Kyjeepin

so I having to rebuild my xj and just gotta get my wrist pins in I was wondering if anybody out there knows a good way to make sure there in there right

Kyjeepin

or does it even matter if they go back in perfect any info or links to get some better knowledge would be great. only go to enjoy xj for about 55 miles before it kicked it

skife

Call a local engine machine shop, shouldn't be to expensive to have it done right.v

Kyjeepin

No place around here will touch em

Nick-B

There are quite a few videos on YouTube and most of them are good examples of how NOT to install the wrist pins to the rods.

To answer your question, no, the rod does not have to be absolutely, positively centered dead nuts to the thousandth on the wrist pin but should be as close to center as humanly possible.

I just installed new pistons and pins on a 460 Ford but the procedure is the same. Before removing the old pistons I made a simple positioning jig based on the position of the old piston to pin with the rod slid all the way to one side. I used a heavy plywood base about a foot square with a 6" long 2x4 scrap screwed vertically on one end and a lag screw thru the 2x4 at the same height as the wrist pin centerline with the top of the piston flat against the plywood and slid against the 2x4. I adjusted the lag screw so the head of it touched the wrist pin. Sorry, I didn't make a video or take pictures but I'm sure you can figure it out. If you've already removed the rods from the old pistons & pins then I'm not sure what to recommend.

I did not try to assemble all by myself. I had my brother heat the small end of the rod with an oxy-acetylene torch (propane would take forever but a MAP gas torch would be OK) and another friend testing the temp with a temp gun. We ended up settling at 500 degrees as that gives enough time to install without worrying about the rod grabbing the pin too soon. Some people recommend heating until the rod end turns blue, or worse red(!!!) but that is simply way hotter than needed. I already had the new piston on the fixture with the pin started in the piston. Once the rod end was to temp I held it in position against the inside edge if the piston and slid the pin all the way thru up against the stop. It took exactly 5 seconds for the rod to cool down and grab the pin. DO NOT bother putting the pins in the freezer. I measured with a micrometer and they don't shrink at normal household freezer temps, plus then you are fighting against frost forming on the surface of the pin making assembly matters worse.

Make sure you keep the rods positioned correctly. They have a forward side that needs to match forward on the pistons. I put arrows on everything with a felt marker before starting to keep myself honest during assembly.

Hope that helps!