how hard would it be to replace piston rings?

 

If you have never torn apart an engine before, it is hard.

I did it about 8 months ago. Took me 10 hours working alone with hand tools. Still have perfect compression numbers.

 

i never tore a motor apart before but I have done basically everything else

the motor is in the car, and the car runs good, it just smokes a lot so i am guessing rings...

i am think this is how i would go about it. Turn the crank to TDC and line up the marks, drain oil, pull down oil pan, pull off head, and then start with the piston that is a tdc and take the rod bolts out and push it up and replace rings, then rotate crank until the next one is tdc... and just make sure to torque everything

does this sound right? am i missing anything? and would i have to replace the rod bearings since i took the bolts out? thanks guys

 

You want to pull all the pistons out at once, hone the cylinders with a 400 grit stone, and then align the rings properly as described in the Helms manual.

The rod bearings are fine to reuse if they are in good shape. Just retorque the rod bolts correctly and you shouldn't have an issue.

 

Assembly lube is your friend :yes:

 

is it a requirement to hone the block or recomendation? I am planning onb doing this with the motor still in the car....

 

It is required if you want the new rings to seat properly.

I honed it with a honing tool and a drill with the head off the car. Just lube up the cylinders while you are doing it and then clean them thoroughly afterwards with warm soapy water and then relube them.

 

O, I can hone them myself? I though i needed to take it to a machine shop for that? What tools do I need to Hone it? I am gonna try and google it and see what comes up. So i can hone it with the motor still in my car too?

 

You need a drill, honing tool and 400 grit stones to do it yourself. You can do it with the motor still in the car.

You really need a Helms manual for the correct procedure, correct ring end gap, and correct ring alignment. I wouldn't attempt this unless you have that available to you.

 

Ive never torn apart an engine, but with the help of the repair manual I was able to replace rings, all the belts, and valves.... But I think its up to how much you love your car. This is my first car and I want the best possible treatment for it so I took the time to study the manual and took my time working on the car.