Typical

[mack]

So two years ago I paid a guy who owns a speed shop money to bore out the jugs for this E and supply me with a set of matching pistons. Today I tried to install the head and I can't rotate the cams (eitherr cam) without piston contact. I'm so pis...d off. I talked to him about this right at the beginning and emphasised the valve clearance required. Before you start, yes I made sure the pistones were oriented properly for the valve before I installed. It has to be the distance from the wrist pin center to the crown. The head gasket is universal for 1148-1196 so it isn't the problem. No way this dude is turning rubber this year.

[3Phase]

I gather it wasn't bored for one of the Wisco kits so, uh, where did the speed shop dig up pistons?

Did they machine the cylinder deck too and go too far or just bore?

.

[Jeffintampa]

So two years ago I paid a guy who owns a speed shop money to bore out the jugs for this E and supply me with a set of matching pistons. Today I tried to install the head and I can't rotate the cams (eitherr cam) without piston contact. I'm so pis...d off. I talked to him about this right at the beginning and emphasised the valve clearance required. Before you start, yes I made sure the pistones were oriented properly for the valve before I installed. It has to be the distance from the wrist pin center to the crown. The head gasket is universal for 1148-1196 so it isn't the problem. No way this dude is turning rubber this year.

Man all the good things you do for the members here I would think Karma would be with you Mack

[MaximPhil]

Hi Mack,
Sorry to hear of your Piston woes.
Phil

[ViperRon]

Mack you may be able to put multiple gaskets under the cylinder assembly which will raise the head off the pistons some but you can only go so far before the cam chain is too tight. If it were me I would clay the piston area to check that the crown and the cut into the pistons for valve clearance were ok and properly positioned. You may be able to just put shims under the cylinder assembly to see how much clearance you need before you put gaskets on it.

[BowlingSS]

Clay the pistons is a good idea. Just use some modeling clay on the piston and bolt the cylinder down and rotate carefully. Stop when it hits. Remove the cylinder. Check to see where the values are hitting. Get a dremel tool and remove some of the piston to prevent this. This is one way. You could also see if you can replace the pistons with a larger value relief. Someone might make a cutter for the piston relief. I know they do for my old LS1.

I would let the guy who do this know. Good luck. Hope you get this resolved.

Bill

[WMarshy]

Couple of questions for ya Mack.

What pistons are you using, the cheaper cast ones from ebay?

Did you check your deck height to piston at TDC?

Did you double check your timing?

[mack]

Let the Mirth Begin

Too much going on all at once and I was in a hurry. Had the exhaust cam in the intake. I'm very embarassed but I found it and all is good now. Timing is perfect, dot's are right on!
Ok boys and girls, you may begin!

[WMarshy]

We could take it easy on you and just blame it on your age. You ol' fats anyways.

[DiverRay]

Or we could say none of us would EVER do something like that!
At least not more than three or four times.....

[mack]

Thanx ray

You've always been a class act. Thought Maybe I was the only who would own up to it. Scott?? You must have an anecdote or five?

[3Phase]

You've always been a class act. Thought Maybe I was the only who would own up to it. Scott?? You must have an anecdote or five?

Moi?

Do you mean like the time I managed to bend an intake valve just putting the head back together on my first XS11 engine rebuild?

Or the time when I mis-shimmed the transmission during that same rebuild and almost ripped the gears out of it when I took it out for a test ride?

Maybe you mean the time after I 'fixed' the main Ignition Switch/Harness connector and the soldered connections broke off just as a couple of trucks and I were going onto a freeway junction overpass in a 60MPH Santa Ana Wind with a 4-to-2 lane merge at 65 or 70MPH? Piece of cake.

Then there was the last time when I got in a hurry right before a Rally and I didn't completely neutralize the phosphoric acid after de-glazing, cleaning and de-rusting the cylinders so the acid ate up and dissolved the cylinder finish as I rode, spreading vaporized oil -- too much oil was going through the cylinders too fast to actually light on fire and burn -- across four States until the poor thing shot a spark plug in Beaver, UT., and had to be carried home in a U-Haul.

Those kind of anecdotes?

No, of course not! Never happened, not to me! Nope! Nope! Nope!

.

[TopCatGr58]

Or the time I had the head off doing a lapping during my rebuild, had it on the table, put in both cams at the same time, and then rotated only 1 to try to check and set the valve clearances and bent a valve....unbeknownst to me at the time....

and didn't realize it was bent, put the whole thing together and did a static compression test only to find "ZERO" compression in 1 cylinder, so had to tear it all apart....

and then bent another valve after replacing the first bent one because I again tried to set the clearances with both cams in and FINALLY learned that I couldn't do that....

T.C.