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ao
MAKING PISTONS
FOR EXPERIMENTAL AND
Ue EME
INGINES
Pens[MAKING PISTONS FOR EXPERIMENTAL AND
[RESTORATION ENGINES
STEPHEN D. CHASTAIN
BSc. Mecantoat ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
‘Unveastt¥ oF CEXTRAL FLORIDA‘Making Pistons for Experimental and Restoration
Engines
By Stephen D. Chastain
Cony 2008 Sgn Chin
acne, FLA High Rent
ISBN 0-9702203-4-0
“Te Smal Foundry Sees by Septen Chastain
Avot 208
Volume re Meting Cpa Fuse frie Sal Fundy
olune I. Bilan LF Tig Furnace
Volune Il Met Cating A Sand Casing Man Vo |
VoluneV. Metal Casing A Sand Casing Manual Vol. I
Volume V-Making Pistons for Exprinel ad Resoration Engines
stevechasuin@hotmailcom
225 Mane Meno
WARNING BCTAVER
{ers et bay an macho sop. ot aie and aay Wek coe
‘angen, No ate bs becn nade pot on al oth ages ve rey of
$5 ihc aan en ewe ben
wile bendy the ove oom aman ratings |
etalon potas aes Sees toes oe ta pene ee
‘sere uy le ofall poru when's fimoe i apo ee all Tek
‘Sprdg ft ony pace bot ttt ws rf yon ta el
‘rie pane cr sro autos Hao So mpl as el
‘gael cy er arp mate Aly sponse ar ee a
seine ny tet of gem eu a
‘TADLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose & Introduction 4
[BASIC DATA AND PISTON Desion 6
arts 6
‘Common Dimensions fl
‘Thermal Loading 8
Common bin’ 8
I DETERMINING HEAD THICKNESS 10
‘Asa Flat Plate 10
For Heat Flax un
Empirical Formulas B
IL, RINGS AND WRIST PINS B
Ring Beit B
Ring Groove Depth 8
Expansion 1%
Pin Bosses 15
Loading 15
in Ovalization 16
Ring Design| 20
Commercial Rings 2
TV. CASTING AND FEEDING 2B
Filters 2
Feeding and Solidification 2
\V, MAKING REPLACEMENT PISTONS. 30
Patterns and Cores 35
Casting Piston Blanks 4
‘VE MACHINING. 4
Tools 2
Lathe operations 32
Mill Operations 37
Ovalization 6
‘Miscellaneous Operations a
CONCLUSION 8
BIBLIOGRAPHY 6
INDEX. aPunrost: The purpose of this bok sto provide simple manuictring
solitons for the prediction of ‘workable pars foe fesoraton oF
Sxpetmont eral costo ge, Whi hes oes be
ti Sng ia ag onal er, hy or wel
Because this is book So the Small Foundry Series, ti assumed that
ih rea, by now, a a foarte and cat
Oh ings iio ep pew b doar The
Foundry Yo: 1? for gocsaleatng pice re Smal
1s assumed that the reader has some machine too skils and is at
leat be to make the most asc cts ona lathe anda vertcal mil: Some
‘of the descriptions may appear too basic forthe experienced machinist,
however hey would be ep othe novice therfore heya eed
Modem design and snalss are dane by meweling he piston on 8
npr, PasonsTave ben arn mich Tonge tas comps
thr some af te older mt reparing piso eign ena
ress may of may not coincide with modem methods however tb
jose o provide background prinent the ean which te pats
were produced
‘Cutting Pin Retaining-Clip Groove Using a Shop-mace V-block Vise
INTRODUCTION: Old engines have always fascinated me,
Several years ago, I discovered an antique 4 cylinder
fathead half buried off a riverbank. It looked pretty bad but
being @ novice, I assumed it was probably discarded
becaise of carburetor or electrical problems, making it an
ceasy fix. After getting the OK to remove it, I hauled it
hhome, the whole event becoming the source of amusement
to many. I soon discovered that the engine had been full of |
water for years and was completely frozen up. Many parts
crumbled to dust upon disassembly. Replacement parts
were virtually nonexistent, and those that were available
cost several times what a working machine was worth
Thad recently purchased a 12 x 36-inch lathe and had
managed to Team a few basic cuts, At this point, I had
nothing to loose and everything to lear, 20 I set out to
rake all of the engine parts myself. discovered that parts
‘were fairly essy to produce, Soon, I had all of the parts
made and the engine assembled. After a little electrical
trouble shooting, the engine came to life. It fired up almost
immediately upon touching the starter switch and ran with
‘health roar! The engine ran and it ran well. Soon all those
Who doubted were saying "we knew you could do it." Since
then, the engine has powered a 10kW backup generator and
accumulated hundreds of hours of use.
‘Over the years, I have taken on soveral other restoration
projects, maay refered by the local technical school. Each
has been a rewarding experience. The point of all of this is
that; fiome made paris work and work well! Lack of pars is
tno longer an issue when you can make them yourself
Blocks that have been bored oversize can be cleaned up and
fitted with custom pistons and modem rings. Those
impossible projects become viable when you can make
‘your own replacement pars. You and your frends will be
Surprised at what you can do with a small foundry and a
few machine tools. I currently drive a 1932 REO ear with
bbomemade pistons and bearings, among other things.Basic Dara AND PISTON DESIGN:
The simple looking piston prfomns many fnctins.
sus rans th re of embuson fie wi in
ansmit the absorbed heat of combustion to the eylinder
‘walls and hold the piston rings so that they may ef cs tivel
‘seal the cylinder. a ae ee
Tend Thi
Crown
<1" and
Ring Belt 2" land
aaa
‘Compression Height
Skint
Piston
The main parts of piston ae the tp, which may ao
be caled th hea o crown th ing bei he pin oases
andthe ai The op is partie combustion chamber
‘The (op maybe Nat, 4 combustion chunber may be
eatin th tp of he piston. The op maybe edo have
2 owt uti it Soo contamination ofthe abictng
in ies engines is revel when the conbusion chamber
is cated inthe piston, opposed fo teen ead
‘The ring bel usually at tee or more hag Twe ele
engines do sot eis ol sng an there may ave
nly two rings. Ring lands ae located between the ing
ffooves, The top lan, rH tnd let bor the
Ting, The Scand land heavy becuse suport te fst
ring and bears the majority of the pressure and thermal
foading of the ring belt. The second and third lands are
lightly loaded. Because of expansion of the piston top at
operating temperature, the ring lands are usually relieved or
cut smaller in diameter than the rest ofthe piston.
The pin boss supports the piston pin and transmits the
force of combustion tothe pin. It is one of the most highly
Jaded areas ofthe piston.
The piston skirt, which wraps around the lower part of
the piston, distributes the side loads and prevents the piston
from rocking in the cylinder. Long pistons rock less than
short ones and are used in diesel engines to reduce the
‘number of required compression rings. It is common to see
2 gas rings on pistons of 1.4 bore but 3 may be required
when the length is 1.0 to 1.2 times the bore.
[Common Dimensions of Modern Aluminum Pistons
[ashe Bonnet —[oascine Egos [Diesel Engines
ine Soke Few Stoke — [Four Sveks
jamaarnnches —isTswa0 Bees OTT
{nate oat pr-10__|s-t4
Faas fnas-o70 —one-0.12 — [o0-020
[Second cand por 005 |ane-005 — foa7-0.08
(Cameresson Hoan J0a0-070 [036-080 [05-100
[PrDaneer lpzz-090 |o2s-030 [03 Oat
[Pn Boss Cop jp2s-040 025-040 03-048
dtm [aT=040 —_[OOT-OA0 (810-020
High mechanical loads are usually restricted to the
support of the top ting and the pin bosses. The first ring
groove is highly loaded both mechanically and thermally
and is of particular importance. Several factor influence the
temperature of the first ring groove and are summarizedhhere. A speed change of 100-rpm changes the temperature
Of the frst groove by 4” to 7°F. Variation of the ignition
Point by 1 crank degree causes a temperature change of 2°
to 4°. Raising the compression ratio by 1 unit eauses a
temperature increase of 7° to 22” F, However, because of
{increased expansion of the charge, the exhaust gas and
eylinder head are cooler. A load increase of 14.7 psi at
Constant speed, increases the temperature of the first ring
‘groove about 18°F.
Thermal loads are often larger than mechanical loads
and may dictate the design. Thermal loads can be
calculated in pounds of fuel burned per square inch of
piston head area or in ote mene) blip npn exe. Due to
‘sluminur's higher thermal conductivity, aluminum pistons
run cooler than east iron and have a higher output per
square inch of head area, when used without special
cooling
‘General thermal loading for pisions*
‘Aluminum yp to 1.5 bhp inp ede
Aluminum (oil cooted) 3 bhp insane
Cast iron 7 bhp inc ate
Cast iron (oil cooled) 3 bhp in’ hd on
‘te a He rr ing i at pel oe 43 Mp A280 gm
‘The output of many engines falls below 1.5 bhp/ ie? 1.5
Dbhplin” considered the upper limit when using uncooled
classical trunk pistons. The carbonization temperature of
the oi and the softening point of aluminum establish this
upper limit. Modem HD oils allow the temperature of the
top ring groove to reach 400°F and intermittently 500°
tunder full power. Aluminum has good low temperature
strength but looses about 50% of its strength above 600°,
‘Aluminum’s abrasion resistance is also low at high
temperatures.
Hl
ad
SU
a ee e13 8
aay)
sss aee eases
gat. 11
al
sy ssraese |
ai =| |3\"l2/
a3 Sy]
WT
aarsesegena
TASSSS es elas
aes
pa
ooo mer yee
Two sioke plots rin oer than fou stoke pistons
pn eee
Towne theehotter than similar aluminum pistons. The temperature st
the center of a cast iron piston head will be approximately
800°F, while the center temperature of an aluminum piston
is approximately S00°P.
536 514482 Several methods
ae used to
determine the piston
eel
i head thickness. Cast
———— er
I almost always oil
Siemens
ee
[*—~ 323 thin a possible, the
Seba Bi eee
greeters | | eeu ene ay
bere ee
nae a
rn iecncen meres
cooling up to 1.Sbhp/in’ They are designed with thicker
Soe ee eee
Fanta sioy aeae erae
aa omen eens
1S bhp/in? and be made of aluminum alloy.
DETERMINING HEAD THICKNE’
‘The head may be treated as a flat plate with a uniform
load and rigidly supported at the outer edge,
‘Thickness of head = 3pD7/ 16 inches
Po pressure, psi
D~ cylinder diameter, inches
{= permissible stress in tension, pi
“eat flow through the piston head to the eylinder walls may
Aetermine the head thickness.
10
Head thickness for heat flow:
‘Thickness ofhead = H /(12.S6e(TeT))
1 heat lowing through headin Bua pe hour
‘¢=heat conduction coefficient, Btu per in® per inch pet"F
727 for aluminum, 22 for eas iron
‘Te Temperature atthe center ofthe head, SO0"F for cas ion
and $00°F for aluminum,
emperature atthe edge of the bead
(1-1) forcast ion is approximately 400°F
2) for aluminum is approximately 130°F
ae
H, the heat flowing through the piston head may be
estimated by the formala:
H=KOwxbhp
K-~ the part of het input hat is absorbed by the piston,
‘This ranges fom 4 to 5.25%.
‘the higher heating value of the fel used
w= the weight of fuel used in pounds per bhprbour
rake horse power per engine epinder
Properties of Fuels: iat aver Yes
Fed Spe gavay Wetpaint ell
Coline 702 S86 pours noo 19020
by
unig 239 616 pounde 2020 14900
Keene 25 6.88 pounds 9750 19510
LiguDiee! 516 730painds i920 198250
Medium Dissl_920 2 6rpunts 931018000
nu1 brake horse power per hour = 2545 Btu
Estimating H from brake horsepower per cylinder:
Analysis of fuel consumption per bhp/hour for several
gasoline engines gave efficiencies from 22.4% to 27.1%
‘with the average being 24.8%
Assuming 24.826 efficiency, the heat input per bhp/hour is '
2545 Buw248 = 10,262 Bru per brake horse power hour
Example: Arbitrarily selecting the 1932 Ford V-8 at 8.125
‘bhp per cylinder, determine the piston head thickness
eat input per cylinder snua™ 8.125 bhp x 10,262 Br/bhp hour
eat input pr cylinder a= 83,379 Burhour
He Kewx bhp
K=05, (wx bhp)
He 05x 83,379 Bu ou
He 4169 Bra/ pour
Estimating the piston head thickness:
Head Thickness ~H /(12.56e(Ts~T)) inch
aluminum =7.7,,T.~T, aluminum
30
Head Thickness = 4169 / (12.56 x 7.7 x 130)
332 inch
The head thickness is .332 inch, which sounds reasonable
for tis engine
Empirical formulas are commonly used in the design of |
automotive pistons.
‘Thickness of head = ,032D +.06 inch (ane nol easing)
(ose aay fe of 15 fond cans)
2
‘Thickness ofthe wall under the rings = thickness of head
(Bosse te sare amount eat Mowing tou beri)
Length of piso
DwisD
RINGS AND Wrist Pins: f
Ring Belt: About 70% of the heat absorbed by the piston
flows out through the ring belt. The top ring land, being
close to the combustion chamber, has the highest
temperature. Rapid carbonization of the lubricating oi, at
about 410° for non-detergent oils and 485° F for detergent
oils, causes sticking of the rings. In order to reduce the
temperature of the upper ring, it is placed down from the
top of the piston head. Gasoline engines place it between
106 bore diameter to 12 bore. Diesel engines may place the
ring 2 bore to.3 bore down from the top.
‘The second land supports the first ring, which is
subjected to the full gas pressure. The second land should
bbe atleast equal tothe radial thickness of the ring so that it
forms a square section. Values of 1.5 to 1.7, the radial
thickness, are aso used. The remaining lands are subjected
tormuch less pressure and may be as small as 0312 bore, a3
required to minimize the piston length
‘Consulting the ring manufacturers rarely produces
reliable ring groove depth information, Simple formulas to
estimate groove depth are:
‘Compression ring groove depth:
ether ig rene” (Fog radial thickness + 003bore + 010)
ll ring groove depth
‘Depthatving une (rng ral thickness + 003bore +030)
BThe piston wall
thickness, for ideal heat Coeiients of Expansion por
transfer, should taper ‘ i
from the head thickness a ne
at the top to zero atthe Avuminum Alloys
Sse #242 0.000131 #332 —_.o000116
fing. section g000011s
should be equal to the #519 0.000013 #333
thickness of the head
because the same amount Example: Determine the clearance required forthe top land
of heat is Mowing. A of 3 75.nch diameter aluminum piston of alloy #242 if the
Inrge fillets i ued tthe piston head i t S00" Fand the eas iron liner wl
inside top edge. 00°F. The piston is machined at 70°F.
Leh: The upper Piston Expansion =. 0000131 (3.75) (500-707) =.0211-inch
drawing, is laid out for
heat transfer. The lower
drawing is modified as Assuming few thousandth ofan iach fora running fit, 021-
required for mechanical {inch is the minimum amount of relief for top land of this piston. 1
loading, ‘would remove an additional few thousandths as a safety factor
Torexieme conditions (hot days nd heavy loads)
Cylinder Expansion = 0000074 (3.75) (200° - 70") =.0036-ineh
Pin Bosses: Piston pins are
Bios oF ene Bits ar Orta set iondorsniow
Teareeme? eas epid he Sore i cxbon se Thy ec
ename ane expansion is calculated by using the hardened to approximately (is
Sef of epic Extn ty xan a Konkel € od god
itt at an ar tre ecto cus woamin ti Lee
Altra sion aloe ie slow seis of Tie dancer of te
expanoe an sn copay Ca ems papas met By
lower coefficient of expansion than all aluminum alloys. allowing a maximum | l
Expansion is calculated by. bearing pressure of 2500 |
Expansion = KAT-T;) 6 ae eee al
K-coefficient of expansion, = length, T Bescing Area
14 45diameter times the length of the supported section,
Diesel engines may use bronze bushing inserts and higher
Pressures. Pin diameter may be determined by the
‘maximum allowable ovaliztion duting firing and should
not exceed 01 inch. Ovalization ofthe pin determined
of
0.04 @'pa) /E1e
D= bore in inches, p = maximum cylinder pressure, d= pin
diameter in inches, I= length of pin, ¢= pin wall thickness,
E= Young's modulus (steel, 3,000,000 psi)
‘The center of the piston pin may be located .02 to .04D
above the center of the piston to offset the turing effect of|
fiction. inorder to reduce piston slap, pins may be located
slightly to one side of the piston axis. The idea being that
the piston will rock when the pressure on the head is low
and not when the piston is under high pressure at top dead
center. The usual offset i 1.5% ofthe bore inthe direction
‘opposite the engine rotation,
Prsroy SKIRT: The leg ofthe skit below the ring
section should be auch that te ede ast fom the
ones re does na xed 25 pi during the expunsion
‘stroke, The side thrust is determined by an
Fuses (Fas + Fire) x {sin6/ V(LIR)? —sin%6}
the as pressure and may be estimated from an
indicator diagram,
Faris ~ inertia force
Fhaeria = -0.00002849F; RN'f,
= reciprocating weight
ston assembly and top ofthe rod
16
fe Crank Angle Factors for Piston Acceleration
Values of LR
36
4a
Tz
1:10
a4)
i)
‘.06)
‘a.
0.366]
0.169
2014
0.82
az
asa]
aes)
azn
‘a7
42
Taal
“200}
12
‘O.05}
‘.807|
9.502
0.00]
2.10
as] 0.00)
are
a8
“aea}
Taso)
12
EH]
3204
2.09]
2.600]
2.75]
35
008
Spaeol ose 0397
‘3.40al 0207] 0307]
749] 0.747
ara
3760] 0.74
=a760
38
725
s230l
EEA
‘oai2]
040}
2.075]
2.283]
a2
sual 00a] —o2ea] 0519
o.632| 0825] 0610
=b.ssa] 0.606] ose
oreo] aaa
B7aH]
37281
2737]
Taal
153
005
284]
0.505]
En
a0}
‘aaT}
ar
2.555]
2.535]
aril
72
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