Installing pistons, BIG JOB! any suggestions?

[polarisconvert]

I have a friend that bought an 03 RX1 spring of last year with a CPR turbo. The previous owner run high boost with just head gaskets and was leaking coolant a little. My friend decided to put in pistons to make it right and safe for high boost. He has a friend from work helping him that is a real gear head. He has never been into on of the motors or a sled with a turbo but is a real capable mechanic. They have the motor out, head off and ready to pull the pistons. Pull the oil pan to find out that the motor has a bottom half of the case that needs to come off first. They are doing just fine but wondered if some of you guys that have already been through this job had any hints or tips.
Thanks Bruce

 

[rxrider]

Be careful and take your time when taking things apart, take notes and make sure everything goes back the same as it was prior to disassembly. Get hold of a RX-1 Service Manual, you will need it on assembly, and it has all the tork specs for the motor. Please contact Simons CPR to get their tork specs for the head, stock tork (Yamaha recommondarion) is not enough to keep things from leaking. You need to loosen connecting rods from the crank to take pistons out on top of the cylinders. Be careful when assembling the oil and compression rings on the new pistons, follow instructions to the T and measure ring end gap on both compression rings, check out with Simons CPR or other what ring end gap is recommended for the boost you will run. When installing the pistons into the cylinder be careful and do not try to force the piston and rings in, they easily bend. Use a ring clamp tool to hold the rings in place at install. Oil everything well with engine oil on assembly, this is the only lube your engine will get until the oilpump starts pumping. Please make sure the oil pump works, I check by looking into the oil tank when I fired up the first time after my turbo install, SHOCK it was not circulating, also check that the turbo get oil as well, loosen the oil return line at the turbo a little and start the engine, it should start leaking some oil after a few secounds.

If I have forgotten stuff please chime in with more details. I recommend you replace all gaskets to prevent leakage. Good luck with your friends project. PS! I have the Service Manual if needed.

 

[polarisconvert]

Piston install

Thanks for the help, any one else have something to add.

 

[givemeaboost]

Take lots of closeup pictures of every step of the disassembly. Check and recheck the valve timing when putting it all back together.

 

[TurboKeith]

The service manual is helpful if for no other reason it has all of the torque specs. When you disassemble, put all of the bolts in baggies and zip tie them to the parts as you take them off. It makes it a bit easier to keep track of everything. Like RXrider said on the piston rings, be careful when you install the piston into the cylinder. I bent the oil rings on two of mine and had to get some new ones before continuing on. The top ring and the middle ring have different end gap tolerances. Make sure you check them and gap them on the high side of the tolerance. I had to open up the gaps on every one of mine. I think that besides the pistons, the chain the runs the water pump and oil pump is the biggest pain to get on. You have to pay close attention the orientation of that lower sprocket when you tear it apart. You could potentially install it backwards. When you split the case take a good look around before you start doing a bunch of prying on it. That thing has a ton of fasteners holding it together. It's easy to miss one or two. When you go to start it for the first time you need to make sure it's pumping oil. There is a sticky on here that tells the process of priming the pump, it's real helpful.

Sure there are a bunch of parts in there but it's not that bad to tear it down and put it back together. It's just a bit time consuming if your doing it right.