View Poll Results: Did GM bother clocking individual piston rings from the factory?
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Stupid question about factory builds
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 6
Likes: 1
From: Washington
Stupid question about factory builds So, I’m putting the pistons into my 408 build and I had a silly thought as I was lovingly clocking every piston ring.
Did GM clock piston rings on these engines from the factory? Do you think they even bothered clocking rings in the high end motors (LSA, LS7, LS9)?
I suspect that either GM had a tool that automatically clocked said rings as they were installed on the pistons, or that clocking the rings isn’t actually as necessary as we’ve all been lead to believe and GM just sent it from the factory. (My gut seems to believe the second one)
Does anyone have any first or second hand knowledge of how they were built new?
Did GM clock piston rings on these engines from the factory? Do you think they even bothered clocking rings in the high end motors (LSA, LS7, LS9)?
I suspect that either GM had a tool that automatically clocked said rings as they were installed on the pistons, or that clocking the rings isn’t actually as necessary as we’ve all been lead to believe and GM just sent it from the factory. (My gut seems to believe the second one)
Does anyone have any first or second hand knowledge of how they were built new?
So, I’m putting the pistons into my 408 build and I had a silly thought as I was lovingly clocking every piston ring.
Did GM clock piston rings on these engines from the factory? Do you think they even bothered clocking rings in the high end motors (LSA, LS7, LS9)?
I suspect that either GM had a tool that automatically clocked said rings as they were installed on the pistons, or that clocking the rings isn’t actually as necessary as we’ve all been lead to believe and GM just sent it from the factory. (My gut seems to believe the second one)
Does anyone have any first or second hand knowledge of how they were built new?
Did GM clock piston rings on these engines from the factory? Do you think they even bothered clocking rings in the high end motors (LSA, LS7, LS9)?
I suspect that either GM had a tool that automatically clocked said rings as they were installed on the pistons, or that clocking the rings isn’t actually as necessary as we’ve all been lead to believe and GM just sent it from the factory. (My gut seems to believe the second one)
Does anyone have any first or second hand knowledge of how they were built new?
The engines are built by robots. Serious. Robots don’t clock rings. The handbuilt engines don’t get theirs clocked either. I’ve watched a few videos of friends doing the handbuilt ls7 deal, and there is no special attention given involving clocking the rings. Cylinder crosshatching causes the rings to turn until they seat anyway, so they are never where you set them at when you tear it down. Do I clock mine? Yes. Habit I suppose. I’ve built quite a few race engines with polished cylinders (no crosshatching) and the rings don’t move around at all.
We built piston ring machines where Iworked for 40+ years. The macines actually turned the the rings O.D. and I.D., but didnt clock them or install them on the pistons. We did Sealed Power, Perfect Circle, Speed Pro, a bunch of the major ring Mfgrs. They eventually sold that part of the business, and concentrated on transmission leak test machines. Robots probably did at least 70% of the work, and semi-automated special pneumatic tools did most of the rest. One interesting thing I worked on was a "station" that ran down, and tightened the valve body bolts, all of them in one operation. We used Atlas Copco equipment, like strain gauges, to set the proper torque on all the bolts. It was very interesting work, as each spindle, maybe 12-15+, depending on which valve body was being torqued down, had to be calibrated. I truly do miss the work and the guys I worked with....
Last edited by grinder11; Feb 2, 2023 at 09:01 AM.
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That's how I do it, too. I've tried ring expanders, and suppose they're OK if you've done a lot of installs with them. For me, it seems too easy to over expand the ring. I do know my thumbs get a bit sore when I get to the last couple of pistons, lol...
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Launching!
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 224
Likes: 31
From: Bismarck, ND
Yup And it works!
I wrap masking tape around the thumbs.