02 Suburban

[MassHoe04]

How can you tell the piston is all the way up?

Here is one write-up on how to get any cylinder up to top dead center (TDC)...

How to Find TDC Without a Timing Tab

Top dead center for an internal combustion engine refers to the point when the piston is at the absolute top of its stroke. A piston can be a top dead center on the compression stroke and on the exhaust stroke. As a general reference point, or when installing a distributor, top dead center on...

itstillruns.com

A longer wooden dowel is also a good substitute for the straw used in the article. If it were a 12" or longer dowel, it would be impossible to drop it into and have it get lost in the cylinder.

 

[Scottydoggs]

How can you tell the piston is all the way up?

when you put compressed air into the cylinder the piston will be forced down. take the rockers off and hit the top of each valve stem with a mallet if you hear air blowing out in huge excess. the hammer taps will seal the valve to the seat. the air pressure holds the valves up.

no air, you can turn the engine over by hand, load the cylinder with some thin rope. fat shoe lace what ever you got on hand, then by hand turn the engine till it stops moving, now the valves cant fall out. leave the rope sticking out the spark plug hole too, or you'll be fishing that out.

ive always used air, but ive seen many use the rope trick too.