Ford FE with pins pressed into bushings

[PackardV8]

My machinist just found something he'd never seen in forty years. A Ford FE 390" came in for a rebuild of a rebuild. The rod small ends had bushings, but the pins were a press fit in the bushings, with no snap rings. None of the pins had moved in the rods. Anyone ever seen anything like this?

[rustbucket79]

Sounds like a backyard job where they had no ability to broach and hone to fit the bushings. Or, they installed oversize wrist pins and did nothing with the rods. Is there any sign of heat on the small ends?

Are the pins oversize?

[bigmike]

Do the pistons have grooves for pin locks? Are the pistons oversize. Can you tell the brand of piston?

[jred]

years ago in the 90s there was a PERA builder that was doing that I had a couple of fe engines that were like that,,I don't know if they were pressing the pin though an unfinished bushing or if they were fitting the bushings for a couple of thou press fit, but the pistons had grooves for the cir-clips and none were installed and pins were tight and had to be pressed apart.

I would be concerned about the pin moving and coming out of the pistons but on both engines the pins didn't move..

[Baprace]

years ago in the 90s there was a PERA builder that was doing that I had a couple of fe engines that were like that,,I don't know if they were pressing the pin though an unfinished bushing or if they were fitting the bushings for a couple of thou press fit, but the pistons had grooves for the cir-clips and none were installed and pins were tight and had to be pressed apart.

I would be concerned about the pin moving and coming out of the pistons but on both engines the pins didn't move..

The pins may have been chilled and the rod warmed so there would be no interferance on installation.

[mag2555]

Whatever happened to the Teflon button era of holding floating pins in?

[pdq67]

AP Green's old FE powered Gunning trucks, an F-600, 361" and an F-750, 391" would lose a clip and get a cylinder wall ever so often.

Of course when this happened they were on the road bouncing off the governor for anywhere from 8 to 14 hours going somewhere or coming back to South Bend, IN.

pdq67

[pamotorman]

if the snap rings were not put in with the sharp edge facing outward they can work out.

[racear2865]

Pin and bushing in rod was worn slightly.He didnt want to install bushing Guy ordered oversize pin. Hone piston for clearance and pressed pin in rod.
reed

[jred]

used to be able to buy o/s pins from nylen/ertel and a couple of others since all the changes in the aftermarket I haven't been able to find them made by anybody anymore,,, mark oneal from probe was in with a guy that made pins and would make them any size you wanted I think the guy owned western pin or something like that,,, I use Teflon pin buttons in my hot rod VW engine and it makes it easy to work on vw's as the pins like to beat the cir-clips and make a raised edge in the pin boss, I'm surprised that they not used more in different apps ,

[PackardV8]

These were just rebuilder pistons with snap ring grooves, but nothing was ever installed in the grooves. None of the pins moved in the bushing and required a light press to remove.

[PackardV8]

used to be able to buy o/s pins from nylen/ertel and a couple of others since all the changes in the aftermarket I haven't been able to find them made by anybody anymore,,, mark oneal from probe was in with a guy that made pins and would make them any size you wanted I think the guy owned western pin or something like that,,, I use Teflon pin buttons in my hot rod VW engine and it makes it easy to work on vw's as the pins like to beat the cir-clips and make a raised edge in the pin boss, I'm surprised that they not used more in different apps ,

Don't buttons require a barrel skirt piston which provides support out to the cylinder wall? Today's slipper skirt short pin pistons have no way to support a button.

[jred]

yes vw pistons are full round or at least the ones that I use mahle and cima… most all the newer pistons have cut away around the pin boss so no they won't work on these type pistons,,

[jsgarage]

I wondered too, as pin plugs were quite popular back in the day. Google 'piston pin plugs' and you'll find that many racers especially with stroker cranks are still using plugs both aluminum and poly. Quite a few very fast Harleys use them. In an issue of PRI recently, they showed a pro stock rotating assembly ready to install with plastic pin plugs, at a drag meet. Reason given for using pin plugs is the cylinder pressures are so high in big motors, oil ring support rails bend, distorting the rail, destroying oil control & scratching bores. Eliminating pin locks seems to be a secondary function now.

[Mark O'Neal]

You could make a "T" shaped pin button....and cut a register in the pin to use in a slipper skirt piston. Not sure why you would want one.

Western Wrist pin is gone. Manny is still around, but I don't think he's working, or is interested on doing so.