[Firebob]

Pulled my pistons out yesterday and want to get the old rods pressed off and the new ones on. Do I need to remove the rings before I take them to the shop?

[54nomore]

At the machine shop I worked at, we used a rod heater for assembling the rod and piston. We only used the press to disassemble.

Anyway, the piston holding fixture on the rod heater works better if there are no rings on the pistons. Are you planning to re-use the rings?

[Firebob]

I was figuring as much but thought I'd ask anyways.
Yeah, was planning on reusing the rings. Only have about 5K miles on them.
So the rod heater heated the rods enough that the pins slipped in place by hand?

[54nomore]

that is correct

[MotorHead_811]

The shop I work at we usually hottank the pistons and rods than press them off usually when u press the pistons off it burrs up where the wrist pin sits in the piston. So we put the piston in the rod honing machine just for a quick clean up so wrist pin goes through the piston with no problems. We heat our rods up in a sunnen rod heater from the 50's(still works like new) and the wrist pin will slide right through the rod

[steve25]

I would remove the rings to play it safe, as any little nick in the compression rings face and your done.
Be sure to sprill the rings off the piston with the lease amount of expansion that you can because if you bend them the least bit oval then that ring is vertually usless.

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Originally Posted by MotorHead_811

The shop I work at we usually hottank the pistons and rods than press them off usually when u press the pistons off it burrs up where the wrist pin sits in the piston. So we put the piston in the rod honing machine just for a quick clean up so wrist pin goes through the piston with no problems. We heat our rods up in a sunnen rod heater from the 50's(still works like new) and the wrist pin will slide right through the rod

If your shop is burring up the piston. Then you don't have the right equipment.

[gtofreek]

We use tool that slips in between the rod and piston so you press directly on the rod while the piston if free floating the whole time. This fixture does not burr the piston.

The old shop I worked at, we had to press directly on the piston. We usually weren't worried about reusing the piston though, as it was usually cracked or the pin hole was pinched in. Sometimes a piston would shatter if it was odd shaped. I didn't like that setup. What we have now is much better.

[track73]

A couple years ago I junked about 40 pontiac cast pistons. They still had connecting rods attached. So to get max from the recycler it removed them with a tool I made from some pipe and a deepwell socket.
I have installed press fit rods using a mapp torch and an infared temp guage. When the rod got to 350 or 400 I slipped the pin in. I practiced with a few junker pistons first, but the engine still runs strong with that slug in there.

[Firebob]

Well I called two different shops today to get an idea and of course the one closest wanted $100 to R&R the rods on my pistons and the other one that is a bit farther away, so less convenient but has a real good rep, is $60 and $150 to deck the block. Think I'll go with the reputation. Now to order up some bearings and a gasket set and I'll be chomping at the bit to get it back and start putting it back together with the roller cam and round ports. It's starting to feel alot like christmas around here.

[MotorHead_811]

Originally Posted by PONTIAC DUDE

If your shop is burring up the piston. Then you don't have the right equipment.

The tool we have is from Goodson and is made to just to press old pistons off mostly we hardy reuse pistons but every so often we do. My boss is 70+ years old and doesn't want put to much money into the place anymore so getting new tools and machinery doesn't happen to often.

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Originally Posted by MotorHead_811

The tool we have is from Goodson and is made to just to press old pistons off mostly we hardy reuse pistons but every so often we do. My boss is 70+ years old and doesn't want put to much money into the place anymore so getting new tools and machinery doesn't happen to often.

Hell.......... I'm 64 and still buying tooling to keep up with newer design engines and upkeep. LOL. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha.


Times do get tight with the cost of shop supplies, equipment upgrades and basic overall upkeep and overhead. Then ya have the prices you should be charging but can't.
Costs are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out of hand the manufactures have created to increase their profits and sell less. And people wonder why shops are closing down or fewer shops being created.

Carry on.

[MotorHead_811]

Originally Posted by PONTIAC DUDE

Hell.......... I'm 64 and still buying tooling to keep up with newer design engines and upkeep. LOL. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha.


Times do get tight with the cost of shop supplies, equipment upgrades and basic overall upkeep and overhead. Then ya have the prices you should be charging but can't.
Costs are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out of hand the manufactures have created to increase their profits and sell less. And people wonder why shops are closing down or fewer shops being created.

Carry on.

Plus he has a 12 bay full repair garage and a autobody shop so trying to up keep all 3 places isn't easy