45 Piston Rings Clearance

[Paps]

Lucky SOB !! Just kiddin with the SOB part.

Yep...work the fits on what you got then. But ??? If you run into bad troubles ? I do have a set of NOS OEM .060" oversize pistons with rings in their original boxes. They are oem nos HD original. Alas though...I provide no warranty, even though they are HD. Really pricy too !
Good luck with the re fitting of the ring grooves Bro. If you need any additional help, feel free to email me direct. Paps

[Kojack]

Re-cutting the old grooves sounds like a good option. The problem is that unless you have access to a lathe you'll have to farm the job out. Machine shops ain't cheap and I'd bet that you'll get charged 2 hours or more for that job. New pistons with pins and rings (which BETTER be guaranteed) are around $90 each and I'm not sure that you could get your old pistons cut much cheaper than that. If you have a friend with a lathe now is the time to look him up.

[Paps]

It will take them a hour each just to true them in on the lathe. You are looking at 3 hours. Ask a friend indeed or save those pistons for bookends.

Kojack........how do you waranty original nos oem antique HD parts when HD themselves don't sell them anymore ? If I sell or purchase a an nos oem part in original packaging, I have no way of knowing if they are corroded underneath. I have uncovered some really pristene parts but I have also uncovered some real eye sores as well. Now if we are talking new production parts from any manfacturer, don't buy without a full warranty on defects in materials, workmanship, and craftsmanship. Paps

[Kojack]

I was talking about new aftermarket pistons, Paps. The prices are from 45 Restoration Company, a reputable dealer. I once purchased a set of NOS rod bearings for a 741 Indian in the original WWII cosmoline packaging at a swap meet. When I handed them over to the guy who was building the engine he warned me that there was a good chance that they'd be junk. I lucked out and they were OK. I bought a couple of valves the same way and they were junk, rusted right in their original wax covered package. I didn't pay much for them however. You're right, it can go both ways. NOS parts sold by a third party can be guaranteed but that's the choice of the seller and he should make that clear before the sale. If you really want to get top dollar for a part you should stand behind it for things like size and condition. If you're selling a part just because it's in the cool original box than that's OK too, just make it known. I've seen that happen lots of times. I wonder if anyone could guarantee the actual perfomance of a part however. When a piston does fail it can be impossible to pinpoint the cause, at least as far as satisfying a warranty goes. Too much depends on handling and installation. Pistons that have been rattling around loose in a box of junk won't be my first choice for a rebuilt motor, that's for sure. I've come up with some other uses for those.

[Paps]

Now that is cool !! Nice work !! Not to stray far from the topic, but, I once bought an nos oem 45" pinion shaft wrapped in it's original military dressing. When I uncovered it, the pinion splines were not machined onto it. Bet that would surprise the motorpool folks. Paps

[Rex]

Got a lathe in the shop, a brother for a machinist, and a fair amount of time since the heads are out getting new sparkplug holes and are not done yet.

I wouldn't advise this hobby to anyone who doesn't have a lathe, mill, tooling, and someone to run them.

[Kojack]

Sounds like you're good to go. Groove depth isn't critical, as long as the the ring has at least enough back clearance to allow it's face to be recessed completely into the groove. Too much is OK, not enough could cause seizure. You already know about the side clearance. Good luck.

[Rex]

I found just the thing for this project at

mondello.com/catalog/mondello_blueprinting.htm

Scroll down to item PGC 150

[Paps]

I agree with everything Kojack just stated. Depth has to be deep enough but just don't cut clean throught he wall. Seriously though, if you do skin the bottoms, blend them in with the sides smoothly and with a minute radius at each corner. Make sure the radius is not to large as to be restricting to the inner ring edges. Sharp corners make for weak corners. Fracturing may occur at the point of a sharp corner.

You have the tooling needed. Have fun and enjoy the results.
Paps

[Paps]

Oh Yeah !! I clicked on the link Rex, but only got an email addy. Paps

[Perry Ruiter]

Here's a working link

[Paps]

Thanks Perry. There is a bunch of nice equipment on that site. That indicator is equal to a last word type manufactured by Starret and other manufacturers. Paps

[T. Cotten]

It only takes me about ten minutes at most to set up a piston on my Logan,... What am I doing wrong?

....Cotten

[Kojack]

I don't know what you're doing wrong but I could watch and let you know. Seriously, I would say that's an average time if everything goes well. If you have a quick change tool post and a good insert grooving tool you could do this whole job in under an hour. Then again, I've seen some old 3 jaw chucks that you'd never get to run true without a lot of shimming and cussing. It all depends on the equipment you have to work with. I worked in a machine shop for a long time and learned it's best not to comment on how long it takes someone to do a certain task. Getting it done correctly is more important. Notce though, that I said you'd likely get charged for two hours. I also learned how machine shops bill.

[T. Cotten]

Who needs a chuck?

That just gets in the way, or scars the skirts if you actually try to use one.

....Cotten