I installed the main bearings, oiled them, installed the rear main seal, put a dab of thin sealant on the rear main area. I light snugged the main bolts and set all the clearances with 2 flathead screwdrivers. It spins perfectly, no sounds, no dangerous looking close clearancing. I used plastigage last night and those checked out perfectly also. Im still staring at it and reading my book and some posts many many times! I just checked the clearences and gaps on the piston rings and those check out also. Let me know what else I can check again prior to putting the piston and rods on, anything little or small....

Sorry it double posted, maybe a moderator can delete one of them. My internet is out of control.

Did you "seat" the thrust bearing ??

Originally posted by pnutkemist:
I just checked the clearences and gaps on the piston rings and those check out also. ?? How did you check the ring gaps if they are already on the pistons??

They werent already on the pistons, I put the ring in the cylinder and checked them that way. Thrust bearing is seated and torqued. Ive spend about 40 minutes trying to get one piston in, this is tough, I may call it quits till I get someone over here. I oiled it up really good, cleaned it off, compressed it exactly how it should be so no rings would pop out, they still bind up and don't slide into the cylinder.

Be careful installing the pistons,don't take much to break a ring or ring land on the piston. I have one of those old fashioned tools that you tighten up around the piston and rings to compress them,they make a cylindrical shaped tool that is tapered to the cylinder size,it compresses the rings as you're tapping the piston into the cylinder.

I think thats the one Ive got, called a wrinkle band compressor, just the little cheap one from Kragen, its all they had. I think id rather be using a bore specific compressor...