Hi Guys,

I'm rebuilding my Wife's Verada as it's in need of it.
One of the pistons has some rather bad chips or score marks so I'm replacing the pistons.
All well and good but how the hell do you remove the piston from the rod ?
The manual refers to special tool number 132xyz which no-one has of course.
It just looks like a drift and a rest to plonk the piston on so you can hammer the crap out of it.
Well, since I don't have the special tool, I tried a lump of wood with a hole drilled in it as a rest and a large bolt as a drift.
I've given the pin some reasonably hard belts but nothing's moving. It's supposed to be a press fit....
Do I need special tool number 132xyz, a bigger hammer, or maybe a proper hydraulic press ??

Comments most welcome. I don't want to break things if I can avoid it :tired:

Regards,
Brad.

Did my brothers with a press when i overhauled it.
Found a steel rod that fitted to help press them out so did not use the special tool.
Might be a tough job with hammer and may damaged the new pistons when you assemble them on the conrod. Vee

Thanks veeone !
I was hoping that wasn't going to be the response but I'm not keen on beating the tripe out of them with a hammer either, so it makes sense.
I've got to say that the manual isn't very helpful given its size. I thought it would have better descriptions and details for various things than it does.

I'll have a squiz on ebay for a press.

They are a floating fit in the piston but the gudgeon pin is an interference fit in the conrod. Needs a press with the right attachments to replace the pistons, any other way will just distort the pistons or damage the rods. Take it to a workshop, they have been doing this job for years. Only motorcycle and lawnmower gudgeon pins are held in by circlips these days.

PS new pistons in old bores - not a good idea, unless you have an internal micrometer and check the bores for roundness, wear etc - better to go the whole way, rebore and new rings as well.

Oddly the bores seem to be in great shape. I've measured them and things seem to be within spec as best I can tell.
New pistons, rings, bearings and fingers crossed. :-)

Just a quick follow-up, we're going to have the block bored +20 thou, so new pistons and rings should be good.
Also I've ordered a $200 press, so should have no problems sorting the pistons and anything else I need to 'squash'....
Been wanting one for a while as they do come in handy for some other stuff I do that previously got the air hammer treatment :-)

Just a quick follow-up, we're going to have the block bored +20 thou, so new pistons and rings should be good.
Also I've ordered a $200 press, so should have no problems sorting the pistons and anything else I need to 'squash'....
Been wanting one for a while as they do come in handy for some other stuff I do that previously got the air hammer treatment :-)

If you are getting a workshop to do the rebore, get them to do the piston/conrod bit too, won't cost you any extra. Usually they measure the new piston, and bore the cylinder to match, and measure the conrods for square and bigend distortion while the old pistons are off. So that way, each piston has the correct clearance once assembled. They usually number the conrods for you so the pistons go in the correctly matched bores. Even with a press, you need the right pressing plates or you will distort the pistons or conrod little ends.

Thanks 'MadMax', I'll see what they can do for us.
Just trying to find one local that isn't a ripoff.
Due to my own circumstances I tend to do all work myself as I can't get out and about to workshops and the like.
Things have changed a lot in the last 20 years and there aren't so many of those corner workshops left in business.