engine’s crankshaft was within the factory tolerances, but if they are not,
the crankshaft thrust surfaces would have needed attention.
A ring installation tool is placed around the pistons with the rings
in place. The tool compresses the rings enough to lower the piston
into position. The notch in the top of the piston denotes the correct
direction of the piston in the cylinder.Rod and piston assembly
Herman was now ready to install the connecting rods and pistons. The
forward position of each piston is marked, usually with a notch, as on
this engine. The original rods were retained, and each will be returned
to its original position, which was marked during the disassembly
process. With the appropriate tools handy, Herman used a rod heater to
install the wrist pin, which was covered in the previous article. Without
machine shop equipment, it’s possible to insert the wrist pin into the
piston and rod on a workbench, but the piston can be damaged, so it’s