I'm curious, Hugh, how many miles are on the engine in your 58? Reason I ask
is so we can have an idea of how much wear there is on the wrist pins.
You're at the stage where you'll have to decide whether to replace the
original pistons and bore the block, or just do a basic ring and bearing
job. I expect cylinder bore wear will be very slight on your engine, but
rings go bad for various reasons, including overheating, which IIRC you had
a problem with. Only reason I bring this up that on some motors, you can
have a problems with the wrist pin slapping. This can be anything from a
slight knock at idle or under acceleration to risking having the piston
break and then scoring or breaking the cylinder walls! Unfortunetly, new
pistons and wrist pins, plus having them pressed on are one of the larger
expenses in a total rebuild. Yet, if the mileage isn't too high on your 58,
it may not even be a concern. If wrist pin wear is a problem but you don't
want to bore a decent block, standard size replacements should also be
available.
Usually a major concern mainly on high mileage/abused motors, but should be
considered in any rebuild.
Phil <><
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hugh & Therese" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Imperial Mailing List" <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2003 11:42 PM
Subject: IML: Life with an Imperial
> Life with an Imperial is never dull. In great condition you still have to
> deal with all the puzzled admiration from gawpers. What is that? How
could
> something that great exist without me knowing about it? If, like mine,
the
> experience is less rosy, you still have to realize that life with a "bad"
> Imperial is still better than with a "good" alternative. There is an
> indefinable something that just makes having one more pleasure than pain.
>
> Just because I have decided I can no longer avoid the major work that I
have
> known for some time my car needs does not mean, I hope, that I am giving
up
> on the old girl. We have come so far together and had more good times
than
> maybe we should have, but this ain't quitting time.
>
> Ernie Stepney has been sending me some great pictures of his two "new"
58s.
> I sure hope he sends me a bunch of taking the engine out of one of them,
> rebuilding it and then installing it into the other. What great timing
for
> me as I anticipate, with some dread, I confess, more or less the same
task.
> I simply have too many obligations and not enough resources yet to
> accomplish what needs to be done on the Imperial. This will change. I
will
> be the biggest braggart in Texas once I get the job done. Even worse than
I
> am now! You have been warned!
>
> Hugh
>
>
>
>
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