How to install forged pistons into F22?

[aleks77]

hey im thinking of buying forged pistons (wiseco) in the classifieds section here on cb7tuner, but i dont want to shell out $800+ for labour to install them, i want to attemp to do it myself, i searched around and cant really find very detailed information on how to install pistons, or what tools i need, i would much rather spend $400 in tools and do it myself then pay someone over $800 in labour, the pistons themselves are only $400.

Any help is really really appreciated, thanks a lot

[high c]

get a ring compressor and maybe a rubber mallett, it isnt too hard at all really to install the pistons in the block, are they floating pin design? What rods are you using?
justin

[Gettin_faster91]

Shouldnt you rehone also when putting in pistons ? Other than that drop the oil pan to unbolt the rods from the crank and take the head off to pop the old pistons out.

[aleks77]

im using the stock rods, or maybe aftermarket (eagle?) are there any detailed DIY instructions on this? And do i have to send the block out to rehone it? or can i do this myself too?

thanks guys

[accord93racer]

do you still have the stock f22ax in your car? cause if you have an h22 in there you need to have the block sleeved unless you use mahle pistons...

[Gettin_faster91]

I did not find a diy but my haynes manual said you can use a ball hone and you can attach that to a drill and diy hone. Look pretty easy btw. Ball honing cleans the cylinder walls with small cross hatching marks to hold a small layer of oil,to help the rings seal. I myself would send the block out ha ive never done it before, i dont wanna screw nothing up. Maybe someone else can chime in on this if they have done it before.

[bruno8747]

Go to autozone and rent the hone tool. Then just DIY the hone, also rent the piston ring compressor. You take the piston rings and put them onto the piston then use the piston ring compressor to squeeze the rings together...Then u use a rubber mallet or something soft and tap the top of the piston into the cylinder.

[v4lu3s]

you do it just like they do in the manual!

[d112crzy]

exactly.

[high c]

just use your common sense on the rehone, if you have huge gouges in your cylinder walls then def take it to a machine shop to do it, cost me like 120 i think to bore/hone mine a while back~ if your sleeves look good, then just rent the honing tool from a local auto parts store and do it that way...if you are going to go through all the trouble for forged pistons, might as well do the rods at the same time, just my .02.

why you need forged units anyway may i ask?
justin

[SteveB]

If you're going to the trouble and expense of replacing pistons, get the block measured and bored correctly. You can't tell how round the bores are by looking.

[iamanonymous]

If you're going to the trouble and expense of replacing pistons, get the block measured and bored correctly. You can't tell how round the bores are by looking.

100% the absolute truth. your eyeball cannot acurately tell if you have taper. dont cheap out. my #2 block was like that and it lasted until it saw boost (less than 1k)

[aleks77]

Well i dont mind spending money on things that i cant do myself, i would send out the block and get it proffessionally honed, but installing pistons/rods seems pretty easy to do so i didnt wanna shell out $800 for that.

The reason i want forged is because im going to boost.

SteveB you said measured and bored correctly, what do you mean exactly? is this honing?

[lucid]

I bough a FLEX-HONE to hone my own cylinders, it only takes 5-20 seconds to do each cylinder with a drill. The correct part for our application is the
3 1/2" (89mm) hone in 240 grit. Found it on eBay for $35 new. The ring installer and piston installer are cheaper yet, prob. less than $20 for both. If you have a ring ridge in the top of the cylinder it's going to screw up your old rings, and if it's bad, you might have to have a shop use a ridge reamer to cut it off. Good Luck.

[SteveB]

SteveB you said measured and bored correctly, what do you mean exactly? is this honing?

What bore size are the new pistons for?
What bore size do you have now?