Thread: Installing S1 2ltr pistons and rods - YyyyyAaaaaaGggggg!

Well! What a !@#$%^&*( job. Lots of frustration and lots of man-hours.

So, if one is to get engine balanced, please advise machine shop not to remove metal from the big end bolt shoulders. Meat must remain there because these are the bits that sit in the slots in the block to enable the gudgeon pin to be inserted, i.e. hang the conrod upside down and offer up the piston from underneath. Use loose fitting drift to catch the conrod little end through the piston.

In the photos below, one is with the conrods and gudgeon pins installed at right angles to their normal direction of rotation /travel. the other is the two essential tools for getting there:

1. bullet to fit into the gudgeon and go through the little end and other side of piston. Beg borrow or make one, it is esential.
2. brass drift long enough to go through little end and piston loosely but close enough to allow the bullet inserted into the pin to pick up and be knocked through, knocking out the brass drift through the exhaust valve port. (so don't fit exhaust valves before trying to fit gudgeon pins)

IMG_0084.jpgIMG_0085.jpg

Having said all that I now have another problem. As you can see the pistons are 90 degree out of whack and must be turned into their proper position. Again lot of jiggery pokery and all using "soft" hands, unfortunately while doing so (my hands must not have been soft enough) I broke an oil ring. Anyone with a spare or access to 2ltr +.020 oil ring for a 0.158 groove?? Would be welcome if Ol'mate Alex cant find one.

Now for three pistons I have to get the rings in and a ring compressor won't do the job because of the slope of the deck. Might try cutting the ring compressor at an angle??? Obviously plenty of people here have done this, HOW?

Cheers

Rick F

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

If you haven't installed your crankshaft, it is MUCH easier to install the pistons from the bottom. They can be slid in fully assembled this way.

I was just going to say the same thing . But with the crank in I have always just used a normal ring compressor it will flex to the shape of the slope of the block just need to keep downward pressure on it . the hard part is fitting the piston to the rod.