pressing piston pins

[denise 20352]

  Can I do the job with a 12-ton shop press, or should I have a machine shop do it?

  Im attempting to justify spending $140 at Harbor Freight.

-d

[JIM CLC # 15000]

03-03-06
Denise, You may want to consult an engine machinist. I redid a flat-head and the piston-pins were tapered.
HTH
Good Luck, Jim
           

[Jack Hoffman #7042]

If you are trying to assemble the pin into the rod,an auto machine will have a special heater to heat the small end of the rod so that the pin can be easily pushed into the piston and thru the rod end.

[denise 20352]

  Do they also remove the pin that way, putting heat on it while it is in the old piston?

[Jack Hoffman #7042]

From what I have seen the old pin is just pressed out of the piston. Usually the disassembly means that the rod will be used in a new assembly and possible piston damage is not a concern.
Also, it is difficult to correctly heat the small rod end when it is up in the piston.

[denise 20352]

  Well, I was all set to take them to the machine shop when I got a reply from an old-timer who had always cold pressed his pistons.  So I tried it on a couple of old pistons to see if it could be done, and it was no problem at all.  The skirts on these Speed-Pro pistons were made such that I could put them on a wood block and support them around the pin hole, and I used soft pine so that I could drive the pin down a little past the hole and get it centered.  As a lubricant, I used LPS1.

  They had the little press on sale for $110, so I couldnt resist.

-densie

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Densie,

Also, you could also use the press for a bit of thumb-screwing of the pest?

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[densie]

   I wasnt even gonna go there...at least, not in this forum.  

-densie

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Cmon Densie,

There is no pleasure without pain, especially when it comes to someone elses pain.  Ha ha.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV