Well first, welcome, as I just joined CHR also. I don't normally assemble my own rotating assembly, but the last time I did, I ended up with about the same problem. Just a different number piston and rod assembly. So off to the machine shop I went, to find out I had an out of round rod cap, caused by me ! ! Not to say that is your problem, but something to consider. I guess when I went to assemble the bearing slightly turned and ...... Well things didn't go well from there.