I was talking to an X Big rig mechanic, i mentioned the weak point on our motors is the rods. He suggested rolling in rods and bearings from the bottom. Apparently this is common practice on the 18 wheeler motors. Can this be done on ours or not? Seems like a cheaper alternative to a built block?

 

hmm, I just went of back and looked at my dead motor...

I could be wrong, but I don't think there is room for it to come up from the bottom.

Seems like it would actually be more work too. The rod/piston assembly would all have to be installed (compressing rings how?) and suspended the tops of the bores. The crank would then have to be installed and mains torqued alog with jack bolts. Then the rods would have to be pulled down and torqued. The motor design allows for piston-to-valve contact, if the timing is off, so that would also have to be watched for when rotating the crank. All this also would have to happen with the crossmember in the way.

Overall, I don't think it would be near worth the hassle.

Herb

 

You also have to have the engine balanced when installing the new rods, unless they wiegh the same as the stockers (very unlikely). In the big rigs, most are inline motors, the new rods and pistons would just have to equal each other to balance out the motor.

 

Thanks Herb that is what i figured but just wanted to verify!

 

Not to mention the obvious fact that the k-member is in the way and its welded-in to our trucks, not removable like say a mustang. This is assuming you were talking about doing this with the motor in the truck? I replaced all the rod bolts in my z06 in this manner, but the k-member can be unbolted and dropped in that car.

 

Detail, details no not in the truck but pulling the motor isn't a big deal and i wouldn't have to deal with the top end.

But anyway I'll go back to dreaming up other stuff

 

i dont know what kind of big rig mech you talked to but you dont do pistons in a tractor from the bottom
you can replace the bearings but you dont do pistons

 

I never mentioned pistons only rods but he could have said rod bearings and i misunderstood. I've been known to be wrong once or twice.

 

yeah thatmakes more sense. cause really if your gona do rods you just do the pistons too, comes in a whole kit with the pistons in a liner and you just beat the liner into the block
acctualy a nice way of doing it, real easy too

 

Check with Sal (PSP) I believe he did an in the truck rebuild on his old 99.

 

ON bigger engines they call that a "power pack" piston, rod, liner. I just got done doing 14 of those on twin 16,000 hp turbo diesels.