Alright guys I'm back again. Many days and many turns later I had a big problem. The super thick support brace at the top of my homemade piston pusher snapped! I had bought a super thick one to make sure that this didn't happen but lo and behold, those pistons were just too much for my rudimentary tools.
Not to be discouraged, I decided that I was not going to deal with the hassle of redrilling a new one. I had soaked the pistons in pb blaster and white vinegar for about a week, they had to be looser than when they started. So I grabbed a hammer and a 2x4 and knocked it on the pistons. I couldn't tell if it was moving until I pulled up on the cylinder block and saw how high it lifted. Was I finally going to get inside these cylinders after all?
More tapping later I had them high enough to use the broken top brace as spacers. The excitement was killing me at this point but I stopped to snap a few pics of what it was looking like so you guys could see the progress in the event that I didn't get them out. But several taps later they were poking out the bottom.
Quick side note here, when I finally got them most of the way out, the pistons had angled a bit from the somewhat random downward force of the 2x4. It left them at an angle to where I had to put the 2x4 against the side of the piston and knock the bottom end sideways to even it out and slide it out the bottom. Do you think that would have caused any concerning damage?
Anyways, I got the cylinder block off and here's what was hiding underneath that peanut buttery seized piston rust mixture I initially found.
I'm not engine expert, and this is only the second engine I've ever been inside. The first being my Ironhead project which had cylinder that were gouged horribly from the piston pin clip slipping out while the motor was running. That level of horror was not found here, but in my novice status I'll reserve any snap judgements on what I've found and let you gurus weigh in first. I have more pics if you need better shots of the cylinders or pistons, looking for advice on where to go from here. One user on here had recommend the CruizinImage 706cc piston kit on fleabay, which is actually priced pretty reasonably. Let me know if anyone has tried them and how it went for you. Thanks!
Pistons front
Pistons rear
Piston side
Cylinders from above
One side
The other side. (There's a knot in the wood it's sitting on that makes it look messed up on the side but it's actually smooth)
I do have a local shop who I'll likely bring the cylinders and pistons to to have them evaluated. They have a machine shop they've worked with for many years who does all their boring. They also have a welding shop who does all their frames. Lucky find.
At this point it's on to the bottom end. Speaking of which, what's the best way to take this thing apart? Upside down? Right side up? Such a confusing block, any tips welcome.