Quote:
Originally Posted by 1976gmc20
I was into my Cat engine a couple times. It had the notorious 2-piece piston failure and the first time I tried to save money and didn't replace the other three  Both times were out in the woods of course. Second time late in the fall and it was raining. I rigged a tarp over the rack and brush guards, and had my fiance' out there greasing and handing me new bearings while I laid on my back in the mud.
Then later I worked for some folks in the winter doing carpentry and mechanic work, and he had me do a ring and bearing job on one of their D-2s. At least that was in a shop with a wood stove and a log beam to winch the head off and on. But those big cast iron oil pans and the transverse spring are still the worst part.
Don't know if you know this but those old four banger diesels if you didn't change the sleeves the pistons had to go in from the bottom because the rod journal is bigger than the bore! I had to have somebody stick a screwdriver in the wrist pin when it came up and then I crawled out and put on the rings and compressor and tapped it back down into the bore. Fun, fun! 
These days I do most of my mechanic work with a check and a pen  |
I feel for you, Few things suck more than having to do them in frame, even in a shop it sucks. I’m sure having to stab the pistons from the bottom and not kill the new rings or mar the rod or crank journals is a lot of headache. I’ve never had the pleasure of knocking them in from the bottom. (Insert that’s what she said joke here
)