Assemble Piston/Cylinder B4 Rod connection?

[Dauner]

Hi everyone,

Car is 1989 911 3.2. I am doing a top and bottom end rebuild myself. Heads are being rebuilt locally here in the Twin Cities. Rods, Cylinders, camshafts, rocker arms are at EBS Racing. I had my cylinders bored to 3.4 and coated with Nikasil. Planning to go with the newer version of JE pistons mentioned elsewhere recently in the forum.

Don at EBS has offered to assemble/check the Piston/Ring/Cylinder assembly prior to shipping to me. I have enough things in this project to worry about, and this seemed like a reasonable task to have someone else do.

Any downsides to this plan? I would then attach pistons/cylinder assembly to rods. I understand there will be less access. That is my concern and question, given that I haven't ever done this before. Have other people assembled this way? Is it an order of magnitude more difficult than installing pistons on rods, compress rings, and slip cylinders over the top?

Again, new to this so looking for voice of experience.

thanks,

Mark

[Flat6pac]

I always assemble in units and set units up the way they go together
P/C s with top of cyl and intake of piston too the top
Wrist pin setting out with the opposite side circlip in place correct to the way you intend
To install
I subassembly the heads, carrier,cam, and rockers and set the lash on the table
The thing about o remember is you have to back all the ketone down from TDC
So no t to bend a valve
Hruce

[Flat6pac]

Shows heads together and P&Cs units
Bruce

[Dauner]

OK Great. I'll plan to have the P/C assembled and shipped to me.

Thanks!

mark

[proporsche]

as Bruce said that is the best way to do it...
here is a little video when i did one engine last year-
Ivan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STWf7WnC4xo

[Trackrash]

Much easier to have the pistons / rings installed in the cylinders before installing the pins to the rods.

Especially with JE pistons you should, if you haven't already, invest in the circlip install tool. Stompski makes one https://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearch/PEL_search_2016.cgi?command=DWsearch&description=circlip+tool+stompski

I found that you also should find a way to stabilize the cylinder so it won't move when pounding the circlip in place. I used thin strips of wood between the cylinder and studs.

Some guys don't install all the studs until after the cylinders are in.