BowSeR

use a micrometer. i hear its a better way than plastigauging

GruvyTune

plastigauge is better for bearing clearances since you can't really fit a micrometer in there.

BowSeR

but most of the people who build race motors use a micrometer why?

Dr.James

there are various types of Micrometers. you have insude, outside, hole, etc. The inside micrometer can be used to determine things like Cylinder diameter and roundness. You can use the outside micrometer to check the diameter of crank bearing journals, rod bearing journals etc. Plastigauge is used to determine the amount of play or Clearnace that you have between the bearing and journal when everyting is torqued. hard to explain, but very important to use micrometers when building an engine.

Mista Bone

Then you'd better find some gauges.

You use a "inside gauge" and use the micrometer to read it.

That way you have no gauge to gauge variances.

Dee

The "inside" type is called a Telescoping Mircometer

dustin

Here is a pic of me looking like an absolute dork measuring cyl #4 with a cylinder bore gauge. It is a spring loaded device designed to measure cylinder bores in all directions to determins taper, etc.

http://rely.net/~dustin/sema/IMG_1810.JPG

GruvyTune

Dustin,
to do a rebuild like that do you remove the head with the cams intact and slide the cam gears out from the timing belt leaving the belt in place? Is it a pain to get back in after?
Also, do you take out the oil pan to get to the rods in order to remove the pistons?

thanks
torin

dustin

You have to remove the cams to remove the head bolts.

You have to remove the oil pan and windage tray to remove the nuts on the rod bolts and thus the rod caps.

Dustin