Expert: Ben Deutschman - 6/17/2011

Question
Dear Ben, I am rebuilding a Slant Six 170 RG (‚68 – ‚75) No. 280 6830-2, 5 Water Plug 225 CID. I am doing this in Namibia, far away from any specialized shops, etc. I got an engine rebuild set (new pistons, bearings, rings, conrods, water and oil pump etc.). I have mounted the pistons and crankshaft. The pistons do not reach the top of the block, however, they stay some 4,58mm below. At BDC the cylinderhole is 109mm deep, so the stroke would be the spec of 104,8. My question is: Is this normal for this engine? The shop says no or it does not know. An old mechanic that used to work on these Chrysler engines says he remembers them being of this kind, that the cylinder did not reach the top of the block. Before I go further I would like to verify this. Thanking you in advance, I remain Yours kindly, Richard Callard

Answer
In order to provide Valve clearance, I would surmise that the pistons should not be flush with the top of the cylinder bore at TDC (Top Dead Center). Your best bet, is to get a Factory Shop Manual, usually available on CD or DVD now. You can try http://www.gearheadcafe.com/servlet/Categories and do a keyword search for the correct year, and make.