Fitting Piston Rings

Originally Posted by FEandGoingBroke

Hahahahahaah, you got me Coo! that's a good one

couldn't resist... Who's this Clarences guy I keep hearing about?

Clarence is a guy you go to then things are compressing around you and you want to bleed off a teeeeency bit of steam...

been use-ing a piston to square the ring for ever. easy when the TQ plates are still on the block. then i use an electric ring grinder w/dial indicator. dead nuts on every time. so yes a piston can be used and you do have the plates on don't you ?

If I needed torque plates in my garage to assemble a motor, then that's the point where I'd draw the line between assembling my own motor and buying a crate motor.

I mean, I get it with the torque plates and the piston squaring tool and the electric piston ring filer.... but come on guys, if you need $1000 in specialized tools to put a motor together then what's the point?

There's no need to scare off someone contemplating building a motor for the first time by suggesting they need the Official Roush Engine Building Tool Chest.

If I didn't clarify. This motor might make 400HP if I'm lucky, I'll toss it in my 72 Torino and bang around outside the city limits for grins during the Spring and Summer.

I used the same technique as in this article (piston to square ring) for building the "400HP 302" motor and also the 331cid motor that is supercharged and made 500 HP at the wheels....

Originally Posted by Poorboy5

Nice write-up... some additional comments...

The file used should be a single cut mill file... that is one that only has the teeth running in a single diagonal direction. Don't use a file that has a crosshatch tooth pattern.

I have also found that a couple of passes with a fine wire brush across the file teeth after file each ring helps keep the file clean and the cutting uniform. A squirt of WD-40 once in a while does not hurt either.

This is a great topic...the only thing I don't like is the WD-40 part...

I gave that crap long ago when I discovered this stuff...



I'll never buy another can of WD-40 AGAIN...THIS STUFF IS THE BOMB!

Use it for everything...from cleaning firearms to gettin' rid of rust to a pre-assembly lube...well...you name it!

This stuff really soaks right in to the metal...never seen anything like it...

Sprayed down a set of 39 year old 9" axles real good and closed up the garage for the night...next afternoon I went out to look at 'em...!@#$%^

Couldn't remember if I had hit 'em with a damn wire wheel or not...wierd...

Gunsmith/engine builder's bro turned me on to it...about $10.00 a can on the 'net...

Just do a search for GIBBS BRAND PENATRANT...

I got my first two cans off of eBay...but the seller is right here in Michigan.

Only down side is I gotta pay 6% sales tax so next time i might go outta state...but then shipping is higher...kinda a catch-22...ya know?

Anyway...it's the KatZ aZZ...fwiw...just a heads up...

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Way to go on the 400 build,one of these could be a low-buck monster with that 4" stroke,nothing wrong with the rods either. What are you using for heads and induction,valvetrain?

Thanks Rustee, most of your questions are answered here.

http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2008/06/400MockUp/

This Tech Exchnage article is a small indication that I'm finally on to Part II of this build.

didn't mean to scare anyone off , all the fancy tools just make it faster . point is a piston is still used to square the ring, also can say if a gap is correct -it's correct no matter how it was done