Has anyone installed pistons from the bottom of the block? The problem of course will be getting the rings in there, but the advantages are not buying new head and intake gaskets, saving two days plus of work taking everything on the top of the engine off, and cleaning all the surfaces, and not having to pull the engine out. I'm going to do this is I can, but if someone says they've tried it and it's impossible, that would save me a lot of time in a failed effort.

 

Won't work. The piston won't clear from the underside.

 

big negative!

 

Impossible.

 

You can't get a crank and rods (nor the pistons) out with the motor in the car.
It's tough enough raising it just to get a pan off.
Removing cyl heads is the least of your problems.

Besides, as pointed out above, it won't work.

 

As noted, it won't work on a SBC. I had a friend do a ring jod on a Ford V6 years back, and he was able to do it fron the bottom. I think it took him more time than it saved, but it was an interesting job anyway

 

The only one you can do this with is cyl. no.7

 

I should have mentioned, the crank will be out, so the trans will be disconnected also. I had planned to hold the engine with a piece I'm borrowing; it sits on the fenders and holds the engine with chains. So I think I can get enough clearance from the cradle to be able to pull the pistons all the way out. It's getting them back in that I think might be a problem because of the rings.

edit: Maybe I should ask: if you had the block out and on a stand, could you put the pistons in from the bottom? :edit

 

piston swap with motor in the car.. probbaly bad idea.


on a stand, would it still not work?

 

Way better to do it right (heads off) and probably easier, too. I don't know why anyone would even consider trying it from the bottom.

 

No way.

 

Again, this is not possible due to the block casting. The main web is in the way and you cannot remove the pistons from the bottom.

 

*cough*
https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=594865

As everyone already said, no way no how. And I already asked haha, once I got it out, it was quite clear it was impossible.

 

Why would you want to replace the bottom end without the top end being massaged???

For performance??? What a waste. If you are upping CR, what's gona happen with an old head gasket???? Not to mention putting new rings in an un-touched cylinder. That's real smart.

For repair? How would you know without looking in from the top? Using a bore scope maybe.

I want to see you compress the rings to get the pistons back in from the bottom

You want to save the intake gasket and head gasket but do some sort of bottom end work.

You are stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

 

If this get's moved to advanced tech, maybe someone can figure out how to do it