Doing the Right Thing the Wrong Way - Piston to Valve Clearance

This video is all about piston to valve clearance. Luckily I show you how to do the right thing the wrong way!
After installing a new cam or cylinder heads it is a great idea to check piston to valve clearance. This can be accomplished using the "clay method" or checker springs. In this video we discuss both. However, what happens when you find you don't have enough clearance?
You have a few options... You can install new pistons with valve reliefs, change your cam/heads, rent a custom valve relief cutting tool, or DO IT YOURSELF.
I show you the latter and I'll warn you it's not for the faint of heart. This method may only cost you $20 but it's going to take some grit and determination and I'm not sure I'd recommend it on your custom $6,000 crate motor. However, if you're working on a budget with used parts or a junkyard motor this could be a quick fix and have you putting your engine back together in no time!
00:00 Introduction
01:22 What Does it Mean to Clay a Piston?
02:08 How Does Cam Timing Affect P-V Clearance
03:19 Piston Fly Cutting Options
03:53 How to Make Your Own Piston Fly Cutting Tool
04:22 How to Make a Positive Stop
05:21 Let's Start Cutting
06:12 Helpful Tips

[@EAJ97]

I just realized you’re over 1 million total views. Also, I got a Mach 1. Definitely my dream car. Can’t wait to eventually get that hellion twin turbo set up with emissions passing

[@truckandroll989]

Heck ya! That stat made my day. Impossible without guys like you watching. Trust me I appreciate you

[@EAJ97]

@@truckandroll989 hey, you make great content. It’s hard to find someone who
1) knows what they’re doing
2) can pass those ideas along successfully
3) knows how to structure a video
4) can actually film what they’re doing well
You pretty much hit everything perfectly and it’s criminal you don’t have more subs yet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to buy your entire garage worth of tools to be able to do all this on my own with 0 skill and no back up car

[@truckandroll989]

@@EAJ97 it took years of just trying to figure things out but thats how you learn. Sounds like you have a really
Positive attitude. Im confident you’ll get there!

[@The0utmode]

Hey I got a good tip if your cam is to big that just requires some time, at least on a sbc. The stock stamped steel sbc rocker arms are never actually 1.5! If you check them They can be anywhere from 1.43 to 1.47 But never 1.5. So if you buy two sets of stock rockers and test all 32 of them your bound to find 16 that are close enough you can even play games with it and put bigger lift ones on the intake and smaller lift ones on the exhaust to improve low rpm performance. Another benefit is because the rocker ratio is decreased it puts less pressure on your valve train.

[@truckandroll989]

@@The0utmode thats a really good call!

[@ryanmcclendon3309]

What! Nice ,pre video comment 👍🏼

[@rogerhayes8683]

Thanks for continuing the project!.I'm lo

[@truckandroll989]

So many more videos to come! I have enough footage for about 5 more plus what I have planned to really get it running right :). If you are antsy Ive got a short of it idling/revving ;)

[@ryanmcclendon3309]

⚽️🏀🏈 +E
But why not? Nothing ventured,nothing gained.
Good job, must say ,that’s out of the typical box for UA-cam. “Don’t think,Just throw money at it!” 👍🏼🤙🏼

[@bluvettgmailcom]

In a pinch it works, kind of back yard engineering I like when things go awry. I recall putting a engine together a couple days before race day and the machine shop decked the block that was already decked to zero and I had the pistons above the deck by .030" . Needless to say it all came apart and I fly cut the top of the pistons also had to do a little valve clearance to the tops. We made it to race day, 15 years later its still in the car and runs great... who would have thunk.
Still cant wait to see it on the dyno👍

[@truckandroll989]

This makes me feel better hahaha!

[@truckandroll989]

NEW VIDEO is uploading 10:00a tomorrow morning!