they go in from the top, so they'll come out from the top.. BUT

the rings don't get exactly to the very top of the cylinder bore during normal operation, so it builds a little ridge of carbon right at the top edge. They make a tool called a ridge reamer that cleans this built up deposit off so you can pull the pistons without damaging the rings.

I've never done it without the ridge reamer, but someone here must have and may be able to give you some additional instructions..

sam

 

If you force the pistons out without removing the ridge, you will damage your pistons when the rings get caught on the ridge. Rent a ridge reamer and remove the ridges from the tops of the cylinders.

So far, you're doing fine.

 

Yeah, I thought there'd be an issue. could I buy one? is it some sort of large machine? how much would they cost to buy/rent? Where from(I'd assume autozone)?

Your supposed to replace the rings anyways, so even if they were ruined, would it matter? However, I realize that putting that much strain on the rings could cause the pistons to be messed up too.

Thank you very much, I'll look into the ridge cleaner.

 

The ridge reamer (at least the ones I have used) are small. They are manually operated with a wrench. You should be able to borrow one at AutoZone. It has adjustable blades. You set it into the cylinder bore with the piston in the down position. Adjust the blades until they just touch and then spin it with a wrench until it turns freely. Adjust the blades a little further out and repeat. Continue to do this until you can't feel a ridge at the top of the piston bore. Do this to each cylinder. Then tap the pistons and rods out from the bottom, through the top of the block. Be sure to keep the rod caps mated with the same rod and mark the orientation of each rod and piston position so you can re-install them in the same location.

The ring clamp you mentioned is used to install the pistons after new rings are installed. You will need to get one when you re-assemble the engine.

Hope this is clear as mud.

Gil

 

here is a ridge reamer (google is your friend!)



Sam

 

As the engine wears, the rings rubbing against the cylinders creates a ridge of unworn metal at the top of the cylinder. You can probably feel this ridge with your finger. This ridge is whats stopping your piston from coming out. The top ring is hitting it and will not travel past it. Go to autozone and get their "Ridge reamer". They will let you use it for free I believe. Use this tool to get of the ridge and then your piston will come out the top.

If you force the piston past this ridge you will probably break the ring land on the piston. A big No No!

 

Looks like I'm a little bit late. I should have checked the last page.

 

you sound young are you still in high school. if so don,t thay have a auto shop class.
if so go talk to the teacher tell him what your doing. i'm sure he would be happy to help you. heck mine would even let us take tools home

 

hahahaha, let's just say I am young, but no, not in HS anymore. I really regret not taking advantage of the auto classes. At the time I was in HS, they only let juniors and seniors do those programs,a nd I didn't learn about that until senior year . Not to mention the worst fact of all, back in HS, I wasn't too confident in my mechanic skills, so I wasn't very interested in working on my cars as I thought I'd fail on my own....

That's not an issue any more, and now I've got to go, so I'll check all that reamer stuff out this afternoon and see what I can't dp later on.

Thanks a lot everyone.

 

That should always be your first step if you don't have a manual (sometimes even so). I found this, which is very similar to your job.

Classic Broncos .com - Tech: Replacing a Timing Chain in a 66-77 Early Ford Bronco

and this:

http://www.romac.com.au/pdf/Factory%...ks%20Books.pdf

which doesn't exactly list a 223, but should give you an idea of what to do.

 

A shop manual is a must. Also, there are step by step books out there that tell you how to disassemble and reassemble your engine. They give you all the little tidbits of information that folks are passing along here.

Tearing an engine apart the right way is as important as putting it back together correctly. Especially marking critical items - like distributors, timing gears, pistons, etc.

It's a good idea to get a book like that if for no other reason, you have a checklist of the things that need to be done. You can ask here and you can Google, but sooner or later you are going to miss that transition step between one installation or another.

Might I suggest also that you look to see if any of your local Community Colleges have a night course in Auto Mechanics that you could enrole in. Most of the Community Colleges have Vocational Programs in engine rebuilding, transmissions, welding and sheet metal, to help folks who are going to become career mechanics. The facilities and instructors are EXCELLENT!

 

Funny you should mention that, I was going to do that, but it was too late, the class was full, and I needed the truck to run, so that's why I'm doing it on my own......

You guys remember that Panel truck I was trying to get fixed up? Yep, that's right. That's what I'm gonna get running next semester in that auto engine overhaul class I was supposed to take.


I got the engine 99% disassembled, jsut a couple things left, including the lifters. i only didn't take those out cause I thought I'd ask you all if they should be makrked in certain order, or can they be replaced randomly(don't need to be organized)?


---About the book, well, no I need to knwo more. Will the manual on ebay be fore specifically for a 56? I'd like rto order some books, but I can't afford to buy 30 different books just to get most of the info I can get on this forum. I know some of you may look down on that, but I just can't buy any book I'm told. I have mmoney for the engine rebuild and other things in life, but things that aren't already in my budget I have to think over really hard. I will invest in some literature in the coming weeks though, I need to know how to put this thing together!!

Thank you all so much, I'll be back!

 

The lifters and pushrods absolutely need to be marked as to which valve (intake or exhaust) and which cylinder they came off of, if you are going to re-use them and the cam. They'll wear out in a couple hundred miles if you switch them around.

 

ohhhh, thank you so much....whew, that would've been interesting had I not taken care!

 

A manual is a must IMHO. You may wish to take a block of wood and drill holes in it for the push rods and lifters and number them 1-6 to keep them in order. The 223 should have mushroom lifters that will need the removal of the cam first. Also the 223 timing chain will have brass colored link/s to match the marks on the gears.