Technical What’s your set up for pressing wrist pins look like?

Got some details ?

 

I have some tools I made to remove the old pins,,,,is that what you’re asking ?

Tommy

 

For installing them, I generally have the machine shop use their rod heater.

 

The palm of my hand. I use only floating pins and stock GMC rods are pressurized thru the rod. But on my custom Cunningham’s or SCAT’s for our dirt track engines, I use my left palm... I’m left handed.
For removing them my left thumb works well or if they are stuck I put on a socket and hit it with a mallet as I hold the piston in my right hand.

 

I don't press them just heat the rod end and they drop right in...

 

G'day, I let the machinist press all pins in for us. As far as removing them we have a simple frame attached to the bench with a 12 ton hydraulic jack on it. Pops them out quite easily. Pins go in the scrap steel barrel and pistons into the scrap aluminum barrel. Rods get wired together by set and put on the shelf for future use. All Chevrolet stuff.

A couple of years ago we did haul in about 200 sets of rods, manifolds, heads, and a bunch of 350 4 bolt blocks. Got tired of people offering scrap value for good parts.

 

I’m sorry,,,,,I was always told not to press them back on,,,,,only use heat to install .
That was why I was asking .
I guess the old guys that told me were right after all .

Tommy

 

Thumb ...

 

My set up looks like this, I drop them off at Boeser Machine in Aviston Illinois and let Dan do his thing.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

One of these otc 7082B https://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/273558647416-0-1/s-l1000.jpg

 

Ok then show me your machinist’s set up

I need to swap some really nice nearly newSBC KB Dished pistons for some KB flat tops on some really nice nearly new eagle rods.

installing the pin with freezing and heating the rod is really easy. These silly things do not have a good surface to block off of for pressing the pins out.

We’d probably like to sell these really nice nearly new dished pistons

 

Couldn't you make a custom backing devise of sorts?

 

More than likely I probably can but what’s it look like ?

 

You have the pistons to go by so I don't know? Pic's?

 

I can kinda describe my shops set up. They lay two rods in a fixture that electrically heats the ends. I've seen them do this, seems to take about 10 minutes to just drop the pin in with light tapping. They have different "shims/etc, depending on the piston diameter. I looked into one of the heaters a few years back, seems to me used was in the 500 range, out of my league for as often as I'd use it.

 

Okay Vick ,
Here is the tool I made,,,it fits stock Chevy pistons very well.
But,,,could easily be modified to fit different styles of pistons.
The top corner that is notched out clears the ring land area,,,,and allows the pin area of the piston to rest flat on the surface .
Then I made a pin driver out of bar stock,,,,,,it is a few thousandths under the pin bore size,,,and I machined a pilot onto the end to locate the pin,,,I didn’t want to risk it being out of location or slipping off .
Then into a press,,,and no problem.
Hope it helps out,,,I guess this is what you were looking for ?

Tommy

 

This is what works the best to put rods and pistons together and removel with out breakage.

 

^^^^^ Nice back piston/rod from interior rather than the exterior.

 

Looks very similar to what I was talking about.

 

Yes it does

 

It looks exactly like Shawn O'Connell

 

pic from the link above



Neat, I guess I need one....or not.

 

This is how I did the pins on my Pontiac. I did manage to mar the oil ring area on one piston before I put in the alignment pin.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/home-made-specialty-tools.1039770/#post-12224741

 

here’s the pics of these pistons
It’s pretty irregular and the embossing isn’t even close to even

 

Get your rods bushed for floating pins. Looks like the pistons have grooves for spiral locks. The tougher part is pressing them back on as there could be some offset clearance.

 

Sorry, I misunderstood “press” and haven’t used press in pins since 1966. Even my stock Y-Block has floating pins.

 

That’s an expensive tool . $1000 new.
I’ll make something similar and simple with just 1 pushing pin I need

 

Be careful if you are supporting the rod by the piston when you press it out. Most cast Chevy pistons don't have the boss for the retaining ring, and they're easier to support safely.