How Can I Fix These Pistons?
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
With respect to the plug fouling, simply leave the plugs out of the cylinders experiencing this problem. It is well known that engines consume tremendous amount of energy in order to compress the air prior to combustion, so it is easy to see how the lost energy will be regained. The substantial weight savings will be an added bonus.
Thanks for writing in, you can always be sure of receiving the best technical advice possible here on the CF.
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,365
Likes: 6,345
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Not until faced with a true technical challenge does one realize what wonderful professional & competent technical support one can get from a group of people such as this. There are suggestions here that not even my twisted mind could ever have come up with, and I'm certain they will all work! To pay for the duct tape, silicone, SeaFoam, JBWeld and other key commodities, I do think I'll sell the one piston that, I think, resembles the Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus. With the leftover money, I'll buy a new C6.
Lars
Lars
Instructor
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 172
Likes: 3
From: Hesperia California
piston fix
Everything has been mentioned but the cheapest and most reasonable fix. Get you a JEGS magazine, or ELDOBROCK, or what ever you prefer go to the piston and ring section, with scissors cut out the piston and rings set you would like and any other parts you desire, problem fixed, or just cut yourself out a new 383, 496 crate engine and glue it in. This would be the most reasonable, quick, and easy fix. Oh don't forget the Elmer's for proper installation.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 368
Likes: 4
From: . New Zealand
About bizarre piston fixes, a mate of mine was driving his Holden HQ ute (a car type pickup) to Auckland, and he had a piston failure on the motorway (freeway), so he saw a junkyard over the fence, and went and liberated another rod and piston and changed on the motorway (freeway) verge, by removing the oil pan and cylinder head. Installed the rings with 2 flat screwdrivers. That ute went for another 100,000 miles like that!
Another true story was an english car, think it was a Vauxhall had a piston failure out of town, could not afford another replacement or even find one, so my uncle carved one out of hardwood, made a steel plate top which was screwed to the top of the wood end grain, no rings, he soaked it all in hot engine oil, and he made it back home 250miles like that and drove it to work for another week. I guess the cylinder pressure was not high!
Another true story was an english car, think it was a Vauxhall had a piston failure out of town, could not afford another replacement or even find one, so my uncle carved one out of hardwood, made a steel plate top which was screwed to the top of the wood end grain, no rings, he soaked it all in hot engine oil, and he made it back home 250miles like that and drove it to work for another week. I guess the cylinder pressure was not high!
Pro
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 645
Likes: 1
From: Hayward Wi
About bizarre piston fixes, a mate of mine was driving his Holden HQ ute (a car type pickup) to Auckland, and he had a piston failure on the motorway (freeway), so he saw a junkyard over the fence, and went and liberated another rod and piston and changed on the motorway (freeway) verge, by removing the oil pan and cylinder head. Installed the rings with 2 flat screwdrivers. That ute went for another 100,000 miles like that!
Another true story was an english car, think it was a Vauxhall had a piston failure out of town, could not afford another replacement or even find one, so my uncle carved one out of hardwood, made a steel plate top which was screwed to the top of the wood end grain, no rings, he soaked it all in hot engine oil, and he made it back home 250miles like that and drove it to work for another week. I guess the cylinder pressure was not high!
Another true story was an english car, think it was a Vauxhall had a piston failure out of town, could not afford another replacement or even find one, so my uncle carved one out of hardwood, made a steel plate top which was screwed to the top of the wood end grain, no rings, he soaked it all in hot engine oil, and he made it back home 250miles like that and drove it to work for another week. I guess the cylinder pressure was not high!
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Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Manahawkin NJ
About bizarre piston fixes, a mate of mine was driving his Holden HQ ute (a car type pickup) to Auckland, and he had a piston failure on the motorway (freeway), so he saw a junkyard over the fence, and went and liberated another rod and piston and changed on the motorway (freeway) verge, by removing the oil pan and cylinder head. Installed the rings with 2 flat screwdrivers. That ute went for another 100,000 miles like that!
cylinder pressure was not high!
cylinder pressure was not high!
If that's possible, I believe road side swap of a piston that caused a car to actually stop running on a motorway is not totally impossible.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Manahawkin NJ
I saw Lee Majors as the Six Million Dollar Man remove pistons from a Nuns car and used a grinding stone to cut them down. He used his hand as a micrometer to check the size and then installed the slugs in a plane motor and it flew!
If that's possible, I believe road side swap of a piston that caused a car to actually stop running on a motorway is not totally impossible.
If that's possible, I believe road side swap of a piston that caused a car to actually stop running on a motorway is not totally impossible.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
I saw Lee Majors as the Six Million Dollar Man remove pistons from a Nuns car and used a grinding stone to cut them down. He used his hand as a micrometer to check the size and then installed the slugs in a plane motor and it flew!
If that's possible, I believe road side swap of a piston that caused a car to actually stop running on a motorway is not totally impossible.
If that's possible, I believe road side swap of a piston that caused a car to actually stop running on a motorway is not totally impossible.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Pro
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 680
Likes: 5
From: Denham Springs LA
Just saw this post and spit coffee through my nose when I saw the pictures.
I was really suckered when I saw Lars asking for advise. I had to read the thread to see what had him puzzled.
Now i'm going home early after cleaning my keyboard and computer screen, and trying to explain why this is funny to my coworkers who don't give a **** about old cars.
Roger
I was really suckered when I saw Lars asking for advise. I had to read the thread to see what had him puzzled.
Now i'm going home early after cleaning my keyboard and computer screen, and trying to explain why this is funny to my coworkers who don't give a **** about old cars.
Roger
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,365
Likes: 6,345
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
I think the 300-shot of nitrous story sounds better, though...
Lars
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,562
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
I shoulda known better...
than to even open this thread. Your a funny guy Lars, and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you have quite a fan club. My personal thought was gonna be to use the JB Weld of course. 