Piston Expander

bbrust

bbrust

Senior Member
A friend showed me a box containing boxes of Piston Expanders for early Fords. The different boxes were for 1940's 6 cylinders; V8 60's and 85 HP engines. I've never seen these before but suspect that they fit over the piston wrist pins to"cure" wrist pin slap. A search here didn't turn up any info. Just curious if they were widely used back in the day. Bob
 
They are piston skirt expanders meant to cure piston slap.
They are hold by the pistonpin and applies pressure to the inside of an split skirt piston.
When parts was expensive and labour cheap you fixed things up and drove them until next maintenance.
 
Back in the 50s and 60s they used to expand pistons by shot blasting them. I tried to get one piston done recently, and got laughed at by the reconditioner. He's wasn't a young guy either.
 
They turn up on E-bay occasionally and most guys under 60 won't know what they are. Even more common at one time was knurling the piston skirts to reduce the gap. When I pull knurled pistons from an old motor I know they won't be going back in.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm into my 70's and I've never seen them before (but then again there's a lot that I don't remember anymore).
 
If anyone needs a piston knurled , there is a shop here in Okla. city that still does it, I own A P/C Piston Knurlizer, It is stored with the rest of my relics, it wasn't uncommon to knurl. We used to do a lot of "seasonal use" Engines ,when they were mostly gasoline powered, Such as hay haulers , Irrigation pumps etc.
 
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