PIN POINT PISTON MARKER I took these broken off valve stems and ground the tips to a point to mark valve centerlines on pistons for flycutting valve reliefs. Just install the head on the block and insert the stem in the guide point down and with the piston at TDC,...
PAPER CLAMP PIN CLIP Some piston pin clips can be a bear to install. If not supported right, the first one will push in too far or can be hard to seat. I lube and install the piston pin and then use the arm or wing of a paper clamp to keep the pin in place while I...
PISTON CLAMP Eliminating the movement of the parts when installing or removing Spirolox type retaining rings makes the job easier. This device, simply made, stabilizes the assembly and/or removal. Instead of clamping a connecting rod in a vise and trying to steady...
REDUCED RADIAL WALL BY DESIGN The use of steel in the upper compression ring has many advantages. Steel provides 35% more strength, weighs 30% less and increases the resistance to side wear, which is observed on the newer model engines. Another feature from the...
FEELING RAIL GAP It can be very difficult to check end gap on oil ring rails or gapless ring rails. I opened up the gap on a top ring of the appropriate bore size and squared it in the cylinder with a tool made from a scrap sleeve. Just set the rails on the top ring...
MINI GROOVES AND ACCUMULATOR GROOVES EXPLAINED Piston ring second land accumulator grooves provide an area for escaping combustion gases and crankcase pressures, that get past the piston rings, to gather and dissipate. Without this feature, the passing compression...