Con Rod question

[C Body Bob]

I bought the smallblock Magnum 5.9 rods off the net. They are supposed to be resized on both ends. However when I got them they have the heat marks at the small end. Looks like they where heated with a torch to help push the pins out. So do you guys think these rods where damaged. Plan to use them in my new race motor & spin to 6000-6500.

 

[Big_John]

I think they're OK. I've heated rods to assemble them for years. An engine builder I know, whose engines have set some Bonneville records, showed me how to do it. It eliminates any chance of galling the pin as it presses through the rod and then slides into the piston. A galled pin will tear up a piston.

In a perfect world, they shouldn't be heated more than 400F with an electric rod heater and should not have any discoloration (the blue) but it happens if someone is doing it with a torch. If the whole end of the rod was blue, I'd be concerned.

 

[C Body Bob]

I was going to take them to my machine shop anyway just to be sure & have him check them over good. I plan to polish them. I weighed them at 721 grams. And a stock early poly 318 Rod I have which are known to be lite came in at 695.

 

[Wollfen]

I was going to take them to my machine shop anyway just to be sure & have him check them over good. I plan to polish them. I weighed them at 721 grams. And a stock early poly 318 Rod I have which are known to be lite came in at 695.

Get them shot peened too for reliability, with all sharp edges rounded off it minimizes the chance of any cracking.

 

[C Body Bob]

Yes I plan to do a little grinding on them

 

[65sporty]

I think Goodsen has a rod heater that's propane fired and that would blue the end like that

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I would use them but shot peening them is not cost effective and most likely not being done properly, takes special equipment, bead blasting is not the same. and all that effort could have bought new rods with no cycles on them, grind them and put the lightest pistons you can find and turn it to 7000. My 2 cents.

 

[C Body Bob]

I already bought KB107's. Got them from the net too. Brand new. Still in the box

 

[moper]

They're not usually heated to get the pins off - only to get them back in. That one doesn;t look too bad honestly. Howevefr, you might want to consider a set of 273 rods. They are lighter, plenty strong, and have the bushings to run them full floating. Just a thought...