Fly Cutting Made Easy - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

mstanford.us · 05-07-2014, 03:08 PM

After I pulled the heads to upgrade to Lunati link bar high RPM lifters, I thought gee, I should fly cut these pistons since I was installing an LG G6X3. Hmmm... how to do that? Since I was also replacing all the valves, I cleaned up the old ones and super glued them to the back of 220 grit sandpaper. Tracing around them with a pen, with the whole mess sitting on a section of the news paper for soft backing, practically die cut the sandpaper into perfect circles. I instantly had 8 new intake fly cutting tools.

I masked off most of the block head surface with blue painters tape and did each piston by rotating the engine. Stick the valve with sandpaper into the valve guide and use a binder clip to keep it from falling out, and set the head where it goes, chuck your cordless drill to the valve and grind for a bit.

The cuts look nice and perfect. Vacuum up the aluminum dust each time you pull the head to rotate the piston to TDC.

Another tip, gel paint stripper from Home Depot removed the carbon from the piston tops and head gasket residue beautifully.

SNSSTR · 05-07-2014, 03:42 PM

That's fantastic haha! Sounds rigged up and might be slightly more time consuming than using the correct tool, but that's a great, cost effective way to do it if you're in a bind for cash or can't find the tool!

axis · 05-07-2014, 03:44 PM

Good luck. I've been told that the OEM LS3 pistons aren't very thick.

GONIF · 05-07-2014, 03:52 PM

Sounds like it would work ,but I wouldn't want to try it myself . With my luck even if I did it right it would fail .

Rhino79 · 05-07-2014, 07:51 PM

Lindy tool!

Cruz-lo · 05-07-2014, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstanford.us

After I pulled the heads to upgrade to Lunati link bar high RPM lifters, I thought gee, I should fly cut these pistons since I was installing an LG G6X3. Hmmm... how to do that? Since I was also replacing all the valves, I cleaned up the old ones and super glued them to the back of 220 grit sandpaper. Tracing around them with a pen, with the whole mess sitting on a section of the news paper for soft backing, practically die cut the sandpaper into perfect circles. I instantly had 8 new intake fly cutting tools.

I masked off most of the block head surface with blue painters tape and did each piston by rotating the engine. Stick the valve with sandpaper into the valve guide and use a binder clip to keep it from falling out, and set the head where it goes, chuck your cordless drill to the valve and grind for a bit.

The cuts look nice and perfect. Vacuum up the aluminum dust each time you pull the head to rotate the piston to TDC.

Another tip, gel paint stripper from Home Depot removed the carbon from the piston tops and head gasket residue beautifully.

While I applaud you ingenuity here remember the notch in the piston must also be a larger diameter than the valve!

Cruz-lo · 05-07-2014, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhino79

Lindy tool!

10-4 on that!

trw427ss · 05-07-2014, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhino79

Lindy tool!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruz-lo

While I applaud you ingenuity here remember the notch in the piston must also be a larger diameter than the valve!

+1
Yes the notch must be larger than the valve! Notched some pistons today on a L99 with the Lindy tool.

mstanford.us · 05-08-2014, 12:01 AM

Ah, it was worth a try. Thought about notch needing to be bigger, but the I realized since masking tape was used for the "head gasket" instead of .051 compressed thickness, the notches would be relocated upward, providing some "diameter" clearance.

05-07-2014, 03:08 PM	#1
mstanford.us Mark Stanford Drives: Black 2010 SS LS3 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wauconda, IL Posts: 78	Fly Cutting Made Easy After I pulled the heads to upgrade to Lunati link bar high RPM lifters, I thought gee, I should fly cut these pistons since I was installing an LG G6X3. Hmmm... how to do that? Since I was also replacing all the valves, I cleaned up the old ones and super glued them to the back of 220 grit sandpaper. Tracing around them with a pen, with the whole mess sitting on a section of the news paper for soft backing, practically die cut the sandpaper into perfect circles. I instantly had 8 new intake fly cutting tools. I masked off most of the block head surface with blue painters tape and did each piston by rotating the engine. Stick the valve with sandpaper into the valve guide and use a binder clip to keep it from falling out, and set the head where it goes, chuck your cordless drill to the valve and grind for a bit. The cuts look nice and perfect. Vacuum up the aluminum dust each time you pull the head to rotate the piston to TDC. Another tip, gel paint stripper from Home Depot removed the carbon from the piston tops and head gasket residue beautifully. __________________ Mark Stanford 2010 M6 Midwestracing on FB CAI, Kooks 1 7/8" 3", LG G6X3, Remote tune by Ted Jannetty JRE God of Tuning, ID 8500 injectors, ZL1 Fuel system, BMR, Yellaterra, Lunati Valve train, Street Slayer Carbon Twin. Numbers pending Dyno test.

05-07-2014, 03:42 PM	#2
SNSSTR All About That Speed Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Memphis Posts: 1,181	That's fantastic haha! Sounds rigged up and might be slightly more time consuming than using the correct tool, but that's a great, cost effective way to do it if you're in a bind for cash or can't find the tool! __________________ 2010 SS M6 \| 416 CI \| H/C/I \| GPI TUNED \| SNSSTR

05-07-2014, 03:44 PM	#3
axis Search Ninja Drives: 2010 Black 2SS/RS A6 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Central Ark Posts: 7,183	Good luck. I've been told that the OEM LS3 pistons aren't very thick. __________________ 2010 Black 2SS/RS A6 Halltech CF 102 fed GPI modded intake manifold Bo (knows) White ported TB Kooks LT's/ Dynomax VT Pfadted (springs/sways) Dyno tuned by Rhino and GPI I once parallel parked a train.

05-07-2014, 03:52 PM	#4
GONIF Drives: 73 VETTE ,, 05 2500hd diesel,14 1LE Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: The Left lane PHOENIX AZ Posts: 2,626	Sounds like it would work ,but I wouldn't want to try it myself . With my luck even if I did it right it would fail . __________________ OLD GUY FLYING FAST AND LOW

05-08-2014, 12:01 AM	#9
mstanford.us Mark Stanford Drives: Black 2010 SS LS3 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wauconda, IL Posts: 78	Ah, it was worth a try. Thought about notch needing to be bigger, but the I realized since masking tape was used for the "head gasket" instead of .051 compressed thickness, the notches would be relocated upward, providing some "diameter" clearance. __________________ Mark Stanford 2010 M6 Midwestracing on FB CAI, Kooks 1 7/8" 3", LG G6X3, Remote tune by Ted Jannetty JRE God of Tuning, ID 8500 injectors, ZL1 Fuel system, BMR, Yellaterra, Lunati Valve train, Street Slayer Carbon Twin. Numbers pending Dyno test.

05-07-2014, 07:51 PM	#5
Rhino79 Drives: 2010 Camaro SS L99/Auto Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Cabot, AR Posts: 2,827 View My Garage	Lindy tool!