I have a local shop that does use a rod heater, I had already
contacted them prior to posting - I just did not want to spend money
on something that (in theory) I could do myself. Thanks for the
details in your posting. Reason that I asked this question in the
first place: http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...u/PB280023.jpg
I suspect a broken valve spring (never experienced one before) at 120K
miles on an engine that was on target for being a 200K to 250K mile
motor. THe head is now more of a modern art sculpture than a useable
head: http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...u/PB280018.jpg






On Oct 1, 10:21*pm, "Rob Fraser" FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net
wrote:
"RB" wrote in message

...

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Rob Fraser" wrote: *(clip) The piston needs to go into a Sunnen heater
that is a
heating unit designed exactly for this. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From your business name, I assume you know something about engines. *So
my question is not a challenge, but a request for an explanation. *The OP
says he pressed the wrist pin out of the rod end, and now needs to
reinsert it. You certainly can't have an interference fit in both the
piston and the rod. So why would you have to heat the piston?

He meant the rod, I bet.
Sunnen makes a small heater for rods

Correct- it is a rod heater. I sometimes toss the wrist pins in the freezer
for a while too on a known tight fit. Like any Carrillo or Manley Hbeam rod.
I would never, ever, do it any other way. It's a lesson in disaster and I
have had engines with 2-3 passes from other assemblers shops who cheated it
and blew the top of the rod clear off. 15k engines destroyed because someone
took a shortcut. *It takes a machine shop about 30 min to do a set of 8
properly. A little LPS or assembly lube on the pins is also a *Must-do* and
when priming the engine with a drill or if it's on a dry sump rotate it with
the plugs OUT for at least 30 min. by hand on the crank bolt or blower
pulley with a ratchet to get all that lubed up and that has no relevance to
the interference fit but your bearings and cam will thank you for a long
time. Another little trick is to fill the wrist pin with a few cc's of oil
before you put the piston in the compressor. That way when the engine is dry
cranking that oil will seep out and lube the rings and cylinder walls a
little extra.
* * If I ever saw a shop hit it with a torch I'd be finding a new shop fast.
If you can't find a shop to do it local. - mail them to my shop, I'll do it
no charge. Just cover the shipping. Don't let someone **** up your engine..

* * * * *Rob

Fraser Competition Engines
Chicago, IL.