When gapping piston rings, an easy and often used way to square them in the bore is to invert a flattop piston and use it to push the rings down to the desired depth. Another good way on large bore engines is to use a tapered ring compressor…
Rich Jones Redline Automotive Competition Engines Davie, FL
I found it easy to polish piston pins in the rod hone. I use a small mandrel to hold them. Randy Torvinen Torvinen's Machine Menahga, MN October, 2019
Randy Torvinen Torvinen's Machine Menahga, MN
When I opened my shop, I used to struggle with holding pistons between my knees while installing rings. One day I noticed that on the common shop cart, most piston and rod assemblies would fit perfectly between the handle and the cart. It holds the piston stable…
Josh Townsend Texoma Machine and Performance, LLC Kingston, OK
When file fitting rings I also like to add a radius to the backside of the oil ring support rails, at the gap. I rough in the radius on the belt sander and then finish it on the debur wheel on my ring grinder. Without adding this…
Nick Jones Automotive Machine Fraser, MI
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,…
Rich Jones Redline Automotive Competition Engines Davie, FL
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…
Randy Quam Competition Engines Eagan, MN
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 the piston, a simple piece of scrap aluminum…
Archie Frangoudis Archie's Racing Service Nasuha, NH
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 increased steel strength is the insensitivity…
Engine Pro Technical Committee With special thanks to Hastings Manufacturing Company
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…
Randy Torvinen Torvinen’s Machine Menahga, MN
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 losses or crank case pressure buildup could cause ring flutter, removing stable…
Engine Pro Tech Committee with special thanks to United Engine & Machine Co. Silvolite, KB and ICON Pistons