 inch. When I tightened the cap bolts, the crank would not turn. Then, I replaced the shim with a .002 inch shim. Same thing: crank won't turn. Progressing on, I replaced the .002 shim with a .001 shim. Ah ha!! The crank can now turn easily. So, I decided to leave the .001 shim in place. See the first photo below.

On to the middle main bearing. First I verified that the crankshaft was indeed sitting against the block half bearing. I could not slide a feeler gauge in there, so I left the .002 inch shim in between the bearing and the block that I had put in earlier. I tightened up the cap bolts thinking that I still had a .002 gap, as illustrated by the Plastigage. WRONG! Now the crank was binding with no shims under the cap. I took out the shim that I had previously put in between the cap and bearing half and I slowly added shims under both sides of the middle bearing cap until the crankshaft turned freely. The end result was .005 inches of shims (one .002 and three .001).

Next, I checked the front main bearing again. Previously, the Plastigage showed a .002 gap with no shims. So, I tightened up the cap bolts. The crank would not turn. Hmmmm. willy

As with the middle bearing cap, I started adding shims under the bearing cap until the crankshaft turned freely again. The front cap ended up needing .011 inches of shims on either side so that the crankshaft could turn easily.

As an aside, I included a couple of photos showing how I cut the shims from brass shim sheet stock. Notice that I clamped the sheet stock in between a couple of thin pieces of plywood for the hole drilling operation.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 10/10/22 01:09 PM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Next up is the installation of Lurch's camshaft into the final build block. It is a pretty straight forward proposition.

The first picture shows the guide bolts for ease of getting the gasket on. They are 1/4-20 bolts with the heads cut off and a slot cut in the end. These guide bolts also work well when putting the oil pan on. yay

The next photo shows the gasket in place. I put Permatex #2 on the block sealing surface.

The third photo shows the camshaft gear back plate in place. You can see the two holes where the camshaft holding plate bolts in.

When I took this back plate off 2 of the parts-donor blocks, these flat head bolts were fairly loose. To fix that, I put a drop of Locktite on the threads and gave them a whack with my good old impact wrench. beermugs

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]


Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 11:05 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
After putting the cam gear back plate on, the next item to go back is the crankshaft cam gear.

This gear is a press fit (with a Woodruff key on the crank), so I heated the gear using a propane torch and then gently tapped it on, using a 1 inch water pipe coupling and a hammer. Is using the words 'gently' and 'hammer' in the same sentence contradictory? I'll have to think about that one. idea

The second photo shows the gear in place.

As with the crankshaft, I shmeared Red Line Assembly Lube into the bearing surfaces for the camshaft, all over the cam gears, and around the cam lobes.

The fiber cam gear did not have any markings, so I used Ray's instructions from the School is in Session book to locate the correct mating teeth for the cam gears.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]


Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 11:06 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
On to the connecting rods. Earlier in this series, after inspecting all the connecting rods, I thought the rods that were in the best shape were one rod from the Dick Olson (WA) engine, one rod from the Penn engine, and two rods from Lurch's engine.

After cleaning the rods, I bought an inexpensive electronic scale to weigh them. My goal is to get them to be within 1-2 grams of each other. Their weight is as follows:

Penn rod - 879 grams (casting number 351663)
WA rod - 819 grams (casting number 346740)
Lurch rod #3 - 880 grams (casting number 351663)
Lurch rod #4 - 879 grams (casting number 351663)

Hmmm, the WA rod is 60 grams lighter than the others (roughly 2 ounces). Not good.

I looked at the other WA rods and they have the same casting number (346740), which is different from the other two engine's rods (351663). Part number 346740 is not listed in my parts book, but is elluded to in other posts in the VCCA Chat forums as being 1925/26 rods. Rather than take 60+ grams off the heavier rods, I inspected all the rods again and found a usable rod from the Penn engine, so I now am using a set that has the same casting number (351663).

The newly chosen rod weighs 874 grams. This is good news because now my set of rods are within 4-5 grams of each other. It should be fairly easy to lightly grind some material off the heavier ones to get them close to the lightest one.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 11:06 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
I noticed that the casting of the rods have lots of 'extra' material that can be taken off without disturbing the structural integrity of the parts.

I used a 1 inch belt sander to slowly remove material from the heavy rods, measuring their weight often. On the heaviest rod, I also ground off some of the backside of the oil-splashing tang. This should not affect the splashing effect because it is the front of the tang (where the hole is) that impacts the oil in the troughs.

Ultimately, I got three of them to 875 grams, which is just one gram more than the lightest. This works really well with the weight of the pistons. Three pistons weigh 746 grams each and one weighs 747 grams.

I'll pair the lightest rod with the heaviest piston and then all the piston/rod sets will weigh the same. yay

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 11:07 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
The next items I worked on were the piston rings.

The manufacturer's instructions say to measure the ring gap when the ring is in the cylinder near the bottom of the ring travel. The gap needs to be .003-.004 per inch of the cylinder diameter.

Since I had the cylinders bored out to .060 over the original 3 11/6 inch, the gap works out to (.004 x 3.750) = .015 inch.

As it turned out, quite a few of the rings had the correct gap right out of the box. yay

I measured the gap for individual cylinders and then marked these rings for that particular cylinder.

BTW, the oil (bottom) ring does not get gapped. I only needed to gap three of the other rings.

My grinding setup is my Dremmel tool with a grinding disk, attached via cable ties to a piece of 2x4, and an aluminum plate. Kind of a tiny table saw. I also set up a fence (a short piece of aluminum angle) that is perpendicular to the grinding wheel to guide the ring and grind it evenly.

I kept the speed of the Dremmel sort of slow so it would SLOWLY ground a small amount of material away. I found that briefly touching the inside of the ring to the grinding wheel only ground away .001 inch, so I was able to slowly creep up to the amount needed to be ground off.

The gap out of the box for these rings was .012, so I only needed to grind .003. A couple of times back and forth between the grinding and the measuring, got them right on .015.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 11:07 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Next in line are fitting the pistons onto the connecting rods and putting in the rings.

Three of the piston wrist pins slid smoothly into the small ends of the connecting rods, but one did not. I needed to gently pry open the small end of the connecting rod (the wrist pin clamp) in order for the wrist pin to go through. Hmmm, I need a narrow pry tool that will reach up into the piston. tool

A few years ago, I made a specialized pry tool for reaching up from under my truck and prying off the oil pan which was glued all around. This tool (pictured below) was just a small piece of angle iron that had one edge ground to a chisel point and attached to an old garden tool handle. Luckily, I put this tool in Justin's tool box, so I was able to find it and use it now. It was narrow enough to fit inside the piston and still move sideways enough to pry open the wrist pin clamp.

Rube Goldberg strikes again! Happy happy! devildance

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 11:11 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
ChatMaster - 3,000
OP Offline
ChatMaster - 3,000
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,510
Likes: 47
Now that the pistons are attached to the connecting rods, I can put the rings on. Following the manufacturer's instructions, I put the oil rings on first. I was worried about scratching the aluminum piston with the steel rings, so I used a feeler gauge as a sliding surface to get the rings to their slot safely. See the photo below. The red grease is Red Line Assembly Lube.

The feeler gauge slider worked well to slide all of the other rings into place too. Rings one and two for the pistons are marked 'top' so they will be facing the proper way. As per recommendations, I staggered the ring gaps around the pistons.

The local O'Reiley's car parts store sells/rents a piston ring compressor tool for $10 and you can return it within 2 days to get a full refund. Good deal! With the pistons and cylinders properly smeared with assembly lube, I put the ring compressor on the pistons and tightened it up.

I noticed that the machine shop had put a very small chamfer at the top of the cylinders, so I made sure this little angled surface had lots of assembly lube. With the rod cap and hardware removed, I used the wood handle of a hammer to gently pound the pistons into the cyliders.

Cheers, Dean

[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]
[Linked Image from vccachat.org]

Last edited by Rustoholic; 06/18/18 11:12 AM.

Dean 'Rustoholic' Meltz
old and ugly is beautiful!



Page 4 of 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Link Copied to Clipboard
Support The VCCA!

Enjoy the forum? Become a VCCA member! The World's Best Chevrolet and GMC Club!


Member Photos
1964 Chevrolet Impala SS
1964 Chevrolet Impala SS
by DreamChevy, February 17
My 1933 Chevy 2 Dr. Sedan
My 1933 Chevy 2 Dr. Sedan
by 1939Chevy1, November 24
Back on the road 79 years later
2 1927 Chevrolet Trucks
2 1927 Chevrolet Trucks
by 1927TRUCKS, June 7
Who's Online Now
1 members (swedechev), 50 guests, and 31 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Jayhicks, Tomvanhouten, Dads29Chevy, Tractorman, JEC51
18,307 Registered Users
Today's Birthdays
aristech, RalphL, tonysk
Forum Statistics
Forums58
Topics59,069
Posts429,046
Members18,307
Most Online1,133
Jan 22nd, 2020
 

Notice: Any comments posted herein do not necessarily reflect the official position of the VCCA.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5