travis wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2019 6:57 am
It ended up being a $75 difference between properly rebuilding these vs a set of Scat rods set up for floating pins. The price difference included checking sizing on both ends. Plus it saved a few $$$ being able to assemble the rods/pistons myself
You probably made the best decision.
FWIW, on OEM pressed pin rods, nothing can be done about the small end dimension; it's OK or it's not. They're usually good for at least one reuse. That is, unless some numbnuts heated the small end enough to remove the pin; seen it happen.
Jack Vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Obsolete Engineering
In this day and age the issue with re-building a set of stock rods makes no sense at all.
We life in a new age of manufacturing ability that allows us to use a ready made product that is of better quality
compared to the part that needs replacement/repair. While most shops still recon rods for stock stuff for guys
it makes no sense to turn away the work. But trying to sell a set of rods to some guys that really should go that way
can be a hard sell. I never use stock rods for any build that a common aftermarket rod can be had as a replacement.
Balancing is closer so that saves time and cost and the end result is a better over all quality finished product.
Most rods are off shore to some degree regardless so the issue really comes down to end user cost and quality desired
If I was doing a completely stock or near stock rebuild and never planned on leaning on it or ever upgrading it, then I could see rebuilding the stock rods...maybe. The cost ended up being a wash considering that I don’t have to pay for pressing the pistons. I think it was a win for both of us...better quality rod at the same price for me, quick turn and burn for the machine shop since he is mostly a one man operation with plenty of other work to do.
He did say the lengths, small and big end sizes, and weights was almost dead consistent across all 8 rods, just needed a quick pass with a hone on the small end to knock a small burr off the bushings ends that was left from the factory machining process.
Personally I do not see any up side to even a stock build. When you think about the cycles any stock rod has seen in its life
and that the cost to replace the bolts with a good quality replacement set as well as resize the rod and correct any over press fit the small end has makes it not cost effective.
Don't get me wrong but any customers that want stock rods done I don't turn them away. But as 1 example of recent comes to mind was a 5.9 cummins. The rods are a tough deal to resize with the key style locating lugs on opposite sides on the big end. And the wedge shaped pin bushings that require a special driver set and about an hour per rod to do + OE bolts and bushings. I still get guys that want to do it that way and will not even think about getting new rods so my time is what it is
New OEM rods are $90 per my cost so I just sell new rods for the cost of a reman rod. And no worries about them having
issues
Easy with proper tools. I've done thousands. I'll tell you how to make the tools if you want.
It is very useful to be able to alter the length, since the many different styles of piston sometimes have differing pin heights.
I UNDERSTAND the point of view. I think the same thing about hardware, no downsides to a better nut....say, but hardware is very standardized,
The problem IMO, is just inventing new problems.
The old rods are a known quantity, you know what is right and wrong about them.
Different rods will may or may not have different problems, with the side clearance, or locating tangs, or balance, or sizes, or length or clearance
or availability of specifications and future replacement parts.
If you want to kind of "specialize"....... in one or a half dozen particular combos, then figuring that all out may be no problem at all, but on a -case by case- basis, if the engine is unique, or unique to you..... I believe it is far more wise to....... don't fix what ain't broke.
