Ok, probably an ignorant question, but I'm asking anyway. Everywhere I've seen/read says when doing a teardown, you have to remove the pistons from the top of the bores. If you were to take them loose and remove the crank first, is there any reason you can't pull them out the bottom? I'm doing this teardown in the back of my pickup w/o the benefit of a stand, and it would be much easier.

You have to remember the very bottom of the bore is 'tight' with the expanded ring and bore wear the top of the bore will be looser and easier to pop those out with (usually you ridge ream the ridge off the top to make it really easy...there is some bore taper to contend with too).

I just pull the crank (do not scratch the journals), and use a long 1x4 and push or use a mallet and 1x4 and someone to catch.


good luck,

-d.idiot

What would pulling the pistons from the bottom save? I have always
pulled the head and pushed them out the top. When they need to come
out to get new rings the bores need to be deglazed with a hone of some
type to get the new rings to seat. The hone is done easier from the top.

If you don't need new rings - maybe you could just leave the pistons
in the bores while you do the other work?

When you take loose the rod caps, a trick I like to use is put a 3 inch
section of fuel line over the bolt in the rod. That gives one less edge
that can bung up your crank journals.

Just for the hell of it I tried to pull them out the bottom once. The piston skirt will not clear the main bearing webbing, but you can pull them far enough out the bottom for the bottom ring to expand trapping the piston between the ring and the block. In other words they come out the top only

On a cast crank engine, you can get out at least 3 pistons, if the bores/pistons are really worn