Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I heard from Ross and this is fine.

I replaced one fairly pitted piston with an NOS. I had some trouble getting the pin in. The manual says that about a 100F difference is required for a slip fit. This is true, but the metals quickly heat each other and match temperature. Ended up having to tap it in some while it was still cold.

Edit: To clarify, I used dry ice to cool the pin, instead of boiling the piston.

Anyway, lubed the bushing and it should be good now.

Some updates. I got the rest of the pistons in last weekend as well as some various other things. The videos from Uncle Tony's Garage are helpful with this. Main difference is I don't like pounding the pistons in with a cheap ring compressor. The most annoying, but also hardest to break, rings are the oil rings at the bottom. They can easily slip under the ring compressor if it's not seated well or you aren't careful. One those are in, the other two go in with little drama, as long as you have the bevel at the top of each cylinder. So I like to use little taps as big hits can shove the ring compressor into the cylinder then you gotta pull it out.

Side note, I was a bit worried about breaking the piston rings when installing, but it wasn't bad. The most difficult is pretty much always gonna be the middle ring, but it went well overall.

I will be doing the heads this weekend. The head gaskets need Permatex 80697 Copper Spray Gasket applied to both sides.

For the oil pan gasket, it's easy to see in the photo that the gasket does not line up with the hole. I was instructed to bend the tab upward 90° to rest against the half circle seal. The half circle itself sits below flush on the rear of the engine.

Attach file:

---

  20240930_192657.jpg (6,884.67 KB)


  20240930_192613.jpg (6,959.63 KB)


  Resized_20240930_183619.jpeg (41.21 KB)

Quote:

So get a good ring compressor. Then they go in easy.

Spud.

That end of gasket goes in the main.

Then the other gasket goes on top


I use the spring steel type ring compressor. Bit .. use a lot of oil

Quote:

Too late lol.

Quote:

On the front side that's what I did. But you can't do it in the back since it's recessed in. No way it would seal properly I think.

I used a film of engine prelubricant to help them in. Cylinders prelubed with fogging oil. Then once they were all in I rotated the engine upside down and poured some 10W40 in each cylinder then rotated it through a few turns then flipped it back over, to make sure there's good lubrication on the walls. Service manual says to dip each whole piston in oil before install, which I did not do.

Side note I noticed someone already replaced the engine rings in the past as they were not original. But the cross hatching was worn off the walls and the rings were stuck, hence the service I did.