Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

HH 56 said:

"How much would one add to a Egge or Kanter piston rebuild vs the custom forged piston route?"
CAN'T ANSWER AS NEITHER OFFERS 374" PISTONS


"Another question might be if nothing is made that is close to a 374 and there is not much demand, how long are custom pistons going to be available."

CUSTOM PISTONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-1900 CARS UP TO NEW ULTRA HI PERF VEHICLES. I WOULD EXPECT CUSTOM PISTONS TO BE AVAILABLE FOREVER

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My apologies. I should have been specific and ask how much more a rebuild with custom forged pistons would have been WHEN the 374 pistons were available or how much more one needs to add to the total when rebuilding another postwar Packard engine where repro pistons ARE available.

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Back when 374" pistons from Egge were about $450 and from Kanter about $650, custom forged pistons were $800-1200, depending upon to whom you spoke.

Today, when I use forged pistons, I order them with a dish, as 10:1 compression is no longer practical. I also order them cut for today's thinner moly rings.

jack vines

Last year, I paid well Under $400 for egge to make my 374 .060 set.

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You must have gotten a friends and family discount.

Again today, I was assured by phone they don't have any 374" pistons, don't plan to make any. Wish someone there with some authority would answer differently.

jack vines

Some 6 or 8 years ago there was some discussion of using off the shelf SBC pistons and CUSTOM made rods. Why not????

IF piston sets are running $600 to $800 a set then what would custom made rods cost??? Probably more but it's the pistons that vary in over sizes annd wear fast.

Do it once and do it right: Custom made rods will then allow for eternal piston replacenment, rings, and any oversize.

Custom rods with SBC pistons would also eleminate the need for gudgeon pin bushing and thus eleminate any need to fit the bushing.

For the SBC there is every possible combination of custom/racing pistons and rods that any gear head could ever have a wet dream about. So very likely there is already a rod that is very close to what is needed for the Packard V8 to utilize the SBC piston.

My point is that instead of struggling for Packard pistons, rings, pins, gudeeon bushings, all in different over sizes theen just use off the shelf SBC pistons and commit struggle to finding rods to suit.

Rods don't wear out. Pistons and rings DO wear out and crack etc.

Go for the rods. Forget about the pistons and use SBC pistons.

413 MoPar piston uses a 1.094 wrist pin?????

I have no Packard V8 rod to measure. What is the diameter of the writ pin hole in the rod with OUT the bushing installed??

If custom forged pistons are being used with a DISH (due to 10:1 CR too much for modern fuel) then why would the lower deck height of the 413 MoPar piston crown present a problem????

Your opinions and results may vary, but for those who are still with us.
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You do know custom connecting rods are $2000 a set?

Quote:Given today's oils and classic collector car use, it's highly unlikely any Packard V8 being built tomorrow will be driven the 150,000 miles necessary to wear out a set of forged pistons and moly rings.

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The .070" lower deck height of the Mopar 413" (.110" total) does not produce any squish/quench. The lower compression produces (approx 7.5:1) noticeably less power and torque. If those are not important to an owner, then run them.

By maintaining a tight piston to head at TDC at the outer edges of the piston (.030" to .045" is ideal), but slightly lowering the overall compression to 9:1 or 9.5:1 by allowing that squished mixture to gather in a dish, better combustion with less ping.

Here's the Packard V8 I built for my Stude pickup.



jack vines