Restoring Rusty

[Gregski]

and all the pistons out of the passenger side as well, and numbered

I realize I'm stamping them on the bottom part that comes off but I don't plan on having more than one apart at a time

[Gregski]

tried to take a picture of the part number on one of the pistons, 6271096 I think it was so stock size 4"

[Gregski]

then it was time for a Dingleberry hone job with the engine in the car

used trans fluid as a lubricator

[Gregski]

made this metal shield to protect the crank from the stones of death

[Gregski]

I took care to cover things up and tried my best to prevent debry from falling in where it don't belong

[Gregski]

before and after honing pics

the mirror like finish is actually what you don't want when putting in new rings, you want it to be dull(ish) like the second pic

[Gregski]

just a look at another cylinder, before and after

[Gregski]

this is the shield / crank guard at work

[Gregski]

yes I did get a ton done in one day, I wrapped things up late at night by de-ringing the pistons, and oh boy did I find two problems

but first the good side, the passenger side, all de-ringed

[Gregski]

things got a bit more interesting on the driver's side

two oil rings were broken, can you guess which two? remember the two middle chambers in that head

#3

#5

[Gregski]

no gentlemen I did not brake them whilst removing them off the piston, they were broken already that's why they would not spin at all

here's a closer look at #3 oil ring snapped in two

[Gregski]

and here is the broken oil ring of #5, this one broke into three pieces, a tiny small one if you look closely

I think we found our problem(s) folks!

so lots and lots of work today, I can't believe I tore it all apart in one day so quickly like that, and I hope to put it all back together tomorrow

can I do it? stay tuned...

[rusty76]

Oh me. You're elbow deep now.

[RDrancher]

Dude, your energy amazes me. You get more accomplished on your rig in one day then I have on mine in the last two years. Thumbsup man!

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by RDrancher

Dude, your energy amazes me. You get more accomplished on your rig in one day then I have on mine in the last two years. Thumbsup man!

LoL thanks bro, did I mention the wife was out of town, hee hee 🤓

[rgunlock]

Wow - impressive amount of progress. Waiting to see the plan to address this. Better set of rings? Something you can do to keep the next set from breaking... Good luck getting it all back together today!

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by rgunlock

Wow - impressive amount of progress. Waiting to see the plan to address this. Better set of rings? Something you can do to keep the next set from breaking... Good luck getting it all back together today!

Just scored some Sealed Power (aka Federal Mogul) E251X cast iron rings for $46.84 at O'Really's. They wouldn't quite match Summit's price of $30.97 but gave them to me for $42.99 plus tax, so I am very happy.

The guy used to own a machine shop and said they seal better in less than perfect conditions such as mine.

Summit description reads: "These OE-quality Sealed Power cast piston rings are made from ductile iron and are specifically designed for stock rebuilds."

and they were made in the U.S.A. - Bonus!

[Gregski]

well after cooking the kids breakfast (yes I took them to IHOP - shhhh, don't tell the wife) I had an hour this morning to prep the block for the pistons, ie scrape the old gaskets off

Fun Level: -2

[harley87ta]

That coolant you found... Is the block cracked?

[Tiger Joe]

First pic in post 4767

1- looks like you need to cut the ridge off the top of the cylinders
2- is that a mark on the crankshaft journal? What do the bearings look like

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by harley87ta

That coolant you found... Is the block cracked?

shhhh don't even say that, ha ha

that's a mystery I have not cracked yet, pun intended

[Gregski]

a que tip, seriously? is this guy really that anal

um, have you meet The Greg!

[Gregski]

and the block all squeaky clean and Piston Ready

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Tiger Joe

First pic in post 4767

1- looks like you need to cut the ridge off the top of the cylinders
2- is that a mark on the crankshaft journal? What do the bearings look like

I will have to take another look at the crank, when I examined it the first time, it looked good, bearings had normal wear, but I bought brand new ones anyway

[SkinnyG]

If you could get the pistons out fairly easily, you can probably get away without removing the ring ridge. Theoretically, the new rings won't hit the ridge, or be damaged by the ridge. We hope.

I like the flex (ball) hone for finish better than the cylinder hone you used. It will still work either way, as long as the glazing has been removed.

My block had 0.007" taper, and it took a bit of wiggling to get the pistons out. I got half-way through cleaning the pistons (Easy Off over cleaner works great - just don't
let the cleaner linger on the pistons. Soaking in Diesel works well, too), and decided I didn't want to be here again in 5 years, so I had it bored 0.020". And balanced. And with a torque plate. And the cha-ching cha-ching for machining.

Is this the original block?