New sleeves and pistons

I am in the process of rebuilding my 851 ford I just replaced my sleeves pressed them in and out with an A-frame press came out and went in fairly easily. When I am putting the pistons in it is very tight I'm not going to force them should I get a honing tool and try to open them up a touch Is this normal when replacing sleeves? Any insight would help
Thanks

Stop! This is not normal! There MUST be clearance between the piston skirt and the cylinder wall. New clearance should be minimum .0012". Also the rings need end gap of .101 to .020".

If either is too tight the engine will seize!

Make that end gap .010-.020.

Also assuming this is a gas engine. If diesel the piston clearance will be more. Please double check all my quick figures!

First, a fit with .0015" clearance is a CLOSE fit!
Everything must be clean and have a coating of
light oil to "feel" the proper fit. With the rings
off the piston, it should move freely in the
cylinder with no binding or tightness, no contact
between the piston skirt and the cylinder.

Next, insert each ring into the cylinder, push it
in an inch or so with the top of the piston to get
it straight. Measure the end gap with a feeler
gauge. Should measure a minimum of .004" per inch
diameter of the cylinder. The ends can be
carefully filed if under clearance.


If the pistons prove to be too tight, I wouldn't
try to take it out with a glaze breaker. Couldn't
control it and keep them straight and equal size
top to bottom.

Were the pistons bought with the sleeves? Were
they in the sleeves before they were pressed in?
Did the fit change after they were pressed in?

Several possibilities here...
If they were purchased as an assembly, each piston
should have been fit to it's own liner, and kept
with the liner it was fit to. If they were mixed
up, they will need to be measured and matched to
their proper sleeve.
If they were sold as an assembly, and are too
tight, the vendor would be responsible for making
them right.

If the pistons were purchased separately, the
liners will need to be power honed to fit each
piston.

If the liners pressed in with excessive force,
they may have collapsed. Either the liners were
made too large, or the block was not properly
preped... Not familiar with the exact design of
your engine, most just slip in with an oring at
the bottom. If they are collapsed, and not broken,
they could be power honed to size.

Power honing is done with an adjustable hone, held
straight in a machine that power feeds the hone in
and out of the cylinder. It will give a near
perfect, straight, round, precise size cylinder.

A regular hone will not make a true cylinder.

Did you get the pistons and sleeves together?

If the oil rings have two rails and an expander your expander may not be installed correctly. When the piston and sleeve are coated with engine oil and using a ring compressor you should be able to tap the piston into your sleeve using the handle end of a ball pin hammer lightly tapped with your hand. Don't force it. Hal

Here's a ring compressor. Hal

Thank you all for the feedback. The sleeves and piston came as a set they slid in and out of the sleeves in the package. After install the top part of the pistons where the rings go fits fine but the bottom half is to thigh for my comfort. After hearing all your comments I am going to take the block to the machine shop they told me to bring the pistons with it and they will use there cylinder hone to get the perfect fit. They are just finishing up the head new valve guides resurfacing of the seats and installing all valves now they get to do the honing. Nobody said that restoring is cheap. Thanks Again

Good choice on taking it in and getting honed. On another note, I learned a lesson on grinding rings to fit. The grinder leaves a little nub on the ends that needs cleaned off.