[CaberTosser]

OK, so the pistons are a bit misshapen when cold, do they machine them at room temp or do they heat both the pistons and the block to the engines operating temp for the piston turning and cylinder boring procedures?

I’d like to point out that the engines idling in a persons driveway where a neighbor might get PO’d are worlds apart from heavy equipment in remote northern locations. I know those machines need to keep running, but in a densely populated city the temperatures are neither as extreme nor are the everyday driver pickup truck engines nearly as large as the big machinery being referenced. That’s two entirely different discussions. Of course a larger piston with greater mass will have more dimensional changes from thermal expansion but in reference to the original discussion I was talking specifically about a truck the size that one would see in a typical neighbourhood driveway, that being a 3/4 or 1 ton HD pickup. I was not referring to a Cat 797 nor a seismic tundra buggy. Different mechanical animals and different circumstances. Note though that even remote work camps don’t allow parking idling trucks next to the buildings HVAC air intake; people in their own driveway should extend that same courtesy to their neighbors, simply warm the vehicle up further away from the neighboring structures or park in a heated garage. Being thoughtful is not rocket science.

To me the main point is courtesy, don’t go stinking up peoples homes or making the neighbourhood sound like a drag strip with obnoxiously loud exhaust systems. I like the rumble of a V8 as much as the next red blooded gearhead but many people feel the need to go overboard with their choice of exhaust systems/ white sunglasses / flat brimmed hats/ thick chain necklaces/ neck tattoos and other status symbols among the Summers Eve Army.