[gashousegorilla]

   Some pics as I go along.......

 The rockers in place on top of the head... for demonstration purposes only, showing the rods and how they lift....  The long rod actually goes on the exhaust side, they are reversed in the pic... sorry.

[gashousegorilla]

 The lifters down in their bores.... They "Lift" the "PUSH" rods....

 

[gashousegorilla]

  Installing the piston.... Wrist pin and clips.

[JVS]

So cool

[ScooterBob]

  Thanks Dave.... But it was not my Idea.. I was inspired by a legendary BSA , that use to tear up the Hills and Hollors' Of West Virginia back in the seventies..... he..he..he 
 

Well ...... Sometimes the ol' BSA got tore up as well. This is how one learns just HOW light a part can be ..... A really good current example are the connecting rods on the new 111-inch Polaris/Indian engine. They are not the pig-iron of the past, but rather very carefully engineered, powder-forged beryllium steel parts that are as strong as they need to be for the demands of the engine ..... and they are LIGHT, man! They put me in the mind of the Sportsman rods that I used to build the stock car engine with. They were about half the weight of a pig-iron Chev-uh-LAY rod - and just as strong. They'd handle about 14:1 compression and 8800rpm's ...... with a nodular iron crank that was 35 lbs. lighter than a forged one. Rev quick? You bet! You'd ping the rev limiter faster than you could pin and release the throttle at the carb. The old BSA was close ....... EVERYTHING in that engine went on a serious diet!  Hahaha! Grindin's cheap .... PARTS are expensive ......
 

[gashousegorilla]

Well ...... Sometimes the ol' BSA got tore up as well. This is how one learns just HOW light a part can be ..... A really good current example are the connecting rods on the new 111-inch Polaris/Indian engine. They are not the pig-iron of the past, but rather very carefully engineered, powder-forged beryllium steel parts that are as strong as they need to be for the demands of the engine ..... and they are LIGHT, man! They put me in the mind of the Sportsman rods that I used to build the stock car engine with. They were about half the weight of a pig-iron Chev-uh-LAY rod - and just as strong. They'd handle about 14:1 compression and 8800rpm's ...... with a nodular iron crank that was 35 lbs. lighter than a forged one. Rev quick? You bet! You'd ping the rev limiter faster than you could pin and release the throttle at the carb. The old BSA was close ....... EVERYTHING in that engine went on a serious diet!  Hahaha! Grindin's cheap .... PARTS are expensive ......

   Where's my Ring compressor !!....... All fired up now Cuz


 Piston installed, rings in place.  notice the Ring gaps.  Piston and cylinder get lubbered up.....

[gashousegorilla]

  And slide it on there.  I like to use a 4" hose clamp to compress the rings.... Install the studs and torque 'em down.

 

[gashousegorilla]

   And some clay.... Because I have ScooterBobs  Jocko Johnson like, hot rod Head and Cams. I have to do some Checkin'... Maybe some deckin'.  Don't wont those valve's hitting that lovely piston...  Should be alright though. Always good to check !

 

 

 

[Bulletman]

@GHG...man you guys are geniuses.....you make it look easy.....

[mattsz]

Piston installed, rings in place.  notice the Ring gaps.

Ignorance (mine) in the house here: Are those typical gaps?  Seems like a big opening for the gasses and forces of combustion to leak out - but obviously it must work...

[ScooterBob]

   Where's my Ring compressor !!....... All fired up now Cuz


 Piston installed, rings in place.  notice the Ring gaps.  Piston and cylinder get lubbered up.....

I must slightly correct this ...... ring gaps should NEVER be on the thrust side of the piston. When the piston "rocks" in the bore under combustion pressure, it's possible to dig a ring corner into the cylinder wall. I like to place the compression rings 180 degrees apart, halfway between the pin and the thrust side of the slug. Nit picky? Yeah .... but I can't help it! Comes with the territory, I s'pose 

[ScooterBob]

  And slide it on there.  I like to use a 4" hose clamp to compress the rings.... Install the studs and torque 'em down.

What deck height did you end up with ...... I'm curious. I'm GUESSING about .015" down in the hole? A stocker is around .040". We don't any of those compressions to get out, you know! 

[ScooterBob]

Ignorance (mine) in the house here: Are those typical gaps?  Seems like a big opening for the gasses and forces of combustion to leak out - but obviously it must work...

Matt - the gaps are measured in the bore. The way they appear on the slug when it's out of the hole has nothing to do with the finished install .... they'll squish right down in there! Hahaha!

[ScooterBob]

@GHG...man you guys are geniuses.....you make it look easy.....

Of COURSE we are geniuses ..... We are Celtic - we can't help it! BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!  ..... and it IS easy. All you have to do is sit in the shed for hours on end with a little Glenn Miller on the radio and a little sippin' elixir in the 12oz. tumbler and drill, tap and grind until your heart's content. What could be easier than THAT? 

[mattsz]

Matt - the gaps are measured in the bore. The way they appear on the slug when it's out of the hole has nothing to do with the finished install .... they'll squish right down in there! Hahaha!

Ah.  Thanks!

ScooterBob, you're answering posts faster than I can read them!

ring gaps should NEVER be on the thrust side of the piston.

As in, the ring gaps should line up with the pin, rather than be 90° off?