Wrenchin’ Wednesday: How to Build a DIY Piston Stop for Setting TDC

Short of pulling the cylinder head and checking top-dead-center (TDC), a piston stop is the quickest and most accurate way to find TDC with an assembled engine. The problem is that piston stops, while cheap, are increasingly hard to find in-stock at a local parts store. Thankfully, piston stops are incredibly simple to make for just a few bucks.

What you need:

-5/16 drill bit

-3/8″-16 bolt (3- to 4-inch)

-Doorman 14mm spark plug anti-fouler P/N: 42008 (A hollowed out spark plug body will also suffice)

–How to Find Top Dead Center (This story only delves into building the tool, learn how to find TDC here)

Wrenchin’ Wednesday is a weekly garage-hackamajig, wrenching smarter-not-harder with small tips that make working on your project easier, cheaper, and maybe even a bit faster. We’re probably not the first with any of these ideas, but you won’t be the last to know every Wednesday!

Last week, we talked about how to use rubber gloves to protect hardline fittings during install!

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