Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Hi, Hank,
Quote:

It is to be assumed you have verified the piston skirt diameter with a micrometer. Last time I built a 374" by boring a 352" and using take-out 374" pistons, I had to go through three core engines to find eight good 374" pistons. Some had skirts collapsed to the point using them would have made for a noisy engine. The skirt diameter perpendicular to the pin should be between .001" and .002" less than the cylinder bore diameter.

thnx, jack vines

BTW, what bore replacement piston is it you need?

no, just to my layman's eyes they look fine. maybe they are not, idk...they just look like pistons to me. the 8th just has a chunk missing.

i would go with original 352.

HH56. I noticed in the registry tha t your 5697 has
"PI Pump, .060 over, Chrysler 413 pistons"

Does that mean that .060 over 413 pistons fit the packard 374 standard bore????? OR does that mean u bored the 374 packard block .060 over and installed standard 413 pistons????

Means it was bored .060 over and the standard 413's installed.

This was after the Egge pistons failed. I have since learned from a few of the engine guys on the forum it was not the way to go because something else-- I believe it is deck height-- is wrong. The consensus is the machinist probably messed up the install of Egge's in the first place and was not doing me any favors with the 413's--but it worked and was about all that could be done at the time other than another set of Egges since even then, Packard pistons were very scarce.

Someone on here is a diesel mechanic. I wonder if any of the diesel engines he works on would have pistons close enuf for rock'n roll????

Why not just buy custom pistons and be done with it?

Quote:

Not even a remote possibility of using a diesel piston interchange. A diesel piston of the same bore diameter has a piston pin 50% larger in diameter and the piston weighs 2X as much.

Just for the record, a Packard piston has a compression height of 2.072" and the Mopar 413" is 2.019", or .053" further down in the cylinder. This is a loss of compression and squish. The good news is they are now as uncommon as Packard pistons and the temptation to use them is lessened.

thnx, jack vines

It wasn't my objective when I reactivated this thread to rehash the alternative piston discussions which we've been through, and through, and through. Go thru it again if you wish, but I doubt there is anything new to add.

My purpose was simply to let people know that I forwarded to Dan Kanter the previous expressions of interest in OEM-style pistons, and Dan is now asking that those with a real interest contact him so he can judge the potential size of the venture, and hopefully proceed.

Someone wrote:
"It wasn't my objective when I reactivated this thread to rehash the alternative piston discussions which we've been through, and through, and through. Go thru it again if you wish, but I doubt there is anything new to add. "

He is probably correct. NONETHELESS, rehashing and analyzing is exactly the process that lead to the CURRENT AND SUCCESSFUL Olds Oil Pump Conversion. I am sure the same process will work for the pistons too.

Rehashiing is what lead to Egge FINALLY entering a discussion forum recently to analyse THEIR own pistons AND WHICH LEAD to THIS "V8 Piston" thread. I can probably resurrect those old Egge piston threads from several months ago if it becomes necessary to defend "rehashing" .

Different methods of problem solving for different people.

Looking forward to Kanters offering of the pistons when the are ready. I'm sure they will be excellent quality as is Kanters reputation.

Thanks for responding.