ok so i am putting it all back together tonight. i have the diamond pistons 9.5:1 comp, with total seal rings... i got the top ring and the second ring in... now i am to the oil ring... or the last ring... it is actually a set of 3 rings... a goldish colored wavey ring that has two really thin little rings that go on either side of it...

the problem: when i try to put the middle gold wavey ring in its kinda big. i tried to over lap and lock it into the next ridge but you cant... so do i trim it back?

any help would be great!!!

thanks in advance

 

don't trim....

 

put in the gold wavey ring in before the 2 little rings......

 

one more thing......make sure you don't have all the gaps in the rings lined up

 

thanks guys. hey how much do i have to gap the rings... what should they be set at... with a feeler gauge

 

anyone?

 

well, I don't know if the specs for the aftermarket rings are different, but here are factory

first ring. .15 - .30 mm
second ring .4 - .6 mm
oil control ring/rails .25 -.76 mm

and yes, push the rings down into the bore of the cylinder about an inch w/ the piston. make sure the ring is level and measure the gap with a feeler gauge

 

ok does anyone know the exact bore of the our motors?

 

about 86mm.....

 

120* from the gap =p
unless you want blowby.

the ecotec 300+ book floating around should have the specs

 

well you will always get a lil blow by its just a matter of how much


so i took the bore and converted it to inches...about 3.385" and multiplied by .0055... which gave me .018" thats what the top ring gap should be. multiplying by .0055 is what is recamended by total seal for blown gas motor (blown as in forced).

the second ring is to multiplied by .0035 which gives you .011" gap

the oil rings i was not sure about i now have answers to.
the gold wavy ring is supposed to be slightly over sized but it crunches down... the redges can compress to fit in the cylinder and then it pushes out to seal better...
and the small thing rings that go ontop and bellow it are supposed to be gapped at .015"

hmmm ok i am stuck again

do the rods have to go in, in the same order? and are they directional?

 

Is this your first time building an engine?

EDIT: Figured I'd be useful. I recommend buying that ecotec build book that's around here somewhere. I'd hate for you to blow up a brand new motor.

 

on my own yes... first time doing one period no. i have worked on a few different motors... but nothing as new as this... and i have never done one by my self... so i want to follow up on all the things that i keep second guessing.

 

Yes They Shoulg Go Back In The Same Way As Th Bearings Are Matched To The Crank, Rods Are Not Directional, But The Caps Only Go One One Way And Only In The Right Position

 

ok well i got new pins, and new bearings. so that shouldnt matter right...

and the caps are "broken off" so they just go on the way they fit right

 

Sorry for getting off topic but what do have to take off to change pistons on these new engines. I am used to the older engines.

 

we actually left the block in the car... removed the oil pan to on bolt the connecting rods from the crank shaft, then took off the head, and pulled the pistons.

with removing the head u will have to do the propor things to take it off. it not just on bolt and lift.. u will have a lot to remove and un hook

 

I was planning on doing my build the way you are, without removing the block. But if I want to replace the main (crank) bearings, can I remove the crank without removing the block. My next unit ought to have an engine lift, I am just curious.

 

well, I'm sure you could if you really really wanted to......however, the flywheel is bolted to the crank. So you have to remove the transmission and remove the flywheel to get the crank out of the block.

 

yep youd have to unbolt anything thats attached to the girdle...thats whats holding the crank in...as for putting the rods god just make sure you dont nick the crank with them....and make sure you have the same rods/bolts/caps/ that came off of that specific cylinder...if all is new which i think i read it wont matter...just roll the crank and put them in....i forget but i think you should be able to do two at a time without having to roll the crank...i think thats how i did it on an older 4 cylinder in shop class

 

No, that's not the only thing holding the crank in....the flywheel is bolted to the crank, transmission needs to get removed from the block to remove the crank.

 

yea i know...i just meant in addition to whats attached to the crank....that girdle is really all thats holding it in

 

yes, however he was asking if he could remove the crank with the motor still in the car. You said he could......Which, wouldn't be really the best way to do things......since he would have to removed the transmission so he wouldn't have support on the drivers side of the motor.....he couldn't jack the motor up and hold it from the bottom since the oil pan will be off. Also he woudln't be able to use an engine support or hoist since the head and everything will be off.....it might not be easy to hook it up. If you want to replace the crank/main bearings...pull motor.

 

well he asked if it was possible...which it most certainly is...but like you said it would be a unpractical way of doing it...my vote would be to take it out of the car...you would probably save yourself time doing it that way

 

ok thanks guys. that was a dumb question, If I would have thought a little harder about it I would have realized a second later "******* you have to unbolt the flywheel" which means it would clearly be easier to pull the motor. thanks