f-head damage cylinder 1

So i was re-assembling my original f-head today preparing to bring it to the second rebuilding shop, I went to install piston #1 and saw there were two gouges equally spaced and about 4 inches long from head to bottom of the block in the cylinder wall on one side where the wrist pin looks like it may have contacted. What would cause a wrist pin to slide loose and contact the cylinder wall?

A little history: I had the engine bored, decked and assembled by a local guy that is used to working on modern engines. He did a fine job with the machining but the engine spun a rod bearing immediately upon startup, my uncle listened to the engine idling and tipped me off to the spun bearing idea. I brought the engine back and we opened it up, turns out he had installed a bearing that was too small. Its also possible I didnt properly prime the oil pump before startup. I ended up getting a running f-head from The Dude on this site and tore down my original while I looked for a place with experience in antique engines. I didnt notice the gouges until today so im wondering if the first rebuilder never told me or if the damage happened back when I had started it for the first time.

 

Hmm Im going to pull that one out again tonight and investigate this a little further. The pin could be sliding in and out of the bolted part of the rod like you said. I hope its that simple. Looks like the cylinders will need to be bored. Ill try and get a good picture of the damage.

 

If the engine was assembled with any amount of decent lubricant the pump priming thing is not the problem... As you found, the wrong bearing is the problem... You need a builder that will pay attention to details, modern/ancient, engines are only as good as how much care goes into putting it together... How deep are these "gouges"? If it wasn't run long and there wasn't a lot of heat or pressure applied they could be a very minor unimportant thing... Does your finger nail catch in them or are they just grey/dark streaks in the iron?
Good luck with your rebuild...

 

@doublebit

The gouges are deep in #1 cylinder and can definitely be felt with a finger. #3 cylinder are as you describe and can be seen but not felt. I pulled piston #1 and upon loosening the rod from the wrist pin it was tightly fastened. I assume it was improperly installed. I later talked to the builder and he agreed to come to me (at a later date) and assess the damage. He insists that "something must have come loose" to cause the damage.

At this point, considering he had not installed the correct rod bearing combined with this latest discovery, when he is able to see the damage for himself, I will (kindly) insist that my money be refunded or else I am fully prepared to take this to small claims court. I hope he will be reasonable and give me the money back before it gets more serious.

I have since found an in state company that specializes in antique engines from model T's to Packard's to muscle cars. They have an impressive shop and collection with high end clients. They routinely pre-prime the engines with break-in oil and run them to ensure no problems.

 

And why I always put my own engines together. 134's are very simple and with maybe $150 worth of engine tools and 4 hours work you would be done with it. OK, maybe 8 hours if it's your first. An engine stand makes assembly much easier but is not necessary. All the instructions you need are very well detailed in the FSM.

And when it does get messed up, it's a lot easier to find the guilty party but the reparations part is still problematic.