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"Pop-up Pistons"

To: Roland Dudley <cobra@cdc.hp.com>
Subject: "Pop-up Pistons"
From: Tom Hall <Modtiger@engravers.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 22:32:42 -0700 (PDT)
At 11:20 AM 4/29/96 -0700, you wrote:...

>I picked up the pistons last Friday and re-installed them yesterday.  I
>can now lay a straight edge on the deck and see daylight when the
>pistons are at TDC.  Before some were in excess of 9 thousandths above
>the deck.

>Roland

Roland, 
        You didn't mention why you cut the tops off the pistons.  Having the
pistons protrude into the gasket area is not a problem as long as you have
at least 0.030" clearance between the piston at TDC and the installed head.
This would have given you both more compression and more squish at the top
of the stroke which helps prevent pre-detonation.  Since most thick
headgaskets don't squish down to less than 0.040", you might have been OK
with the uncut pistons.  

You also changed the balance specs by removing weight from the top of the
piston.  If you had the components balanced, this would require another trip
to the balance shop.  If you didn't, you missed one of the best tricks to a
long lasting, smooth running engine.



  
Tom Hall


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