Summit Racing Equipment 347 Short-Block - Home-Built Stroker Swap Part 1

We lubricated and installed a new rear main seal before installing the crankshaft. This makes it easier to install, and you don't have to worry about damaging it by hammering on it later.

The crankshaft then lowers into place on the bearings.

Lubricate the bearings, bolt flange, and threads with assembly lube and install the main caps.

Use a soft mallet to seat the main cap. Do not pull the caps flat with the bolt, as this could damage the bearing insert.

Tighten the caps by hand, then torque to 65-80 lb-ft. Start at the center cap and work your way outward. Note: Torque spec may be different, depending on size and style of main cap hardware.

The connecting rods come with a corrosion-resistant coating. Clean them off with brake parts cleaner and a lint-free cloth.

Then attach the rods to the pistons and insert the wristpin. Be sure to arrange them so that four are for the left bank, and four are for the right. Looking down into the cylinder bore to locate where the connecting rod will rest on the crankshaft, determine which direction the rod should face. Each rod has one flat face and one chamfered face; the flat face opposes the other rod, while the chamfered face opposes the crankshaft. This is especially important because the wristpin cannot be removed after the rings are installed.

The wristpins are then locked in with C-clips.

The next step is to gap the piston rings by installing the rings one by one into the cylinder in which they will be installed. Make sure the ring is square in the bore by using a piston or a ring squaring tool, and check the ring end-gap with a feeler gauge. Compression ring end-gap should be between 0.0050- and 0.0070-inch per inch of bore, depending on the application.

Use a ring filer or grinding stone to gap the rings. After the proper gap is achieved, remove any sharp edges with a very small file. We used a Powerhouse Performance Essentials grinding stone (PN POW105050; $69.96) to gap the rings.

Since the wristpin bore interferes with the oil rings, a separate set of rings is included with the pistons. They must be installed first, and act as a barrier to keep excessive oil from leaking past the oil rings.

The oil ring expander (shown) is next, followed by the top oil ring.

The compression rings are next. Though the top and second compression ring may look the same, they are usually not. Be sure to carefully read the instructions included with your rings to determine location and direction-some rings have a dot on one side to indicate up. Once all of the rings are on, index the rings so that none of the gaps coincide with each other. This would allow leak-down and/or excessive oil consumption.

Then install the rod bearing inserts onto the connecting rod and lubricate with assembly lube.

Using a heavy lubricant (we used Lubriplate Number 105), lubricate the piston surface, rings, and cylinder bore.

Install a ring compressor onto the piston and tighten. This pulls the rings inward, allowing the rod and piston assembly to slide into the bore. Leave the skirt showing.

Using the skirt as a guide, push the piston into the bore until the compressor rests flush against the deck. Make sure the rods do not damage the crankshaft or bore while doing this. Gently tap the top of the piston with the handle of a mallet until it seats completely in the bore.

Install the rod bearings into the rod caps, lubricate the bearings, and install them by hand. Rotate the engine as you go to make accessing the rod cap bolts easier.

Gently tap the cap with a mallet until it seats fully. Like the main caps, do not pull it flush with the bolts.

Lubricate the bolt flange and threads with assembly lube and tighten them by hand.

Torque to specification-our spec (45 lb-ft) was printed on the rod packaging.

As you can see, the pistons come with valve releifs and arrows pointing toward the front of the engine.

Here is the finished product. Check back next month when we introduce our top-end components.