Block tubing, got some questions.

I'm lucky enough to work in the defense support industry, so I'm still working. Apparently however, everyone and their brother is using the down time to get project work done, and my machine shop is backed up 8 weeks, and getting longer by the day

I've picked up a couple of long drill bits, got my tube, got a ream that should give me a slip fit and made a peening tool.

Everything I read talks about installing the tube add two pieces, front and rear. I'm assuming that's because there's a mismatch from having to drill front/rear, as opposed to all the way from one end.

Is that right, or an I missing some secondary reason?

Anything else that I should be on the lookout for?


Yeah, it can be off a bit. As long as you get past all 4 lifter bosses from the front and all 4 from the rear, the two tubes don’t need to butt together.

You don’t need a lot of press on it either. It can be slip fit and once you peen it, it can’t move or come out.