Steve Dulcich Hangin’ pistons

Might have got this one a little too hot bc shooting vid, but will be ok.

[@fukemallgarage]

Noooo, not the torch. Steve has to have a rod heater in there some where. Must be a Mopar thing lol. Your the man Steve, keep it up.

[@nitroxlodd]

Your bench is so clean when DF isn't around!

[@Canadiancarguy1987]

Thanks for Sharing Steve it's always good to see other alternatives to do things!! well done Sir!!!

[@robertwells6454]

We need more content Steve!! 🤟😎

[@richarddavis5542]

The Dulcich workbench before Freiburger comes to town.

[@E.T.GARAGE]

Short and Sweet, Not a man of many words. 👍

[@anthonyp151]

Looks home made. I like it, I'll have to make one myself.

[@mandingo6821]

My piston is always hangin. Ohhh

[@Anarchy-Is-Liberty]

Sounds ʎɐƃ.

[@vettekid3326]

Heat em, don't beat em.

[@jonathanduke8295]

Very nice 👍👍👍👍

[@after5auto133]

Just found your channel. Really enjoy watching you on motor trend

[@herbiederby3394]

Like the look of the home made piston hanger jig...✌🙂

[@vanstechcorral]

Glad to see you hangin' in there and carrying a torch for Mopar!

[@moparnut6286]

Nice Steve need to make me up a jig like yours! Remember seeing one in a mag under cool tools.....homemade!

[@unclesquirrel6951]

We need more videos more often Mr.

[@TheProchargedmopar]

I kept saying that too as he could become independently wealthy from Ytube and merch BUT I stopped. He appears to be doing OK with MT as evidenced by all that new concrete. lol. 😎

[@Squishy0banana]

Man that bench is clean!

[@TheInfamousHotRodFarm]

Hell yeah my brother!!!

[@gasratzcustoms]

Very cool!

[@mikelaumaillier9271]

What do you prefer, press fit or floating? Difference worth it? Thanks for the time you take making videos !! Best Regards - Mike

[@lau12342]

I'm about making that kind of hanger. Nice! 👍

[@ScottDLR]

Good to see you back Steve! Cat got yer tongue? ;)

[@Anarchy-Is-Liberty]

Absolutely no reason to get it that hot!!

[@mrmister7526]

Nice. Control the heat by hanging onto the rod to feel when it's up to temperature. I like the vise. Is that something your purchased or fabricated?

[@36design_fab]

I'd like to see you do a video explaining how to degree a cam properly.

[@norcal715]

Good job Dulcich!

[@chevy6794]

Can you mention an engine masters on deck height and quench? Also maybe open vs closed chamber.

[@benjaminniesen6383]

That is a hot rod end!

[@watsisbuttndo829]

The only acceptable way of removing those pistons from the rods is with a 500 nitrous shot.

[@denniswinston7365]

Ok Steve your a motor man 🍕🍕nice job maybe explain the jig and set up thanks

[@twowheelterror2925]

Steve! More videos man!!!

[@jeandelmond8654]

👍👍👍🤘

[@Townshipfarmer]

Are you going to install those backwards in the block?

[@cam509]

no way. he is afraid he might offend the alphabet flip flop wearing boy

[@lsb63ss42]

Another Good day in Bakersfield!!Press’n Piston Pins and Roosters Crow’n….🏁🏁

[@TheProchargedmopar]

👍💪

[@jr78racer]

Good morning Steve

[@SILVERHORSE347]

Did you flip'em for more powa?😉

[@stevedulcich2656]

No

[@SILVERHORSE347]

@@stevedulcich2656 🤣

[@johnwilburn]

I came here just for this comment.

[@cam509]

@@stevedulcich2656 scared you might offend the flip flop boy?

[@cam509]

he is afraid

[@dustydon6419]

Forgive me for being an idiot but I’ve never seen this before. Do I dare ask for an explanation? Dulcich , Freiberger and Brule should have their own Mount Rushmore!

[@1967davethewave]

On press fit rods you heat the small end up which expands it to allow the pin to slide through. If you try and press the pin in you can damage the piston with the force it takes to push a pin through a cold rod or gouge the pin hole in the rod ruining it. A professional machine shop that does lots of them will have a thing called a "Hot Box" that looks like a little kiln with a fire inside. But do it yourselfers will use the torch method. I have on may engines with zero issues although there are guys who will argue that you can't do it. If Dulcich is doing it I can guarantee that it won't cause any issues.

[@dustydon6419]

@@1967davethewave Thank you. I’m familiar with the process you speak of, the heat expansion than cooling of metals to obtain certain fits. I’ve just never seen it applied to automotive engines. I haven’t done more than 2 auto engine rebuilds in my 57 years. Again thank you for your polite, educational response, much appreciated!

[@vincemajestyk9497]

@@1967davethewave Properly done, there is nothing wrong with the thermal expansion method of piston installation. However, the factory method for assembly when these engines were new, and in the service manual is an arbor and press. That's why they're called 'press fit' rods/pistons not 'heat and fit'. The tool is a Miller tool C-3684 and I have one and used it dozens of times without damage to the pin, rod or piston. The pin should be at 70 degrees and oiled. That interference fit in the rod is only .0007-.0012" and isn't going to damage anything if you do it right. To check after installation, make sure the pin doesn't move under 15lb/ft of force, if not, then the interference is OK. Before rod heaters became the standard in every machine shop, they ALL got pressed. If you're going to use a heater the induction heaters are the best, but you can use gas. I would say more rods and parts got screwed up by DIYers torches than gouged by presses based on the videos I've seen. As you've said, I used the factory method and had zero issues.

[@1967davethewave]

@@vincemajestyk9497 I know there are a lot of tools that allow the piston to be properly supported so there is a lessoned chance of damaging the piston or rod during the assembly. But as far as the factory, I have been a Pontiac guy since I was a kid back in the 1980's. I was in auto mechanics class and was rebuilding a 1968 400 Pontiac engine as a project. We 100% of the work in the class. I pressed the old pistons off the rods to install the new .030 size pistons that would be used in the newly bored block. All of the rods had a bluish color from the pin end down the rod about an inch or so. I asked the teacher why they were like that. My teacher who was a really great mechanic but not so much of engine builder said the only thing he could figure out was that the small ends were heat treated. There were 2 auto mechanics classes in my votech and the teacher from the other class who was a much older guy overheard us and chimed in. He explained the procedure of heating the small end to assemble them and said it was actually faster and required less tools. Our class had the proper arbor so that is what the teacher had me use. But I am assuming that the standard pistons in this engine were installed by the factory. It was a 16 year old engine at the time so anything is possible and the factory is about speed and heating the rods seems to be faster to me. I could be wrong. I have seen the machines that bore and hone all 8 cylinders at one time. The factory is very efficient. But rods are not press fit, that's just the term they have been come to be known by. As you stated they are interference fit. And you know what that term means as well as I do. I'm not a machinist, I'm just a mechanic who has built a lot of engines. So maybe the engineers will say that pressing is the only acceptable method for assembling interference fit parts. There are very few instances I can think of where heat is used to assemble any other interference fit part. Ring gear on a flywheel or maybe lock collar on an axle bearing. But the method is used very commonly on wrist pins and seems to not cause any problems. I do appreciate your comment though as actual interference numbers very interesting. And personally, when I build engines for my self and have the option I always go for floating pins just because assembly is simplified.

[@vincemajestyk9497]

@@1967davethewave Either method is fine as long as it's done right. It's just that most people overheat the rods. They don't NEED to be that hot. In fact if you can really see it, it's too much. I believe the Pontiac's use cast rods. Funny you mention full floating pins, because that's really the only reason to use them, for ease of assembly. I would use them too if I planned on swapping parts or going into the engine more than usual or thought I might which is why the factory used them on HD engines or HP. Take care!

[@phillipthethird42]

I get it , make your own , right?

[@jayirving6996]

Steve u need to get a R5P7 and put it in something..

[@richardblanke5521]

DF is pig? I thought it finnegan.

[@johnriddle149]

You made that look way to easy.

[@bobqzzi]

Y tho?

[@unclesquirrel6951]

Personally I blame squirrels

[@jdm4569]

You know youre allowed to talk in these right…. Great video btw.👍🏼

[@4NINETYSIX]

Like Dulchic way better than that JO Friedberger .

[@vanstechcorral]

May the cat get YOUR tongue for that.

[@TheProchargedmopar]

@Steele77 Dude, they are friends, Don't be an AssHat.

[@4NINETYSIX]

@@TheProchargedmopar Mopar .. Speaks volumes . Cheese .

[@mikescherrer4923]

@@4NINETYSIX why you got such small pp energy?

[@1967davethewave]

Thanks for sharing. Frieburger has a lot of fans. And since you have none maybe you should have just passed on that comment?🤣

[@TTGTO288]

You're just asking for problems making the small end of the rod that hot. Discoloring means it was too hot. It looked like it was glowing red before you assembled it. Not good. Rename the video "the wrong way to assemble rods and pistons".