Stumped - How to separate rod caps?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
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From: San Pedro CA
Stumped - How to separate rod caps?
We are lost... BrianCunningham, CentralCoaster, Alcee1 and I are all futzing with the engine rebuild for Bastet44's 87 coupe.
The pistons came back from the machine shop with installed with new bolts and such... The problem is that we can't get the rod caps off!!!
They will not budge! We have tried to wedge wood in there... hammer taps... nada.
Any ideas??? I am going to buzz these up to the machine shop monday morn if nothing creative comes along...
Thanks!!!
The pistons came back from the machine shop with installed with new bolts and such... The problem is that we can't get the rod caps off!!!
They will not budge! We have tried to wedge wood in there... hammer taps... nada.
Any ideas??? I am going to buzz these up to the machine shop monday morn if nothing creative comes along...
Thanks!!!
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
They can be a bear. They need to come apart perfectly straight and even. They actually make a tool to seperate them. It is about 100 bucks. It isn't nescessary but handy. Straight and even is the only way to get the caps off.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,889
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From: Castro Valley Calif.
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Andy, these things have a very thin film of oil which creates kind of like a vacuum pocket(s)........this combined with the close tolerance of the cap screws make them difficult sometimes. If you have a vise, you could snug up the cap and gently wiggle the small end around enough to let some fresh air in there to help them to release
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
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From: San Pedro CA
Maybe I ain't quite describing exactly how tight these bastards really are!
It feels like they are welded together - literally. We can get a gap, but they won't come apart evenly.
I am going to wait until Monday and get up with the shop and see if I can borrow a cap separator tool... or take the pistons up there for them to do it. These will not move and I am very afraid of hurting something.
It feels like they are welded together - literally. We can get a gap, but they won't come apart evenly.
I am going to wait until Monday and get up with the shop and see if I can borrow a cap separator tool... or take the pistons up there for them to do it. These will not move and I am very afraid of hurting something.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
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Originally Posted by Caboboy
Andy, these things have a very thin film of oil which creates kind of like a vacuum pocket(s)........this combined with the close tolerance of the cap screws make them difficult sometimes. If you have a vise, you could snug up the cap and gently wiggle the small end around enough to let some fresh air in there to help them to release
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by Pete K
Option 2 is to clamp the cap in a soft jawed vise and pull/wiggle them apart. This way also works.
These are on there, yo... I think the threads are binding me up a bit.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: High Plains Drifter Fayetteville, AR
Are you using studs or bolts? Either way, remove the nuts(if using studs) or back the bolts out so there are a couple threads left in the rod body. Put a piece of wood in a vice horizontally so you can hang the big end on it. Grab the rod body and tap on the bolts with a dead blow or head rubber mallet, alternating from side to side. That should break it free.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by JCAIRE2
Are you using studs or bolts? Either way, remove the nuts(if using studs) or back the bolts out so there are a couple threads left in the rod body. Put a piece of wood in a vice horizontally so you can hang the big end on it. Grab the rod body and tap on the bolts with a dead blow or head rubber mallet, alternating from side to side. That should break it free.
I found the tool from Gearhead... more then likely going to take them to the machine shop on Monday...
Thanks!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ah. There is a tool...
You calling me names again?
I'll agree with you on those caps. I have NEVER seen any that were on that tight. Good job on the rings, BTW
ah. There is a tool...
You calling me names again?
I'll agree with you on those caps. I have NEVER seen any that were on that tight. Good job on the rings, BTW
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
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From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by cuisinartvette
ah. There is a tool...
You calling me names again?
You calling me names again?
I'll agree with you on those caps. I have NEVER seen any that were on that tight.
Good job on the rings, BTW
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Even tapping on the rod bolts didn't work, and they didn't budge out of the rods either.
Everything we touched on that motor was really tight. I suppose that's a good thing.
It's so tight it's gonna make queafing sounds when he fires it up.
Everything we touched on that motor was really tight. I suppose that's a good thing.
It's so tight it's gonna make queafing sounds when he fires it up.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,146
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From: Albuquerque NM
Originally Posted by bogus
We are lost... BrianCunningham, CentralCoaster, Alcee1 and I are all futzing with the engine rebuild for Bastet44's 87 coupe.
The pistons came back from the machine shop with installed with new bolts and such... The problem is that we can't get the rod caps off!!!
They will not budge! We have tried to wedge wood in there... hammer taps... nada.
Any ideas??? I am going to buzz these up to the machine shop monday morn if nothing creative comes along...
Thanks!!!
The pistons came back from the machine shop with installed with new bolts and such... The problem is that we can't get the rod caps off!!!
They will not budge! We have tried to wedge wood in there... hammer taps... nada.
Any ideas??? I am going to buzz these up to the machine shop monday morn if nothing creative comes along...
Thanks!!!
The other alternative is to heat up the rod to get some looseness.
LOL
Now if only someone could tell me how to get the oil rings to rings against oil!!!