Life got in the way but I've made some progress on the 543 build. I know where people are gonna fuss but a machinist's sense of touch is pretty good.

The good news is that mom is recovering from her heart taking a little time off.
The bad news is that my friend's mother wasn't as fortunate. If there's a silver lining here, it's that I was able to handle the immediate situation and tidy up afterwards so the family's memories would not include the unsightly bit.


Anyway, on to the show. I can't wait to get roasted for this one.

I'm not qualified to roast you for any machining, but I am qualified to express my respect for handling that other stuff.
Good on ya, Feets.

another good part of the story !

There will likely be holes in computer screens from people throwing stuff at me for the way I fit the pins. There is a tolerance and I wasn't set up to hone the rods.

I can feel the difference in fit between less than a thousandths clearance and more than 2-1/2 thousandths. One starts to feel like an interference fit (like I started with) and the other starts to get a little wiggle in it.
Street engines usually want about a thou on and race engines get up around 2 thou depending on material and builder. What I've got should be just fine for this application.