Wrist pins, pressed cold or heated?

Just curoius are the the wrist pins pressed into (and out of) the rods with the rods cold or heated? I want to remove a set of pistons (they're not being reused) from my rods and possibly installing the new pistons myself. I've done a little research and found some information about installing pistons on the rods by heating the rods on a Ford bulletin board so, was wondering if it's safe to press the pins cold (to remove them) or will it gall the rod ends? I mean how do they do it at machine shops?---------Hans

When I worked at a machine shop we pressed them out cold and installed them hot

cemeyer said:

When I worked at a machine shop we pressed them out cold and installed them hot

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Thanks! Here's a link to the info I mentioned earlier: http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/all-ford-techboard/476395-wrist-pin-installation.html And oh, I posted this same question in the OEM tech section because, I couldn't find it again and figuered it didn't go through.......I'm an idiot! :dunno:-----------Hans

If you heat the rod, the hole gets bigger and the pin slides right in. Which is what you want.

That's usually how it's done. It's specified (for us) as a 2,000# press-fit; they're usually removed cold, and the small end is put in a rod heater to expand the hole for installation.

I sometimes wonder about shifting to a floating gudgeon pin, tho. Worked well enough for SBC, BBC, MOPAR, ... It's just usually pressed-in so they don't have to do an oiling hole or machine the piston bore for locks.

Thanks guys, I'm going to give it a whirl ...... Only 2000 lb press fit? Dosen't seem like alot. I'd bet it'd make a real mess of the cylinder wall if a pin walked out. I like full floating pins better for the security the pin locks offer---------Hans