Hot Rods Connecting rod screw up

I tore my 322 Nailhead engine apart and had the heads and block machined. Had the connecting rods and caps laid out in the order that they pulled ready for to be installed. Not knowing any better my wife was moving things in the garage and placed them in a box to get them out of the way so she wouldn't damage them. Well now I have no idea what caps go with what rods. I knew I should of stamped them when I pulled them out. So do I have to by new rods? Can I salvage the ones I have? I was told that if the caps don't go back in with the correct rods that they will fail. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Would you be able to take them to the machine shop and have them resized?

 

Wondering if that can be done?

 

I've had to sort out rod caps, it's a lot of work but can be done.

Try each cap on each rod until you find the one that fits right. You'll probably have to torque them to make sure. When they're right, you won't feel the parting line between cap and rod, both in the bore and on the sides (thrust surface).

have fun!

You needed to get them resized anyways...

 

Also, look for machining marks inside to help you match them up.

 

What he said but seriously use a magnifying gl***...bin there dun that..it works...

 

I have guys bring me a box of mixed up rod parts all the time and I've got pretty good at matching them up. If you are careful and have a good eye you can do it with a process of elimination, you don't even have to torque them, best place to look first is at the champher and then the wear marks that may be on the side. You can do it!

 

Why was your wife cleaning the garage anyways? Just kidding, you can do it it just takes patience. Squirrel is right though you should have them resized.


Tim

 

Thanks guys. You've given me hope. I will atempt to match them up tomorrow. Appreciate all the help.

 

Yeah I asked my wife that same question. Her response was "I didn't want to knock your parts over so I put them in a box"

 

You should put all her shoes in a box, mixed up, so she knows what it's like. lol..

 

yes after you get them sorted out get them checked and resized. not redoing the big ends is the biggest mistake i see when some one builds a motor.

 

I have extensive experience with rods being carried in with the story that "some guy in the shop mixed them up" or, one of my favorites, I have one rod with the wrong cap.... those people I would look at quizzically.

Well to sort them out it may be easily done by you without going to the machine shop. As a previous poster said, look for machining marks. I have not rebuild nailhead rods in a while so I do not recall if they are machined by honing from the factory. If so you can easily do it with a magnifying gl***. Lay the rods and caps out and arbitrarily grab a rod & cap. With the bolts still in the rod slide the cap on, seat it (remember bearing notch to bearing notch) and look at the honing scratches, You will typically see one or so scratches in either the cap or rod that are prominent, see if the rod & cap line matches up. No match??? Grab another cap and continue on until you have a match. It usually can be done in less than an hour and believe me honing marks are SO random that you will get a match between a rod & cap that matches.

If the rods were bored from the factory it can be more difficult due to the machining marks having such a shallow angle. If this is the case and you are getting nowhere you may have to take them to a machine shop where they can be ***embled by working with a rod and installing caps one by one and checking them with either a bore gauge or a Sunnen side gauge.

If you get hung up I can sort them and even recondition the rods if needed.

 

Good luck with the Rod match up.

What are you putting the Nailhead in?

 

I've done what has been described many times. when I had my engine shop it seemed at least once a month some green horn would come in with a box of rods and caps that weren't matched. I would just clean the bores and start asembling them one cap at a time on a rod until I got the machine/hone marks to match up and go on to the next. Just hold your magnifying gl*** real close to the parting line on both sides of the rod and when you get a match it will jump right out at you. Even if your replacing the rod bolts and resizing the rods its best to have the origional matched pieces to start with.

Frank

 

Wel I got myself a magnafying gl*** and was able to match the caps up in just under an hour. The machine marks we very distinctive once the correct cap was with the correct rod. Fit like puzzel pieces. Just want to say thanks to everyone for the help. Satarday I'll start putting the engine together.

 

Stamp them next time. Lippy