Pulling wrist pins...

[mede8er]

Well, I'm trying the "Leave the piston in the cylinder and pull the wrist pins" trick....

What's the best method for pulling this sucker out ?????

[Jeff Alton]

Drive the pin out with a hard plasic drift. The handle of a screw driver will work. It they are tight, heat the pin boss a wee bit with a propane torch and they will slide right out.

Cheers

[mede8er]

Thanks Jeff...that's the way I would normally do it but I can only access one side of the piston/cylinder.....

I may just go ahead and pull the cylinders off and take my chances on the seating...

[Eagledriver]

I use a piece of white PVC pipe as a drift. If you take them off in the right order you can get them all out. I wouldn't be concerned if you take the pistons out of the cylinders. Just keep the pistons with the same cylinder they came out of. In fact I like to remove the pistons on the bench and check the wear of the ring lands and the end gaps of the rings (at least a sample of them). After inspection I clean up the pistons, lightly oil them and put them back into the cylinders to install when I re-assemble the engine.

I've put together several engines this way with the old rings and not had a seating problem. Just make sure each ring stays with it's particular cylinder and piston and is installed the right way. I try to put the gaps for the top ring where it was when I removed the piston but this is probably overkill.

-Andy

[mede8er]

I've built a few in my day and I've always taken the cyls off....as I ended up doing tonight....

An 82 3.0 is 'new' to me....hehhehheh....

Can't say I understand the reasoning behind trying to leave the pistons in the cyl's....

[rlane]

I did it this way to avoid problems with my low mileage Alusils.
Someone, I think Chris Streit showed me how to make a "puller " out of a lenghth of PVC pipe,with 3/8" threded rod. At the pulling end you use a washer just small enought to fit thru the rod bushing, at the 'wrenching end a couple of bigger washers and a 3/8 nut serve to pull the pin out. Worked great. I may have pix somewhere

[cstreit]

I don't think claim that idea as my own... I just use a drift. Good idea though...

[ChrisBennet]

I made a puller.

-Chris

[cstreit]

You east coast guys and your fancy-schmancy tools!

[ChrisBennet]

Originally posted by cstreit
You east coast guys and your fancy-schmancy tools!

It's those long winters - we have with nothing better to do.
-Chris

[mede8er]

Now THAT'S the American way....

I'll try that sometime...Nice work....

[SuperOldSchool]

So do you have to leave the pistons in Alusils or not? Too many stating to do it either way - what is the truth? I had someone also suggest just getting new rings when I do the heads? Confused....

[Eagledriver]

You have to decide which way is right. There are arguments both ways. In most cases I've found the old rings to be a better fit than brand new Goetz rings. The end gaps were bigger on the brand new rings. Do whatever you are comfortable with. If you've checked the leakdown before you took the engine apart and know that you don't have any broken rings then you could just leave the pistons in the bores. If you don't know for sure then you'd be really pissed if you put it back together with a broken ring or worn out pistons.

-Andy

[SuperOldSchool]

With 59k on the motor, I think I should just leave them in the cyls and focus on the heads...thanks

[ChrisBennet]

SuperOldSchool asked for more details on the writepin removal tool so I'm posting it here in case someone els is interested as well.




You just put the pvc pipe against the piston on either side of the wrist pin and turn the nut on the right to draw the pin out if the piston. The cuts on the pipe are to clear the edge of the piston.

My friend Moe supplied the threaded rod (formerly used for spinning the oil pump on 'merican V8 motors after a rebuild).

[theiceman]

great tool

i can probably figure it all out but does anyone have the dimension of the tool >?

I would have though the wrist pin would slide into the PVC to clear the piston completely but it looks like it doesnt.

also how long is the threaded rod ? i would imagine it has to be at least the length of the wrist pin the + the thickness of the piston plus the length of the pvc for reinsertion no?

I see this post is old so if i figure it all out I will do my contribution and post all the dimensions of what worked.