Plastigauge
Okay kiddo, so you know how there are lots of little parts that make up a car engine? Well, sometimes these parts need to fit together just right - not too tight and not too loose. That's where plastigauge comes in!
Plastigauge is a special type of plastic string that mechanics use to check how much space there is between two parts. Let's say you need to put a crankshaft (which is a big part of the engine) into the engine block (which is another big part of the engine). You don't want the crankshaft to fit too tightly or it won't spin properly, but if it's too loose it'll shake and rattle and not work right either.
So, you take a little piece of plastigauge and lay it between the two parts where they meet. Then you carefully put the parts together and tighten them up like you normally would. Afterwards, you take the parts back apart and look at the plastigauge.
The plastigauge has been squeezed between the parts, so it's wider than it used to be. This tells you how much space there is between the two parts. If the plastigauge is too thin, that means the parts are too close together and you need to make adjustments. If it's too thick, that means the parts are too far apart and you also need to make adjustments.
Using plastigauge is a quick and easy way to make sure engine parts fit together just the way they're supposed to. And now you know all about it!
Plastigauge is a special type of plastic string that mechanics use to check how much space there is between two parts. Let's say you need to put a crankshaft (which is a big part of the engine) into the engine block (which is another big part of the engine). You don't want the crankshaft to fit too tightly or it won't spin properly, but if it's too loose it'll shake and rattle and not work right either.
So, you take a little piece of plastigauge and lay it between the two parts where they meet. Then you carefully put the parts together and tighten them up like you normally would. Afterwards, you take the parts back apart and look at the plastigauge.
The plastigauge has been squeezed between the parts, so it's wider than it used to be. This tells you how much space there is between the two parts. If the plastigauge is too thin, that means the parts are too close together and you need to make adjustments. If it's too thick, that means the parts are too far apart and you also need to make adjustments.
Using plastigauge is a quick and easy way to make sure engine parts fit together just the way they're supposed to. And now you know all about it!