The ’56 FD-10’s didn’t have needles on the rods small end but if the bushings are worn, they can be replaced.
On these ten horse rods for example, I make the bushings out of 660 bronze and turn the ID slightly under size. After pressing them into the rods, I take them to a machine shop to get them honed to the final size. If you don’t have access to a lathe, you might be able to bribe a friend who has one to spin you some up with a case of brewskies.
