The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 283 Engine questions on rebuild

Hi I'm currently rebuilding a 283 out of a 65 Chevy 1/2 ton. I recently bought order a piston for the 283 and the front part of the piston (Where the rings are) slides right into the cylinder but the back is difficult to get it in, requiring a rubber mallet. Should the piston be this hard to get in? This is my first engine rebuild and I'm practicing on this 283 before I rebuild the one in my 1957 6100 Chevy. Any other tips would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

Any markings on the top of the new piston that may indicate that it is oversized? i.e. .010, .020, etc. Also the piston should have specs regarding clearances. IIRC the clearance for cast pistons should be around .002 to .003. Best to check with the piston supplier. Your set up doesn't sound right. Pictures would be helpful.

SimS

Are you using a ring compressor? Has the ridge ring been removed from the cylinder?

The markings on the piston is .30 over but when i ordered it from summit the specs were the same as the one in the book. The markings on the piston is 235np .030 10159.I do know that the front where the rings go are the same in diameter as the old ones, except the skirt on the new one is larger than the old ones.
Yes Im using a ring compressor but i dont know what the ridge ring is . Thanks

ridge ring is a cabon ring where the piston stops its upward motion. Some engines will have "more" of a ridge ring than others. You need a ridge reamer to cut that carbon ring out.

Have you measured the cylinder diameter with an inside micrometer? The paperwork that came with the piston should give you a reccomended skirt clearance, and the cylinder might need to be honed for a proper fit. Never, ever assume a part will fit just because it's marked the same as the one that came out. Correct piston fit is extremely important and the normal clearance is approximately the thickness of one strand of hair. Not much room for error! We used to check piston fit with a long feeler gauge blade and a spring scale. Now it's usually done with a dial bore gauge and a micrometer.
Jerry