So I picked up a 440 block and it came disassembled with some rods with pistons mounted. The pistons appear to be old Speed Pro / FM L2355's 0.040" over. The block is standard bore, so this is really just a box of parts. The pistons look like they've got next to zero time on them, guessing that a cam wiped or something else caused serious bearing wear, and the crank was pulled. The pistons/rods must have been stored somewhere that they either got wet, or just condensation over years got to them. The pins now don't move, so I'm wondering if there is any way to remove the pins without damaging the pistons any further. Ugly pics:
440_Piston-01 by clair_davis, on Flickr
440_Piston-02 by clair_davis, on Flickr
440_Piston-03 by clair_davis, on Flickr

My initial thought is to hit the pins with some PB Blaster and see if they will loosen up. If they'll budge, heat the rod and press them out. Open to suggestions - this is mostly an operation to see if the pistons can be saved, but they're not parts I'll be using myself.

Thanks,

Clair