Groove 1 is for the pin lock (yes, two per side with gaps staggered), groove 2 looks like an oiling groove fed from the small holes directly above in your photo. Sorry, still can't make out the dimple you're referring to. Out of curiosity, do these pistons run the standard 5/64" ring width, or 1/8"? Can you give us a photo of the dish as well? Thanks, Devon
pretty piston The dimple is there so you can get a tool, like needle nose plyers, in there to remove the locks.
Ok, that means i have to pull out the #1 and put in the seconds, didnt seem like two would fit. Good for practice. I used a method i read on here, put the deck side parallel to the ground, crank at its lowest for the cylinder im working on, it was so easy to put the piston in without trouble! heres the valve cuts, the top rings are 5/64. now i have a choice to make, hopefully with your help. I degreed the cam in the first time, came up with a lobe center or about 104.75 degrees. So i brought it back 2 more degrees via the 9 keyway sprocket, and got a lobe center of 106.75. On the cam card it says to go for 106, so should i go more with the 104.75 or play it safe with the 106.75? thanks Soon ill have all 8 pistons in, then i can moly lube the cam and lifter tappets and put them in, then i will be that much closer. Should i pour oil in the center of my solid lifters just to have it in there? i know it will fill up when i prime the engine and rotate it over. thanks
Steven, I'd stick with as close to the 106 as possible for now, but it wouldn't hurt to check piston-to-valve clearance with every timing combo you might wish to try down the road. Yes, oiling up the valvetrain is a good idea, but don't use the camshaft paste as it has a tendency to restrict pushrod oil flow. Did the shop check your block deck for straightness? I noticed you had mentioned keeping the numbers there and the picture reminded me to ask. Devon
Steven, I have the bearing you want. The #3 is different, as it is the thrust bearing. Of course, the rear is different, as well. It will probably cost me $10.00 to ship it. I will sell the bearing for $10.00. If you want it, send a check to: Craig Stangohr 1773 Cedar Meadows Rd. Aiken, SC. 29803 I can ship the bearing this week. Let me know if this will help you out. The bearing is a top-quality, Clevite 77 bearing, standard size.
Yes, the machinist checked the deck surface and it checked out fine (practically perfect). Shouldnt i put the moly lube (the little yelow container that comes with the cam) on the cam lobes to break it in? i really wouldnt want to do it without it, unless i put tons of assembly lube on it, i dont want to wipe a lobe on the cam. PM sent ranger. thanks
ok, just not to where it can make its thick way into the oil passages, like putting it on the side of the lifter. I was already planning on putting all of it on the cam and lifter tappets. I have a question, did you find it possible and/or easy to do this moly lube while the cam is in the block? im hoping so, i really dont want to pull the timing chain off anymore, the casting flak is ground out of mine, so i have that much more room. As for timing gear bolts, can i just go to the local hardware store and match length, size, and threadcount and replace them with grade 8 bolts? thanks
On the lube, if you can reach the lobes with your fingers, you can do it while the cam is in there. I've heard people say you should "rub it in" to the lobes rather than just coat the lobes, so that might be harder with the cam installed. On the bolts, yes, hardware store grade bolts will work fine. Just make sure you they don't stick out the back of the cam and rub into the block (same size, like you said). I've also run into some high-grade bolts at my local hardware store with threads that weren't ground or cut perfect. I took a nut of the same size and picked through the bolts until I found ones that were "smooth threading".
I think i will do the same with the nut, probably take one of my cam bolts in and get a nut that fits on it, then go to that size bolt and get it, making sure its the right size. If the threads are a little rough (even after the nut test, sounds funny :grin ill just smooth them out with a thread dye or chase. now to remove the #1 piston, put on the second wrist pin locks, assemble the short block, rebuild the transmission (parts getting here tomorrow), order an oil pan, then ill be happier. then comes the heads :Brow: thanks
After putting in 7 pistons, i realised (on the 7th) that the rods have markings on them. The rods and caps have identical markings in eachother, maybe to match them to eachother, the markings are B1 through B8. Since they weight the same, im hoping that these markings dont mean that they are supposed to go on the cyllinder number on the marking, because after putting 7 pistons in i see and check and none of the numbers match the cyllinder. So, do you think it matters? if they were supposed to go there, i need to take all the pistons back out and replace the rods in the right spot... thanks
Yes, it matters. Numbers on rods and caps must match (as you noted). Must go in the same place (if rod side clearances were set-up). Dots on rod-caps must face each other.
As I recall the heads of the timing gear bolts are thinner than standard bolt heads. Why not use the ones you have?
i got identical bolts today, just grade 8, i wanted to know they were stronger and new. As for the rods, i did make sure the rod caps were on the same numbered rod, and that the dimples were set up right, per instructions i got here (rod and cap numbers are on the same side when the dimples line up). I must have asked the question in a confusing way. For example, my piston #1 doesnt have the rod numbered B1, it has rod B6 (or something that isnt 1). Although the caps and rods numbers match, do the rod numbers need to match the cylinder? Like i should put Rod B1 on piston 1, B2 on piston 2, etc? thanks I might just end up doing it to make it easier later to put the rods in the same place they came off. Soon im going to pull the cam for the last time, moly lube it, put it back and put the timing cover on.
I think you should put #1 piston on #1 rod in #1 cylinder while you have a chance. Should be straight forward since you're using floating pins.
yeah, it would be easy, but that means i have to take the pistons out and put them in :grin: I guess i will... It will end up making things easier down the road... On another note, i have no new question for this thread (for now), but i do have a question about installing an oil cooler and pre-oiler in another thred (called Oil Cooler) check it out if you can help thanks
There was no mention of rod chamfer so I thought I'd through this out. The TA Sportsman rods have a chamfer in the big end on one side. It it to face the outside of the journal. In other words the two sides of the rods without a chamfer face each other when installed. BTW my rods said A1-A8. Ray
So they say that from TA? did you put them on the cylinder it had numbered? Im pretty sure i put the chamfer right. In this picture there are 2 dimples for the bearings, one on the rod and one on the cap. I put the dimples on the rods furthest from eachother on the crank journal, meaning the rods are closest eachother. This is correct, right? Thanks
I did install the rods numbered for each piston with the big end chamfer as stated above. All mine were chamfered the opposite side of the TA stamping 1633B. The bearings are correct. The rods and caps are numberd on the same side of the big end. Ray
Mine the numbering is on the same side. if you look at that picture, the numbers arent on this side, but i took another picture of the other side, thats where they are. I guess i will go switch them, all the hard work is done already, all ihave to do is remove the piston, and two lock rings from one side of the piston.
