[0trbo4myCHEVUICK]

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Dude, your next purchase should be a 6" dial caliper. Expect to pay about 80 bucks for a used Starrett, Brown & Sharpe or Mitutoyo on ebay. Here's an example:
Starrett 120A 6" Dial Caliper Hardened Stainless Steel Black Dial Face B120A 6 | eBay
Don't buy a digital, because every time you reach for it to use it, the battery (batteries) will be dead. Dial calipers are bulletproof.

yeah I know please excuse my red neckedness.... I thought I could just put a toothpick on the quench band n cut it where it meets the deck. Then id take me that there ruler n get an exact measurement.. lolo

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by 0trbo4myCHEVUICK

1/15" from the raised lip to deck surface.... I was not able to measure all four corners becasue of where the block is but once I get it on a stand I will.

Are you saying it took a .015 blade to span the gap? 1/15th is not a viable measurement.

[0trbo4myCHEVUICK]

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Are you saying it took a .015 blade to span the gap? 1/15th is not a viable measurement.

I dont have proper tools and im using this thing you see in pics, theres the 1/8th mark, then in the middle of that would be the 1/16th mark. I am one notch above the 1/16th mark. Im trying to find the darn thing so i can take a picture but I seem to have misplaced it... probably for the better..

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by 0trbo4myCHEVUICK

I dont have proper tools and im using this thing you see in pics, theres the 1/8th mark, then in the middle of that would be the 1/16th mark. I am one notch above the 1/16th mark. Im trying to find the darn thing so i can take a picture but I seem to have misplaced it... probably for the better..

All you need is a steel rule and a $5.00 set of feeler gauges to get the dimension right on the money.

[cobalt327]

Maybe a typo for 1/16" (0.0625")?

Anyway, the measurement need to be made at least w/feeler gauges between the quench band and the straight edge across the deck, spanning the bore. If you use a ruler, tip it up on its short edge, not laying flat where it can bow.

Below the piston is a true flat top. You would do the same thing except measure to the quench band of your piston:

[0trbo4myCHEVUICK]

So if you can see where the 1/16th mark would be I am one notch above that mark.

[0trbo4myCHEVUICK]

Okay, I will stop by the store tomorrow and buy the feeler gauges and straight edge.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by 0trbo4myCHEVUICK

So if you can see where the 1/16th mark would be I am one notch above that mark.

The finest scale resolution is 1/64". So are you saying 5/64"? That would be 1/16" (4/64) plus 1/64 = 5/64". I hope it's not that, it would be a quench measurement of a whopping 0.078". Not good.

In any event, using a ruler like that is not accurate enough IMHO.

Edit I see you're getting feelers tomorrow. Good deal.

[0trbo4myCHEVUICK]

Originally Posted by cobalt327

The finest scale resolution is 1/64". So are you saying 5/64"? That would be 1/16" (4/64) plus 1/64 = 5/64". I hope it's not that, it would be a quench measurement of a whopping 0.078". Not good.

In any event, using a ruler like that is not accurate enough IMHO.

Edit I see you're getting feelers tomorrow. Good deal.

:/ By the looks of the thing and other pictures I have seen on the net. It doesent look like my pistons are very far down in the hole at all. now im nervous as heck.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by 0trbo4myCHEVUICK

:/ By the looks of the thing and other pictures I have seen on the net. It doesent look like my pistons are very far down in the hole at all. now im nervous as heck.

That would be a good thing- if they were even with the block it would be even better. I'm going to guess they're 0.045" down the hole.

[0trbo4myCHEVUICK]

Originally Posted by cobalt327

That would be a good thing- if they were even with the block it would be even better. I'm going to guess they're 0.045" down the hole.

Nah if they are even with the deck my compression will be too high i think.

[1Gary]

Technically the chamber volume includes the space between the deck the top of the top ring.In cases where you where right at the rag-get edge of a limit then that would be important. Some piston companies move the top ring down because of the application and heat issues.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by 0trbo4myCHEVUICK

Nah if they are even with the deck my compression will be too high i think.

That would depend on the chamber volume of the head and the dish volume of the piston, now wouldn't it. You did read the page on quench, right?

The "ideal" quench measurement is right at 0.040". About the most common composite head gasket thickness is 0.041". So a zero deck (piston even w/the block) and a 0.041" head gasket will put the quench measurement right where it needs to be.

You do not want to adjust the compression ratio by making the quench distance wider. So using a thicker head gasket or a piston deeper in the hole are both bad plans as compared to a zero deck and a 0.040" range head gasket- or any other combination of HG thickness/piston deck height (piston in the hole) that equals about 0.040".

[0trbo4myCHEVUICK]

Okay, measured with the feeler gauges. Placed the steel ruler in the 3-9 position if looking at the side of the block and measured from the squish band. Got .038..

was only able to measure the #1 piston at the moment.

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by 0trbo4myCHEVUICK

Okay, measured with the feeler gauges. Placed the steel ruler in the 3-9 position if looking at the side of the block and measured from the squish band. Got .038..

was only able to measure the #1 piston at the moment.

And you jiggled the crank a little clockwise and counter-clockwise to make certain that the piston is at TDC, right? And no air gap under the rule at the block deck, right?

OK, now it'll be interesting to see what the other 3 corners look like.

This is one of the cornerstones of having a good build and not having a good build. The more information you can put together about various pieces in the motor, the better your choices will be for parts that contribute to the combination.