Or, if you want to go with Egge again, I have a set of new .030 Egges on ebay right now. I decided to go with forged.

I got this email from Ross pistons a few weeks ago:

Hi,

We can custom manufacture forged pistons for your 1956 packard 374 Ci engine. It will take 3 weeks to manufacture the pistons. Please let me know if you would like to place this custom piston order.



The cost is:

Pistons $799.92
Pins $98.00
Rings $147.08



Estimated total less freight $1045



Thanks,

Chris

Chris Laduca

Automotive Piston Sales

claduca@rosspistons.com

Phone: (310) 536-0100 EXT. 20

Fax: (310) 536-0333

Good guess - yes, the quote was from Arias.

Obviously I haven't done any comparison shopping yet, but I didn't particularly want to if they were all going to be the same price.

Any particular brand recommendation?

Have a fresh .030 over 374 V-8 that I want to drop in my 56 Golden Hawk with overdrive. It presently has a set of Egge cast pistons without expansion struts. I contacted a well known piston company to check on price of a set of custom made forged pistons. Quote I got for eight flat top pistons, plus rings, pins and locks was over $1500, which is about $500 higher than I was expecting based on previous posts on this forum.

So my question is does $1500+ sound about right these days for a set of custom-made forged pistons with rings, pins and locks?

Thanks,
Curtis

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Here's one from last year, at a local club meeting on the Wakulla River. I've replaced the rear springs since then, so it sits up a bit higher in the back now. Except for the hood and side grille coves, most all the paint you see is factory original.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I wasn't sure how tight it was supposed to be in the block, or if maybe there was some kind of trick to getting it out that I was overlooking, and the shop manual didn't say anything about it.

I couldn't move it by hand, but after reading your suggestions I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a few light taps with a leather mallet, and then it just pulled right out.

I'll post again from time to time as I make progress (I hope) on getting this engine together and into my 56 Golden Hawk w O/D.

I'm about to take a 374 block to the machine shop for sonic checking to see how much of an overbore is safe. I'd like to go .125 over to 4.25 or that plus .030 or .060 as rings would be readily available in any of those sizes. Custom forged pistons, of course.

Anyway, the engine is apart except for the oil filler tube. What's the best way to remove it without damaging it?

Simple question, I know, but I've never before worked on an engine with a oil filler tube pressed into the block.

Ah - you are right. I didn't look closely enough last night; the forged crank does indeed have a pilot bearing. And the cast cranks look like they will take the same bearing.

By the way, the only reason I know about Packard forged cranks is from lurking on this forum. That's also how I found my two spare 374's. So I appreciate all the info and the knowledge that you all have and have shared with us.

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Jack Vines says he knows of six forged Packard cranks. FYI, I have a seventh, which I found in a 56 Golden Hawk engine I bought a few years back (along with the O/D trans and a few other parts that were all that remained of a GH that had been stored in a chicken coupe and had rusted away).

Engine had been bored 1/8" to a 374 (numbers show it was the original 56J block that was factory installed in the car) and had a forged crank. It was otherwise stock.

It was a happy surprise to find the forged crank, but it will be put to good use, as the original crank in my 56 GH has about ten times as much end play as it should have.

My forged crank has been machined for a pilot bushing. Just wondering if some or all of the forged cranks were so machined, or if the end user would have had to have that done; I have two spare 374 engines and the neither of their cranks are drilled for a pilot bushing.