my 4.6

[Missourian]

I calibrate gauges for a living and I can tell you that when it comes to dimensional measurement tools you get what you pay for.

[shawnxj]

damn too bad your not closer i'd have sent you my torque wrenches for calibration. hopefully this local shop knows what they're doing

[Retlaw01XJ]

i picked up my block and started measuring for ring gap but i can't find anything for forged piston and moly rings. do it just go .004xbore or is there some other formula for forged pistons and moly rings?

Follow the piston manufacturers recommendation. The determining factor is how much heat the ring sees.... that can vary depending on piston materials, ring location, and the intended use.
The KB forged pistons call for the normal 0.004" per inch of bore.


A Harbor Freight dial indicator should work for what you intend to do with it. But take a look at the offerings from an industrial supplier like MSC.
www.mscdirect.com

[SilverXJ]

I have a decent but inexpensive gauge. It works fine for what I need, but I would like to upgrade to a better one. What pisses me off is the magnetic based holders. That twin pole type is a paint in the ass to adjust and get it where you want. The hydraulic ones are very nice, but the cheap ones just don't work that well. My machinist has a Noga base that I used and it works great. If you plan on using it more than once its worth it. Also, besides finding TDC you could also measure crankshaft end play and preload with it while you are assembling.. along with other things.

[Missourian]

Some of your best quality are:

Mar Federal
Braown & Sharpe
Mitutoyo
Fowler
L.S. Sterret

Your best products are by: Americans, Germans, Swiss, & Japanese. If you see "Made in China" you undersatand what you are getting for the money. There is more to realizing 0.0001" accuracy in a micrometer or 0.001" accuracy in a caliper than just saying it is accurate to that value.

[shawnxj]

well i finally found my paperwork that came with the pistons and it's says gap factor of .0040. the rings i have came pre-gapped at .018 to .019. the calculation with there bore factor is .01558 so basically the rings are .00242 to .00252 too big is that going to make a huge difference? or can i run with them? hmm actually that might be a good thing. the rings are gapped for forced induction or nitrous according to this sheet and i was considering running a turbo later if the motor alone didn't make me happy

[Retlaw01XJ]

You're pretty close. It's extremely unlikely you'll be able to measure a hp difference with the slightly larger gap.
If you are concerned about it, you can buy 'file-fit' rings that are a hair oversize and need to be filed to fit.
Or try another manufacturer, it could be a bit different.
I'd say you're close enough, but exchange the rings if they'll let you do it at no cost. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. If they were 0.022", then I would worry.

[shawnxj]

got all my pistons setup and ready to go if the damn torque wrench calibration place ever gets my wrenches done. also clearanced the oil pump/block. ridge woulda got me if it wasn't for ya'll so thanks a ton, while i was down there i looked at the lifter bores and they have a severe case of surface rust so i'm going to get a brake cylinder hone to clean them up

those folks who are using just pins instead of the pin/spring combo for the cams where did ya'll get the pins? is it just 1/4" steel dowel rod or what? i still need to measure to see how long of a pin i need

[gonridnu]

found a guy on another site who's going to make the adapter for me for like $20 that way i won't have to mess with any of that crap. remembered i knew a machinist about an hour after i made my post earlier so we've been pming back and forth about it

You should really consider reconsidering. The Renix TB is only 52MM so going to a later model even without boring it bigger is an upgrade and they can be bored to as big as 64mm for like a $100. The Hesco TPS adapter almost installs itself but is a little pricey.

Just sayin' it seems like a lot of work to make an engine perform and then restrict the intake to save a few bucks.

[shawnxj]

you can bore the renix tb's to 60mm from what i've been told

[shawnxj]

i have absolutely no crank endplay my .002 gauge doesn't come anywhere close to attempting to squeeze in there. is that because it's all torqued down? or do i need to sand the thrust bearings? what grit should i use?

my bearings plastigauged out at caps 1, 2, and 7 .003 the rest were .002. starting to think my machinist wasn't very good at his job

[SilverXJ]

Not good. Loosen the thrust bearing cap (make sure is in the #3 position). Tighten it my hand only. Slap the crank shaft from the front with a dead blow, then from the rear. Pry the crankshaft forward then tighten the #3 bolts. Now measure your end play.

[GoMopar440]

you can bore the renix tb's to 60mm from what i've been told

The HO TB's can usually get bored out to about 64mm safely. The Renix TB's will blow out the side walls if you try to bore them over 58mm. There's a guy on cherokeeforum.com (thexjfiles is his username IIRC) that bores TB's in the classified section there and that's as far as he could get the Renix ones.

[shawnxj]

ok i loosened up all the mains and shifted the crank back and forth and i still can't get a .002 feeler gauge in there

[gonridnu]

or do i need to sand the thrust bearings? what grit should i use?

400 - 600 grit on a flat surface like a piece of glass. mic it while you are doing it to make sure you are staying square to the world. It's not uncommon to do if you don't get the clearance by the method SilverXJ explained (make sure you use a decent size dead blow and give it a good wack). It's a relatively low load bearing surface so don't stress on it.

my bearings plastigauged out at caps 1, 2, and 7 .003 the rest were .002. starting to think my machinist wasn't very good at his job

Plastigage is not that accurate to where they couldn't be .0023 and .0027. Most machine shops do not do their own crank grinding. Did you have the block align honed? Housing bores are not not always identical even when you do.