[TripleLude]

HOW-TO - Install a piston into a B20a5
Here is a pic how-to. Pretty soon, I'mma need to upgrade my photobucket account. $$

1. Clean. Install the bearing, then put assembly lube on it. Use rubber hose to protect the cylinder walls from the rods.

Also, mark an arrow pointing the same way as the arrow on the piston top.

2. Clean the cylinder walls. Lint free!

3. Lube the cylinder walls with oil.

4. Rotate crankshaft until this cylinder is at BDC.

5. Lube your piston and rings. (*)Check the piston ring gaps. The top two rings should be 180* oposite of each other. The bottom 3 rings should be about 1 inch away from each other. (*Note: Thanks to konvict_1 for pointing this out.)

6. Attach your ring compressor. Keep the bottom piston tabs out to line up with the cylinder.

7. Stick `er in thar and do eet. Careful not to scratch the cylinder walls.

8. Respect the arrows. Arrows should point at the timing belt side.

9. It's hammerin' time!

10. Line it all up and get the ring compressor flush with the cylinder. Now you can begin to tap the piston in.

11. Tap tap tap. Slowly and if it gets stuck, don't force it. It shouldn't get stuck unless it wasn't lined up.

12. Keep tapping. This isn't something you want to wack at really hard.

13. Right about there is good.

14. Turn the block around and remove the rubber hose.

15. Turn the crank to about this position. You need clearance for the next step.

16. Get the rod cap out and clean the journal. Install appropriately.

17. Assembly lube!

18. Respect the arrow. It points to timing belt side.

19. With the crank in position (via step 15), the rod cap should go right into position.

20. Put the nuts on finger tight. Oh yeah :Rock:

21. Turn the crank to about this position for clearance. This gives best access to the nuts.

22. Torque the nuts in a 3-step process. Total, 34 ft/lbs. I actually use a 5-step torquing process on the crank and the rods.

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Here's some other pics my girlfriend took.

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Damn ring compressor sprung apart.

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B20a5 block with B21a1 pistons and H23 piston rods. Now that's some high compression.

That should be enough pics. :smilejap:

If this helps, remember to rep me!

 

[gude2.0si]

Where's the pics of your girlfriend man? j/k this is great stuff for 1st timers. I'll be sure to try it sometime.

 

[PEB89lude]

Great write up man!

 

[Element Motorsports]

where did you buy your ring compressor?

 

[team123luder]

You forgot the beer break
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[BA5]

I bought mine from NAPA.

They're not really anything special. You should be able to pick them up just about anyplace.

 

[TripleLude]

where did you buy your ring compressor?

ring compressor -- Autozone -- like $10
ring expander -- Napa -- like $6

You forgot the beer break
Posted via Mobile

I did forget the beer break. Actually, I was drinking this the whole time.

Coca plant extracts FTW

 

[konvict_1]

you should make a note about the orientation of the piston ring gaps

 

[TripleLude]

you should make a note about the orientation of the piston ring gaps

Good point. (*added at step 5)

 

[Element Motorsports]

yeah i bought one at autozone and it was a piece of crap. thanks thats the style i was looking for.

 

[team123luder]

Yeah I saw that redbull simple cola on the news, claiming there was large amounts of cocain in it. LOL good stuff.



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[tsiah]

Installing the pistons with oil on them like that and with oil on the cylinder walls is a recipe for an oil burning engine... The rings don't seat properly when you install them that way.
A light spray of WD40 in the cylinder bores, then wipe it with a clean rag and install your pistons.

The bearing caps should already be stamped. If you match the stamps you really shouldn't need to draw anything on them...not that it really matters, I'm just not a fan of doing more work than necessary :emthup:

Even with a wooden handle and light tapping...not the best thing for a piston face.
The way I like is to set the handle against the piston face, then tap the top of the hammer with my hand.

 

[Sir_vtec]

Great write-up, should definately be added to the stickies.

 

[GUESSMAN]

Good write up but I'm with Tsiah on handling the pistons. Be really careful, i used a rubber faced hammer with really soft faces.

 

[Hondamonster]

ok so maybe not 100% perfect, but i thought it was a great writeup! i really wanna rebuild an engine someday, but not someday soon... anyways i found it helpful

 

[TripleLude]

Installing the pistons with oil on them like that and with oil on the cylinder walls is a recipe for an oil burning engine... The rings don't seat properly when you install them that way.
A light spray of WD40 in the cylinder bores, then wipe it with a clean rag and install your pistons.

The bearing caps should already be stamped. If you match the stamps you really shouldn't need to draw anything on them...not that it really matters, I'm just not a fan of doing more work than necessary :emthup:

Even with a wooden handle and light tapping...not the best thing for a piston face.
The way I like is to set the handle against the piston face, then tap the top of the hammer with my hand.

Good to know. I've been reading and watching too many engine building tutorials. All of which recommended I use oil or Zmax to install the pistons. The engine will not be running for at least another month, so by that time, the oil will probably drip down.

The bearing caps are stamped. I was just being really careful because the paint was rubbing off.

 

[stlschindler]

check out my post on this.

http://www.preludepower.com/forums/showthread.php?t=278332

A couple of more tools I figured I would put on here that I used during my engine build.

1. Ring Compressor (this one is a Wiseco brand for 83mm bore, it was about $23 and these tapered ring compressors are worth every penny just because as long as they are fully seated it is about impossible to roll a ring)

2. rod bolt cap (you can use a piece of hose as well). This is the red thing setting on the edge of the block. It covers the rod bolt when the piston is pulled/pushed in to keep it from scratching the cylinder wall and crankshaft journal surfaces.

3. rod bolt pull tool (made by yours truly). I just welded an extra rod bolt nut on the end of a long screwdriver. I then ground it down round to remove sharp edges and give more clearance. After that I covered the shaft in some corrugated tubing to keep it from scratching engine internals. You can see in the one picture I am holding it through the block. I couldn't take a picture with me holding it with a piston on it - just not enough hands plus all the oil. Anyway I make one of these for all the engines I build and I have about 6 different ones. Ring and bearing the piston and connecting rod and cap. Lube the bearings with your assembly lube of choice. Place the rod bolt cover (red thing or hose) on one of the rod bolts. I always do the same one based on the direction arrow on the piston which keeps me from putting the pistons in backwards. Submerge the piston in a container of oil for a few seconds then pull it out and slip the ring compressor over the piston and get the rings started down into the taper. Put your homemade tool down through the block like I have it in the picture and then screw it on the connecting rod bolt. Then push the piston skirt into the bore and make sure the ring compressor is fully seated on the deck surface. Pull on the long homemade tool and it will pull the piston right up into the bore and then you can safely guide it all the way up until it is seated. I have built many engines and I have found this to be the absolute best way to do it, especially if you are working by yourself. No hammering or tapping and since you are pulling it in a very controlled manner you can feel if it starts to bind up, which you cannot feel if you are hammering a piston in and a ring rolls out. Plus by doing it like this you are in total control of the piston and rod at all times and do not have to worry about scratching anything on the inside of the engine. Hope this helps.

My first pictures ever being put on the internet.


I have never heard that it was bad to use oil on rings when installing but until recently I pretty much exclusively was building older Chevy, GM, and Ford engines. I learned form old school Mechanics who have a lot of tricks and good ways of building old stuff but are not always the best sources for some of the newer engines. I guess the main thing I wanted to get on here for your viewing pleasure is the Piston Pulling method instead of the hammer. Piston Pulling is the way to go, and once you do it you'll never go back.

 

[lude-de]

Excellent write-up. I'll be saving this one.

 

[Mattyboy250]

awesome very helpful

 

[Mattyboy250]

btw that is a long ass screwdriver, omg! haha