FWIW, put me down for four sets of 4.125" +.030"

thnx, jack vines

Hi, Jim,
Thanks for the info. Is King still making the main bearings? Hope we don't have to worry about the supply in the future. Suggest whomever is your contact with King ask them about rod bearings.

FWIW, I did look at the cam bearings I used today and they were labeled as you said.

Thnx, jack vines

Hi, Jim,

Thanks for the prompt and detailed reply. Your information clarified a couple of points for us. For your records, I just balanced three Packard V8s yesterday:

1. The 4" bore 352" OEM pistons w/pins were 870 grams.
2. The 4.125" bore 374" OEM pistons w/pins were 909 grams.
3. Thanks for the confirmation on using D-wall rings. Suggest a note on the Egge website and included in the piston box to confirm the Egge Machine replacement pistons are machined for D-wall rings, because most users will find it easier, less expensive and preferable to fit modern rings. The minority of Packard owners who do not know there is a difference will have a problem without this info. One such owner who was having me build an engine, proudly brought in a set of .030" NOS Packard rings for which he had paid a premium on eBay. I had to demonstrate to him those K-wall rings would not fit the .030" Egge Machine pistons. There was a bit of grumbling about, "How come they don't tell us this?"

You might convey to the powers at Egge you are doing a service by supplying this level of information to those of us who have used the products for many years and by taking suggestions to where they can be used. Again, thank you.

thnx, jack vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Spokane, WA

Loooove it! You have taken a plain-jane 4-door Packard which most likely would never have been restored by a purist and are making it into a much better-looking car. Can't wait to see it finished. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

jack vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Spokane, WA

Hi, Jim,

First, each of us in the old-car hobby owes a debt of gratitude to you and to Egge Machine. There are thousands of old cars running today because Egge offers replacement pistons where no one else does.

Secondly, thanks for being up front with this forum. I do have a problem with any post on any forum where the member does not identify himself by name. If one is going to have an opinion about a company or product, sign it. Our friends Eric Boyle and Joe Hall have always been stand-up guys in that regard. They have strong opinions, but they always puts their name on them. There are always some who use "handles" and then write what they would never say face-to-face.

The consistent statement in my posts over the years on this forum and others has been: "Yes, Egge pistons work satisfactorily in a restored Packard V8 when fit to .003-.0035" tolerances. No, my and Joe Hall's experience has been anything in the .0005-0025" range is too tight. No, the Egge pistons are not as good as OEM. No, they are not suitable for performance use."

Just for our future reference information, drawing upon your 36 years of experience at Egge:
1. Are Egge Machine pistons the same gram weight as Packard V8 OEM pistons?
2. How closely matched in gram weight are a set of eight Egge Machine Packard V8 pistons?
3. What would be the lower skirt diameter of Egge pistons as measured by the directions in the Packard Shop Manual when purchased for a 4" bore and for a 4.125" bore Packard V8?
4. The OEM Packard V8 pistons used a deeper, SAE K-wall ring ring groove. Does Egge machine the ring grooves for the K-wall or the Ford/GM D-wall rings?

Again, thank you, Jim and thank you, Egge Machine.

Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Spokane, WA

Edited to include additional detail:

6. The 4.188" bore diameter 413" Mopar pistons are NOTa recommended interchange for the 374" Packard pistons. The compression height is .047" less than the Packard, which will eliminate the quench/squish band, which causes the engine to ping under load. The only currently available pistons are dished tops for trucks and motor homes, which lower the compression substantially and further reduces the power output. Additionally, the 1.094" piston pin bore is larger and the pin boss is narrower, requiring substantial machine work on the rods. Just because they can be made to fit the hole doesn't mean they are good science.

thnx, jack vines

1. The SBC isn't even a random possibility of an interchange. The Packard V8 is a .590" taller piston. Lots of 4" and 4.125" diameter pistons in the book, but that is only one of four dimensions which must be compatible. Try and find one with a 2.070" compression height - it doesn't exist.

2. The Egge pistons are certainly suitable for a "just stock and reliable" engine build. I don't use them in the engines I intend to run hard, but put them in with the proper clearance and they'll be OK for normal driving.

thnx, jack vines

You are correct that a modern hypereutectic cast piston would be the perfect replacement for 99% of Packard needs. Thanks for the suggestion on a supplier, but I can't find anything on either Detroit Piston Service or Pontiac Piston Service. Must be a hundred places who want to sell you Detroit Pistons basketball tickets, though.

FWIW, The number of piston makers in the US is dropping rapidly toward zero. Brazil is making a lot of what we get nowadays. I've talked with John Erb, formerly chief engineer of United Engine and Machine, makers of Silvolite and Keith Black Pistons, as well as a couple of others about the possibility of a Packard V8 replacement cast piston. They say it isn't going to happen here in the US. No smaller manufacturers left and just not enough demand to interest the big guys.

thnx, jack vines

There isn't much information on the white box rod bearings, anyway - no brand name. This vendor just cut off the line, "Made in Taiwan" so it made it that much more obvious what he was doing. Even though he is a couple of dollars less expensive than some of the competition, I can't do business with someone who tries to hide selling offshore product, even if that's the only source. If he'll cheat on that, what else do I have to wonder about?

FWIW, the V8 main bearings everyone is selling are really good stuff from King Bearing of Israel. They are in the King box with the p/n right on it, but that is no help, because King will not sell them direct and they are not listed in the King catalog or on line. The vendor has an exclusive with King on these bearings. Wonder why he didn't include rod bearings in his special order from King? Most everyone takes a set of each.

thnx, jack vines

Hi, Hank,

1. Your OEM piston was made with a notch on the edge to indicate that side goes to the front. The Shop Manual allows .005" taper in the cylinder before requiring re-boring. Pistons can be cleaned by soda blasting or bead blasting. New rings are then fitted and the cylinder walls are freshened with a brush hone.

FWIW, I had to clean, sort through and micrometer measure four 374" engines to get two sets of pistons to re-use. For whatever reason, some of the pistons were tapered in at the bottom of the skirts. Even though they are Packard pistons, years, miles and time have used up many of them.

2. Don't even think about re-using old head gaskets. The risk isn't worth it. I agree, I haven't had to use any composite head gaskets, as I have been gathering up the steel shim gaskets. The intake manifold gaskets have a much easier life as well as being easier to replace. If they look good, if the area around the exhaust crossover isn't rusty, clean them with thinner and re-use them.

3. I'm going to be ordering several sets of custom forged pistons and am negotiating for a better price. Let me know what your needs are and I'll see what I can do for you. The first set is the most expensive.

thnx, jack vines