ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

The dude promised me it was absolutely perfect, when In fact it had "trashy" oil pass through and score all of the journals. I had them all polished out and it sits on a shelf now. Still pretty lame.

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Ah. Maybe the pic is not the best, but the "scoring" I can see in that one pics is very normal/not a problem whatsoever. Are the cam journals really bad or something?

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

Considering this but, upon closer inspection of this manifold, it already has one Helicoil installed in one of the holes. So I guess I'd have to battle that too.

Most of the used parts I have purchased, have had problems that were not disclosed during the sale. No more used parts. None.

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Can you post a pic of the manifold threads?

That sucks about the used parts. I kinda agree, I try not to buy used stuff unless it's something I can't really buy new (a head, an intake manifold, an engine....) Looks like you're building a street car, if so I'd just buy some 3/8" studs and nuts, wire them together and move on.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

I'm in no position to say what is ok and what isnt. What I do know is that when comparing it to my 180,000 mile head, it looked bad. Like i said, it's all poilseed and good now. It just needs a new home.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

Not necessarily a street car. I was planning on the track mostly. I'll post more of my build soon. I have had some major life changes going on that have slowed progress significantly. And it ain't a baby. Not a human one anyway.

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

If it helps, I put 2,000 and wayyyy to many hours into a VVT head, and then dropped the head gasket on upside down and idled the motor till it locked up/died. Turns out a VVT head will idle for about 8 minutes with no oil, only Lucas assembly lube before one of the cams welds itself to the head. It messed up one of the cam journals pretty bad.

I spent about 1 hour getting the aluminum off the cam journal (easy) and then about 3 hours knocking down all the high spots off the cam journal. There's a lot of voids in that journal now where oil will be instead of aluminum.

I've run that head to 8,800 and not a lick of trouble from it. It saw 8,400 yesterday. It's fine. I've pulled that cam 3 times now to inspect to see if it's getting worse, it's not, it's ok. So I wouldn't sweat it, a little scoring is ok and "normal" too in my experience.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

That's actually nice to know.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

So after a few shots of tequila, I'm thinking. .....just drill out all the holes, re tap with 10 x 1.5, good by sweet ceramic coating, hello new threads.

codrus

There's an easy way to do it. Place the two open ends into the piston, grab a spare wrist pin from the junk pile, and push. Pop, it's in.

--Ian

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

<p>Shouldn't the threads not be ceramic coated anyways?</p>

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Tap drill size is too big if you already have 3/8 threads. Some of your existing threads will still be there. Also you just said there's a helicoil in one of them. I promise you won't cut new threads into a helicoil.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

They are not ceramic coated threads. The manifold is. The coating will most likely be damaged while welding all of the holes closed, along with the giant hole from when I remove the existing helicoil.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

<p>Ahhh, I missed the welding holes shut bit.</p>

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Also if you think you're going to drill and tap a weld, you might want to practice that on some scrap. Depending on how you weld it, the weld is going to have a very high strength and drilling/tapping it will be....... it's gonna suck/you're going to break ****.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

I have considered this. I have access to a mill, so I can get it all straight. I have plenty of cobalt equipment as well. All of this doesn't make me any less nervous though. I have decided that worst case, I cut the flange off and start over.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

Have you actually done this with the supertech pistons? I have installed lots of circlips, these by a large Marge were the most difficult.

krissetsfire

iTrader: (1)

I found them pretty easy to put in and I used a probe and a small flat head screw driver. I was expecting them to be more difficult from the word on the forum.

I put the edge of the clip in and held it in place with a probe. then following that same side of the clip with the flat head i went around the edge a little at a time pressing it in till you get to the end and they clip right in.

Admission on my part though is I don't practice it full time but am a 3rd generation locksmith and am quite experienced with small clips and lock bits.

The wrist pin way sounds easier though.

ryansmoneypit

iTrader: (6)

Not on mine. No way. These circlips were crazy stiff. I tried every method on the interweb. I got them finally. Similar to the wrist in method.

codrus

Yeah, I did it last year when building my motor, Supertech 9:1 pistons. I struggled a lot with the first couple using a pair of bent needle nose pliers, then happened to glance at the box of parts from tearing down the old bottom end and a lightbulb came on. It literally made it into a 10 second job per clip.

--Ian