RE: JPOR: Piston removal

[James E Howe <James.E.Howe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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You guys will get sick of me before I'm done with this project...

Once I've got the crankshaft removed from my 401 V8, is there any
reason why I can't remove the pistons from the bottom to check/replace
the rings?  The TSM says I have to remove them through the top, but
that assumes the crank is in place.

Pistons will not come out of the bottom, the cast ribs and crank 
jurnels will not allow it, you really need to pull the head and take 
them out that way.

When removing through the top, the TSM says I need to ream out a
little ridge that's along the top of the cylinder bore before the
pistons will slide out.  What exactly is the "ridge reamer" they
talk about, and can I just do the same job with a Dremmel tool?

I would not use a dremmel tool, it would be vary difficult to take the 
same amount of mettal off the cylinder all the way around. You may find 
that there isn't much of a ridge depending on the millage of the engin.


The TSM says to use a ring expander to install the compression rings
on the pistons.  What is this, and is it really necessary?

If you are carfull, no you do not need a ring expander. You will want 
to make sure all of the carbon is cleaned up from the ring groves 
though.

Similarly, it says to use a ring compressor to install the newly-ringed
pistons back into the cylinders.  What is this, and is it really
necessary?  Is it still necessary when installing pistons from the
bottom of the cylinder (see question #1)?

It is easiest to utilize a ring compressor to put the piston back in, 
will save you lots of time. See answer #1

				-- Obi-Wan
				   '95.5 YJ, '77 Wag (under the knife)

-- 
Ben "Obi-Wan" Hollingsworth                                   
obiwan@jedi.com
Many people don't understand this type of devotion; in fact some think 
of our
mindset as a sickness or as an aberration of the human mind. -- Rick 
Pewe
              Anybody want to buy a Jeep XJ Dana 44 rear axle?
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