short block assembly

[tektic]

I set the regular bearings and torqued their caps but left the center cap loose. I then applied pressure in both directions to the crank. I measured .004 end play, returns to 0 and torqued the center cap.

With a feeler gauge I measured the thrust bearing clearence @ .0025 on the back top and bottom but can't get a .0015 in on the front side. Does this need to be corrected? If so how?

The resident tech at total seal told me that ring flutter is a myth and that I should set both my gaps to .020. He went on to say that they purposely set out to cause it on a dyno and had a very difficult time doing so.

Any way .020 sound good for a 16 or 20g set up at around 25psi with a 8.8:1 actual compression ratio?

 

[GSTwithPSI]

Why would you check end play with the center main cap (I'm assuming that's what you meant) loose?

 

[tektic]

I guess not checking so much as monetering while I was aligning the thrust bearing surfaces in the center main.

How are those ring gap numbers?
Edit: called total seal and this guy said 24top 21-22 second

 

[thruarod]

I usually take a piece of aluminum and hammer the crank back and forth with the thrust bearing cap loose(not completely loose, maybe 5-10 ftlbs so its not falling off) to align the bearing halves. If there is still not enough I use a piece of 1200 or 1500 sandpaper wrapped around a known straight block of steel in a parts washer and lightly rub the thrust surface. Clean, check clearance, repeat as necessary.

 

[tektic]

Total seal told me to install my pistons clean ad dry with a little wd40 on the skirts. They recommend their quick seat powder but said it wasn't necessary.

Does that seem odd?

 

[iceman69510]

Not extremely. It's not like things are moving and generating friction/heat.

That said, I always use ATF in the bores and on the pistons and rings.