CSI 3.2: Murder Setup
 

Got the cylinders off and discovered the cause of two broken studs...barbaric...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1209858928.jpg

Seems someone installed the head studs with vice grips. No wonder they broke on me.

Anyway, my plan was to just replace the lower 12 and try not to fall into the trap of while I'm there. Well, didn't quite work. Already I've installed a new sounds pad, bought a new transmission slave cylinder, have plans for new valve guides, and...now something I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with.

I've been told I could use new pistons; that mine have .0035" of ring land clearance which is at the wear limit. Can anyone elaborate what this means in layman's terms? Any recommendations on how to proceed? I've already exceeded my planned budget, so very little room except for the bare necessities.

Quote: "...pistons; that mine have .0035" of ring land clearance which is at the wear limit. Can anyone elaborate what this means in layman's terms?"
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This is the side clearance (measured where the rings sit in the grooves in the pistons) between the ring edge and the piston groove edge. Wear takes place as the piston moves up/down in the cylinder; the ring contacts the top edge on the down stroke and the opposite edge on the up stroke ...causing wear over time.

When this clearance gets too large, you get what is sometimes called ring 'flutter' (the ring rocks in the groove) and it can/will eventually cause either the ring to break or the piston edge to break.

Not good news ...sorry.