Preamble:
Well it rained this afternoon here and so I worked in the garage,
ostensibly cleaning up a bit, when my 3a engine called out to me: "take me
apart even more!" Out came the pistons and liners, and what a large pile of
crud befell my eyes. 3 decades of evaporated coolant is a sorry sight.
Found some stuff that has generated some questions; hope some of you can
assist:
Meat:
a) How typical is it to have the top ring broken into many small pieces on
all four pistons? None had the second or oil rings broken, albeit some are
stuck "closed".
b) No scoring on pistons or liners (whew!) but there is some "surface rust"
near the tops of the liners where the pistons weren't for ~30 years. If
they look good after honing, will regular sized rings suffice, or are there
special ones?
c) The crankshaft has just-detectable-with-my-thumbnail ridges. I figure
they're well under 2 thou, by feel, and it's only at the top where it takes
a pounding, between the two oil holes, and it's only on 3 cylinders. (Yeah,
I know, don't slag me on my measurement techniques, please)
So, will polishing be enough? I am not familiar with polishing.... It just
seems like taking off ten thou. would be a waste, not only of money if it's
unnecessary, but of thickness.
d) Copper figure 8 gaskets came out. I just got replacements the other day
from BFE and they look like aluminum. Is this right? It doesn't seem like a
great idea to be mixing aluminum and iron like this. I am not to thrilled
with the idea of replacing them anytime soon, that's for sure.
e) Are pistons dishwasher safe? If yes what detergent is recommended?
All help appreciated!
Tx,
Jim
|