Finally got my pistons out

[Confederate1969]

After three months of cussing and head scratching, I finally visited my dad's garage and started doing some digging. I heaved out one of his many, many craftsman tool chests. The one I took to my garage has all his weird shaped wrenches and u-joint wrench helpers. I was able to find the right combo of stuff to get all my rod caps off. Then I was able to work a couple of key pistons out. After that, I had to get the crank turning in order to get the crank bearings out of the way to get a few of the rods pushed inwards in order to get their ends past the bores. Then I was able to get the rest out with a few good beats with my rubber mallet and a piece of wood. Now all I have left is to get the crank out and pull the cam. That should not take long. Then the very last piece is dealing with the oil pump stuck on its shaft... :toetap:

Aside from that, I finally got the hard part of my engine disassembly done!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

 

[Hoosier Bird]

I had never given up on you, I knew you could do it if you set your head to it.......

 

[69hemibeep]

:banana: :banana: :banana:

 

[Confederate1969]

Now that I've got that done, it's obvious the pistons are trash. Should I forget about the old rods as well? My dad and his best friend beat the crap out of the engine back in the 70s at the drag strip. So I don't know that I trust them now. The only thing I want to think about keeping is the crank. What do you all think?

 

[Roadcuda]

:worship:

 

[69hemibeep]

Now that I've got that done, it's obvious the pistons are trash. Should I forget about the old rods as well? My dad and his best friend beat the crap out of the engine back in the 70s at the drag strip. So I don't know that I trust them now. The only thing I want to think about keeping is the crank. What do you all think?

Keep the rods and have them checked out, if nothing else it gives you something else to take apart

 

[george68hemirr]

if you can afford new rods buy them.....rods take the most abuse of any engine part to a point where they snap and kaboom...the block is junk....i learned my lesson on a 426 hemi with these heavy trw 12.5 to 1 compression pistons....i was a the track and # 3 came out both sides of the block just above the pan rail...also a chunk came up through the side of the cam.....i only ran it up to 8 grand...that didnt help.....if i used new rods it would"ve stayed together

 

[Basketcase]

now...wasn't that a fun experence? I'd say that unless your going with big HP, your stock rods would be fine, just have them checked.

 

[moparstuart]

last year on may 1st this is what happened to me , rod had fine crack in it right in the middle of it and went out the side of the block . That was my 70 hp six pac block also .

 

[Basketcase]

man that sucks. that white dodge truk in the first pic, isn't that the one that was stolen last year?

 

[moparstuart]

man that sucks. that white dodge truk in the first pic, isn't that the one that was stolen last year?

great memory yes it was and they have never recovered it sorry to say . Had only standard insurance on it and got paid almost nothing for it . Lesson get agreed value coverage and dont get screwed .

 

[Basketcase]

I thought I reconized it from the post on the 'parts. Yeah, I learned the hard way about insurance after my fire. And from one of my daughter's (The Terror) wrecks. Anybody ever hear of "Gap Insurance"?

 

[Confederate1969]

Holy crap!!! New rods it is. I'm not even going to bother having them checked. I'm not about to put all kinds of money and work into this engine to have a rod blow a hole in the block. The original owner told me they really put the engine through a lot when he had it. And that's 84,000 miles on them. So I'm just going to buy new ones and be done with it.

 

[Roadcuda]

After seeing that block with that big crack in it, I'd say that's a very good idea.

 

[ACME A12]

Anymore you can actually buy new ones cheaper than reconditioning factory units most of the time...and no matter what you do to the factory rods they're still 40 years old... Almost anything new you get will be chinese forgings with the finish machining done here.

You can even get a good set of H-Beams for less than reconditioning if you shop around. Sometimes they're on e-bag for around $400. And if you go the e-bag route, "SCAT" - good, "CAT" - bad.

I've never heard anything good about the SIR rods either...not even as strong as the factory MoPar units according to my machinist...he says stay away from those despite the tempting purchase price...

Ray

 

[Basketcase]

yeah, the engine is one place you don't want to skmip on if you can help it.

 

[george68hemirr]

Holy crap!!! New rods it is. I'm not even going to bother having them checked. I'm not about to put all kinds of money and work into this engine to have a rod blow a hole in the block. The original owner told me they really put the engine through a lot when he had it. And that's 84,000 miles on them. So I'm just going to buy new ones and be done with it.

YES IT A GREAT INSURANCE POLICY....this way you know what you have and its going to stay together...money well spent

 

[1BADBIRD]

I agree it is money well spent with new rods. I prefer Eagle H-beams myself. :cheers:

 

[ACME A12]

I agree it is money well spent with new rods. I prefer Eagle H-beams myself. :cheers:

:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:

 

[mjoyner408]

lol... what was that, a katrina motor