This is for my brother. He just put together a 355 and it started smoking badly. After a compression test the #8 cylinder we found was dead. Well come to find out a wrist pin rubbed a groove in the cylinder wall about .075" to .100" deep and two other cylinders were damaged also but not as bad. One of the three cylinders had scuff marks on both sides of the cylinder(after getting the piston out it would fall out like a full floating pin) because the pin was sliding from side to side. He wen't to the machine shop today & the machinist said it wasn't his fault. He said that was the price you pay for using used parts(stock rods & a set of TRW pistons that had maybe at the most 1k miles on them). It looks like the rods have been heat treated or something on the small end(discolored.....a darker color) were the wrist pin goes. I'm thinking that they were heated too fast & to much and expanded the inside dia that is supposed to press on the pin? I think this machine shop should be 100% accountable. It trashed the block,bearings,rings,cam,lifters,rods & some other things I can't remember. There is no way to tell if a wrist pinhas the correct press on it when you get it from a machine shop, I think thats his job. Let me know what you guys think....is there anything else that could cause this?Thanks alot.


Jared,

 

real hard to say from our side dude. The rep of this machine shop??? Used parts???? Did the machine shop assemble the block? Short block or long? Either way your not gona get anything just because of the fact that used parts were used in the motor.

Difficult to call.....good luck

 

It doesn't make any difference if used parts were used if the motor was put together right, Also what kind of gurantee did you have from the builder if any? You would know if the wrist pins didn't fit right when assembling the motor, I would go after the builder if he assembled the short block.

 

I know it "SHOULDN'T" matter but trust me....with the motor and the fact used parts were used. Other than a break on the next rebuild I don't think he'll get a refund because no smart business man in his right mind will warrantee used parts, especially if its not from him. He might warrantee his work, honing and stuff but nothing else.

 

it doesn't sound like parts failed, why is'nt the machine shop accountable?

 

I'm just saying, no one is gonna give a warrantee when putting in used parts. Just not good business practice.

Don't get me wrong I hope to hell he does get something.

 

I see what you are saying but used or not used he should have checked the dia. of the wrist pin & then checked the inside dia. of the rod to make sure the correct "press" would be acheived. Also there is know way to check to see if a wrist pin is pressed in tight enough..that is something that has to be done at the machine shop in my opinion. My brother assembled the motor & that is just something that can't be checked or if it is it's new to me. Thanks for the input guys.

 

oh.....so he assembled it too??? O boy buddy. I'm sorry but that's even worse. Well give the shop a crap load and hopefully they will give you a break on something.