connecting rods

[JoeGrapes]

I'm changing the pistons in my 440. Going from stock re-build to KB's. I pressed the old one's off the rods already with a press I have at work. Has anyone heated up the pin end of the rod to expand it so you can push the pin in by hand, or is it better to press it in with a press? Or should I hone it for a slip fit and use floating pins? Just a street 440 in my '70 Cuda with about mid 400's HP when I finished.

[jelsr]

Definitly do not hone the small end. If you want to use 990 pins (chev) you can have the small end bushed but I am not sure the KB's offer the 990 pin option like most of the forged ones do. Pressing the pins back in is OK if you have access to a fixture that keeps the pressure on the rod and not the piston. Pressing against the opposite side of the piston is iffy at best. I use a melted lead pot like the plumbers used to use for heating them up and it works very well also. The floating pin setup is hard to justify unless you are after the lightest setup possible, as it is not cheap, and the gain is slight.