The Dodge Challenger Message Board

The tool is made by PowerHouse tools.

I broke a top ring putting mine on. They are real brittle and snap easy. A tool like that makes life a lot easier.
I think next time I would buy one of those Eddie.

Thanks Dave. I tell ya I hate going out and buying every litttle tool that comes down the pike but hey if it's cheap and helps save an expensive set of rings and is cheap I'm all for it! More progress, I installed the Crank after first cleaning it thoroughly with those little pipe cleaners and brake cleaning fluid. Then I layed the crank in the saddles but smearing LubriPlate on the bottom main bearings. You dont want to turn the Crankshaft. The top of the main bearings go on dry. I Layed a small strip of Pastigauge across the mains parallel to the CrankShaft Centerline or perpendicular to the oil pan rails. I will post the results tomm. I broke my 3/8 to 1/2 adaptor so I have to run in town tomm and get one at Sears. If you're clumsy like me, then cut some 1/2 Heater Hose and place them over your studs like a condom,LOL, hey it might save a crank journal which will require a re-grind if it even touches those sharp studs! I simply pulled them off after the crank was secured properly in it's saddles. BTW, the 4340 Crank weighs 72 lbs. BIG PAT shoulda been here for the lifting!

I placed this socket made by Comp Cams for a Chrysler B/RB Crank snout. It will position a degree wheel for the top end when that time comes, has a woodruff key in 3 places, uses a standard 3/8 drive socket driver or breaker bar. Uses a set screw to remain secure as you turn your engine over or degree the cam/crank relationship, valvetrain, rods ect,, pretty cool.

This is a piston ring compressor for a piston and rings in place and ready to install into the bore. It's for a 4.375 bore only. Yes it's specific to one size however it tapers down and the piston is installed with very smooth and hassle free installation. It's also made by PowerHouse Tools and is constructed from Billet Alloy,(alluminum).

The Crank is in! The red strip is Pastigauge,(Made by Dana Spicer). It's for .002-.010 I am 'shooting' for .0025 this would be almost perfect for a High Performance or Race Motor. Oil weight should be around 30WT or 20W-50W

Main Caps in Place. A little oil around the edges of the main cap helps to seat it. I use Shell Rotella 15W-40 Diesel Oil as my 'assembly oil' also I used a plastic mallet to tap the caps in place. Once they are fully seated it will sound like 'thud'.

The ARP Flat washers and ARP Nuts use their Moly Lube as an assembly lube. I first cleaned then lubed with the ARP Moly Paste the washers on both sides, bottom of the nuts, top of the studs above the main caps.

I then torqued the mains to 30, 60, 90 Ft. Lbs. on my Sears Crapsman,lol, torque wrench then when I got to the #5 main which is a 12PT. nut I discoverd the need for an adaptor to my wrench was needed. I'll post the resluts of my plastigauge clearance check tomm.

i wonder how many things have been assembled by crapsman

drewcrane wrote:i wonder how many things have been assembled by crapsman

Quite a few! The only reason I buy from them is their Lifetime Warranty. I wish I could afford Snap-On& MAC but more often than not I have bought from China or Tawain!LOL Of course for a Torque Wrench you must have a good enough quality for precision engine assembly. I really need a good dial bore gauge, but a Starret cost almost 700.00!!

www.powerhouseproducts.com I wish I could buy the whole damned catalog!

airfuelEddie wrote: BTW, the 4340 Crank weighs 72 lbs. BIG PAT shoulda been here for the lifting!

I would have loved to have helped, Eddie. Now that I'm getting older and smarter. You and I could have sit down in the lawn chair's, you could have a Tea, I'd have one of those Micro Brew's, and watch my Bigger and Stronger Grunt's do the work.

patrick wrote:

airfuelEddie wrote: BTW, the 4340 Crank weighs 72 lbs. BIG PAT shoulda been here for the lifting!

I would have loved to have helped, Eddie. Now that I'm getting older and smarter. You and I could have sit down in the lawn chair's, you could have a Tea, I'd have one of those Micro Brew's, and watch my Bigger and Stronger Grunt's do the work.

I cant imagine many men bigger than you Pat Great news! The bearing clearances checked out perfectly! Right on the money! I was shooting for .0025 but it appears to be .002 fine! The extra .0005 would be perfect for a race engine but this thing is probably going to see a lot of street time. .002 is a perfect clearance for both extended street usage and some high RPM usage. A little tip, get some dull ended small screw drivers with a short handle. You know, the kind us auto 'geeks' carry around in our service shirt pockets this will help with the hardest part of this procedure. getting the damned main caps back off for a clearance check without gouging your nice new 4340 crankshaft! Then you can gently pry up on the main caps parting line. I had to use this valve spring puller, where the end curls up, I then inserted it gently and popped them out! It took me almost an hour to just remove the main caps!LOL Time to remove the crank, clean it again along with the bearings of the pastigauge, then lubriplate the bearings and install it for final assembly. The girdle goes on after the rods are secured to the crankshaft, this way I will have a little extra clearance to tighten the rod fasteners.

Sorry but it's kind of difficult to make out the plastigauge.

Heres the 'tool' that helped remove the main caps without turning the Crankshaft. If the Crank is turned with the plastigauge, it will smear and make reading the compressed plastic wire much more difficult.

Yes, Eddie. We have some big boy's, out here. And some BIG Tree's, too. What those big tree's do is, break us big boy's down. What I do is learn from my mistake's. Teach the young and strong, and easier way. And, let them know about my Invincable, mistake's. I have a great, stong, crew! Probably, strong enough to hold your your engine, long enough to check all your speck's!
My Back Hurt's, And Teeth, too; Pat
P.S. Engine is lookin' SWEET!

Thanks Pat! I have seen that lumber Jack show on the tube. You guys are in the most dangerous job there is besides selling womens shoes!(Al Bundy) Hope they fixed your tooth OK.

One of the toughest and most dangerous jobs out there Pat. I salute you Sir!

It's been many many years since I needed to use Plastigage. I forget, what is the difference between red and green (and blue?) Plastigage?

fal308 wrote:It's been many many years since I needed to use Plastigage. I forget, what is the difference between red and green (and blue?) Plastigage?

I quoted the range wrong Barc. The red is for .002 to .006 the green/blue is for another range,(s) which I dont currently know, used to, but it's many years. I would have used a good quality dial bore gauge with a 2"-3" range but have you priced a good one? Starret makes a nice one so does MAC and Snap-On or Goodson. But they are all over 600.00 for a machine shop quality gauge. I have some nice mics and snap gauges but snap gauges are + or - .002 or more. This is not accurate enough to check both main and con rod bores. The Pro's use a dial bore gauge. Someday I'll have to get a Goodson/Starret.

dave-r wrote:One of the toughest and most dangerous jobs out there Pat. I salute you Sir!

Thank's Dave but, I think the toughest and most dangerous job is, Holding me down in the Dentist's chair!!!

The 'toughest job' may be the one they want to give me at the shopping mall. Selling womens shoes! I'm gonna keep looking! (I like Al Bundy but dont want to actually be him) Eddie Bundy, Hmmmm!

It's got its upside to though Eddie.

God I love your pics Dave! Of course with the ladies here I would have to 'wade' through a tough lot of them before I had the chance to fondle some nice gams like those!

After blueprinting and re-checking clearances I noticed the thrust bearing a little 'ragged'. Not damaged mind you just rough looking, so I called Calico and they said to send the complete upper and lower #3 main back to them. I just got it back today, and it looks perfect again, no charge! They just billed me the shipping cost and re-did both halves, great customer service! I also stripped the paint off the engine block and am going to try something different, it didnt look that good to me. I have a friend in body shop and he wants to airbrush it Hemi orange. I want it better..much bettter!

Damned polyurethane based rubber paint! I had one helluva mess here. I am almost finished stripping the infernal stuff off! Damn!

another, it took about 3 hours for the 3m paint stripper to work. It just softened enough to resemble caulking compound. That stuff is always 'fun' to work with huh? Sticky, Gummy, messy.

That has cleaned off better than I would have thought though Eddie. You must have put a lot of "elbow grease" into that.

Tomm. I'll give it one more final heavy coat, then rinse with mineral spirits, then wash&Clean%Scrub the block out again, for the final time. Then Mask, Plug&Paint, the paint I am using is pretty neat stuff. It's 'solids' content is 80% Low VOC dries to a non-porus finish thats both heat and chemical resistant. We'll see.