if you want to ever change your cam you are not going to want to use that stuff. lol

 

Too make it short so as not to deviate from your thread. I'm a (mostly) press mechanic at a American Axle (most known for the AAM diffs in the 3/4 and 1 ton GM and Dodge trucks) factory, but I also have to fix sintering ovens, conveyors, tumblers, and lathes, among other things. About the only thing I don't fix is robots, electrical issues and facility repairs. We make transmission carriers for Honda, GM, and Ford as well as forged connecting rods for all three. Also make main bearing caps for Honda and a lot of bigger gears that are found in transfer cases. The one gear we make is in just about every light duty New Process/New Venture transfer case built since the 90s. Our biggest press is capable of 1000 tons and ironically it makes some of our smallest parts, but does make a helical lid for one of our carries which is pretty sweet and makes it one of a kind. It's kinda hard to describe things without actually seeing it. But to give an idea, this is a picture of an 880 ton Cincinnati press. It's obviously not a pic from the factory, but you get the idea. We have two of them as well as it's baby brother the 440 ton. What you see in the pic is only about 25 feet of the total height of the press. There is another 12 feet or so below ground. in a pit which is also where we keep the hydraulic tank. These things leaks bad so they are usually ankle deep with oil and the pits are filthy with powder too. Did I mention they're hot, even in winter and dark? Any ways, when they go down, I'm the one they call on my shift to go fix it...unless it's electrical. We got a separate guy for that. I do have pics of some of the mess that is the pits but trust me, you don't want to see them.


I honestly wish I could show you people some of the things we've had to fix over the years. We've broken things that have made the manufacture of the press redesign it so it couldn't happen again. Our 850 ton Dorst press cracked what they call the T-coupler that locks into the lower ram on the press. It's a chunk of steel about 13-14 inches thick...and we cracked it, not just in one spot, but three. I think I have pics of it on my old phone.

 

nah, I’ll use the blue stuff lol 😆

 

Well I made a little progress today. Been under the weather with a nasty chest cold all week. But I managed to get the master cylinder brace installed and check my ring gap today! Gap looks good on all cylinders and the engine is so close to being ready for assembly!!

 

Out with the old.




In with the new 😍

 

I'm loving that high dollar valve spring compressor.

 

The wrench was $0.50 at a pawn shop. The all thread and nut and washer was like $2 I think lol. Works well, honestly 😂

 

 

Got to work on the engine a little bit tonight. Made a good amount of progress! Gonna spend tomorrow working on it as well and hopefully have it close to ready to go back in the car!!

 

Me too,redneck engineering!