Save The Piston, Remove The Pins Before removing press-fit pistons that we plan on reusing, we immerse the piston in a coffee can of motor oil. You only need enough oil to submerge the piston. We use synthetic oil for the EP and high temperature qualities. We then...
Shoe Repair When my CR honing shoes get worn funny, I set up the mandril in my lathe and turn them down to straighten them out. I also cut a couple grooves on the ends. This helps to keep the shoes straight while honing. I’ll even turn new shoes to get them in line...
Windsor Ford Balance Weights All 351 Windsor Fords use the 28 oz. balancer. In fact, all 351’s regardless of Windsor, Cleveland or Modified are 28 oz. In addition, virtually all of the 302 stroker variants will use the 28 oz. balance weight, unless the rotating...
Apply Pressure Here I recently found myself without a welder to remove a check ball staked into the end of an oil passage of a crankshaft. So I applied a different technique to remove it to clean the crank. I clamped some pieces of steel together to form some “caps.”...
INEXPENSIVE AND EFFECTIVE ROD HEATER This cheap rod heater is one I’ve used for over 30 years. I’ve bought and sold a few traditional rod heaters, but I like this better. It can be used anywhere in the shop. Replacement bottles are available from the hardware store,...
BEARING CRUSH AND VERTICAL CLEARANCE One of the most important factors in engine bearing design is a proper fit between the bearing and housing. Except for thrust washers, nearly all bearings are an interference fit. This means the bearing is slightly larger than the...