nnk_boater
Cadet
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2009
- Messages
- 22
Re: Force 150 head gasket questions
PNW covered it all. It is basically the same process I used except I started with the crank closes to the cylinder. Using a 1/8 or even 3/16 X 18 inch wire rod (I got one from those reflectors you used to mark the driveway) inserted from the reed side, I aligned the rod cap (from piston rod side) while pushing down on the piston into the cylinder to the crank pin. This ensures the rod cap rides the crank pin. After this without removing anything, I will continue to push in the piston until the crank pin is now close to the reed side. Then inserting the bottom cap into the alignment rod, I can easily place it next to the crank pin using needle nose pliers. And then the next step is to insert the first cap bolt but not tighten yet. This is just to hold the cap in place. Next remove the wire alignment tool and replace with the other bolt. Now push in the bottom cap to make sure it is properly aligned. Check with a small inspection mirror before finally tightening the cap bolts. In my case, I used triple guard grease to hold the bearings in place. So far it is still working after almost two years.
It looks like I have the expert if I'm dumb enough to attempt to remove piston #3 for a complete inspection of the rings to find the source of the scoring. Is there a secret to capturing all 16 needle bearings if I decide to go this route? On a one to ten scale of difficulty, this looks like an eleven. But, I agree that the scoring should not be there and this is the best time to investigate.
As for the anti-seize, my experience is that this changes the torque spec for the fastener. I did this on the impeller bolts and never reached the torque limit - thought I was going snap the bolt or strip it out. Googled torque specs and anti-seize - http://www.antiseize.com/pdf/torque_specifications.pdf. Since then, I avoid using it on critical torque applications