1942 - 1947 Chevrolet Shop Manual



6-17

	If the index touches the rod bearing and the four pins do not touch the face plate, the distance between the pins and the face plate should also be checked with a feeler gauge. If this distance is more than .025" the rod should be straightened until the pins, on the "V" block, touch the face plate and the index touches the rod bearing within. 025". Assembling Connecting Rod to Piston Place the piston in a piston vise. Fig. 32. Assemble the rod to the	make this check, the connecting rod and piston assembly is mounted on the alignment fixture and the piston is set in line with the connecting rod. Then place the "V" block on the piston skirt. If both pins on the block contact the face plate the rod is not cocked. Fig. 33. Then, with the "V" block on the piston skirt and the pins against the face plate, tip the piston first in one direction and then in the other, Fig. 34. If the pins on the block

Fig. 32—Assembling Connecting Rod to Piston	piston and install the
pin. Before tightening clamp screw, center the piston pin in the piston and the rod in the center of the two piston pin bosses. Tighten the clamp screw and move piston on the pin from side to side, checking to see that the piston pin does not extend beyond the outside of the piston. NOTE—The connecting rod should never be clamped in a bench vise when installing the piston on it as tightening the clomp screw will likely twist the rod. Assemble the piston and connecting rod assembly to the align
		Fig. 34—Checking Piston and Connecting Rod Assembly for Twisted Connecting Rod remain against the face plate, there is no twist in the connecting rod. But if one pin leaves the face plate while the piston is being tipped in one direction and the other pin leaves the face plate while the piston is being tipped in the other direction, the connecting rod is twisted and should be straightened until both pins follow the face plate. Assembling Piston and Connecting Rod to Engine In production, both the connecting rod and the bearing cap are stamped on the camshaft side with the number of the cylinder in which they are to be assembled. When the rods are being reassembled they should be replaced in the same cylinder from which they were removed with the stamped numbers on the camshaft side. The condition of the crank pins on the crankshaft should be checked when installing new rods. Damaged crankpins can only be corrected by the installation of a new crankshaft, as it is impossible to insure connecting rod bearing life on a damaged crankpin. The gaps in the three piston rings should not be in line, one above the other. Stagger the gaps so that they will be equally spaced around the piston but so that there is no ring gap directly over the piston pin end. Gaps in this position will allow gases to leak by at this point.
	ment fixture, Fig. 33, and check with the "V" block resting against the piston skirt to see that the rod and piston are in alignment. Both pins on the "V" block should rest against the face of the plate on the fixture. The piston should be in the same alignment as the connecting rod when this check is made. A quick check of a
Fig. 33—Checking Piston end Connecting Rod Assembly	piston and connecting
Fig. 33—Checking Piston end Connecting Rod Assembly	rod assembly for both
cock and twist can be made without disassembling the rod from the piston. This method saves considerable time on any repair operation that does not normally require the removal of the rod from the piston. To