Would you guys reuse this piston?

So for those of you not aware, my Alfa 164 24V has been off the road for a while with a crankshaft that will not rotate a full 360° in either direction. I found the culprit- a bent conrod. It caused the piston to hit the crankshaft when turning it. You can see more pictures in my build thread.

I'm obviously going to need a new connecting rod. The question I have is, do you think the piston can be reused? You can see the damage just below the wrist pin holes on the bottom of the piston, plus a little on the back side of the skirt. The dome, rings, outer piston skirt, and piston liner are all in good shape and have no damage. Otherwise, I will need to get a new piston and piston liner. They come as a matched set when bought new. I'm having trouble sourcing a used set.

Alfissimo: Alfa 164 24V piston liner + piston

Custom pistons and liners would be nice but beyond the scope of what I'm doing here. This WAS supposed to be a winter daily, not a race car.

I wouldn't. Who knows what you can't see. The kind of force that can taco a rod like that.... Can do wicked damage.

New parts for $200? Go new. You're building a high strung Italian engine. That $200 buys a lot of peace of mind, in my book.

Heck no.

Maybe the pic is deceiving, but I'd be most worried about the wrist pin hole. That surface has some funky wear on it.

New pistons are in your future.

How much would rebuilding your rebuilt-with-damaged-piston cost? Two hunnert chips is small price for big piece of mind.

I'd use that piston, for a paperweight.

OK, new it is, lol! No harm in asking, right?

I would reuse this piston. As an ashtray. You could use it like a normal person or you could insert your cigar in the sides through the piston pin holes. Yup, thats what I would do.

So, any idea what caused that conrod to get bent in the first place?

Engine inhaled some water (or coolant leak in that cylinder)?

It hydrauliced hard enough to bend a steel conrod. What are the odds of the aluminum piston being pristine?

Kenny_McCormic wrote: I'd use that piston, for a paperweight.

or ash tray

If i knew what was going on with that wrist pin hole (what is going on in there ) and the motor wasnt a gigantic PITA i would reuse that piston.

But im guessing that motor is not the cheapest (gaskets wise) or easiest to put a piston in. So i'd just buy the new one.

New. Kinda goes along with the whole, "While I'm in here I might as well..."

RexSeven wrote: OK, new it is, lol! No harm in asking, right?

I've seen worse actually get reused, no harm at all.

clutchsmoke wrote: New. Kinda goes along with the whole, "While I'm in here I might as well..."

In fact if you don't do the "might as well" issues now, you'll like do them and a lot more soon. "Pay me now or pay me later."

Brett_Murphy wrote: New parts for $200? Go new. You're building a high strung Italian engine. That $200 buys a lot of peace of mind, in my book.

bonus points for correct use of peace rather than "piece"

Yes, better to self-extort yourself now with defeatist thinking so you dont inevitably lose later which you know you will. Hahahahahhaha