I got the block back this past weekend. I'm going to perform the initial assembly, to check clearances, next weekend. Then it'll be off for any additional work and balancing. I've dial indicators with magnetic stands. I know how to check the other stuff but I haven't done piston to deck before. How should it be done?


Lawrenceville, GA

Charlie:

I can't say my way is best, but I have mounted a dial indicator in the center of a piece of 1" square key stock about 5" long.  I place the bar on a flat surface and "0" the indicator dial.  Then I place the bar across the piston with the ends resting on the block, rotate the crank until I find the exact top of the stroke and read the deck height directly from the indicator dial.  If the piston comes out of the block, I put the indicator bar on the piston so that the indicator touches the block.  I check with the indicator above the wrist pin so that piston rock in the cylinder does not affect the reading.  If you don't have an indicator, you can use feeler gauges and a flat bar and do the same thing.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Charlie:

I realize my previous post does not describe my indicator very well.  The square bar has a hole drilled through it, about 1/4", in the center.  There is a small bracket welded to the bar near the hole so that I can bolt my indicator to it with the stem sticking through the hole.  The stem only has to stick through the hole 1/8" or so.   Hope this is more clear.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

John’s description sounds good to me.  Use of a flat bar with feeler gauges is both inexpensive and effective.  Regardless of the methodolgy used, I’ll reitterate that you may have to rock the piston in the bore and take an average of the values if not measuring at the center of the bore.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here’s a couple of thousand.  RB should recognize the block being used.

 

 

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thanks John and Ted! It makes sense. Do the rings need to be installed for this?


Lawrenceville, GA

Also I always thought you would measure at the piston center? Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Charlie:

I do it without the rings, that's why I check the deck on the pin centerline.  I use flat top pistons.  If you use a domed or dished piston, you would need to check the clearance at the top of the bore where the flat part of the head is, like in Ted's pictures.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Thanks,

I ordered a fixture similar to the one in the picture from Summit.


Lawrenceville, GA