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Engine Specific Info and Questions => IDI Engine => Topic started by: wdkingery on April 05, 2012, 08:42:07 am

Title: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: wdkingery on April 05, 2012, 08:42:07 am
so, i got hastly, didn't clean my ring grooves well enough, hammered a piston in, couldn't get it out, and did this to the connecting rod:
(http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/6106/imag0902.jpg)

can i sand it down and run it?
i'm guessing no.
i got another connecting rod from ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-diesel-Connecting-rod-rods-1-6-81-92-yr-vw-rabbit-dasher-jetta-golf-/130663816275?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e6c2b9c53&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-diesel-Connecting-rod-rods-1-6-81-92-yr-vw-rabbit-dasher-jetta-golf-/130663816275?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e6c2b9c53&vxp=mtr)

will this one work?

can i re use the connecting rod bushing at the small end? (didn't realize it was in there)

also, check for sale thread  :'(
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: somolovitch3 on April 05, 2012, 11:57:56 am
Can You Say , , , , ,, , , ,, , , , , , , ,[bAd things] ?

If the piss-ton will not go up-down-up-down by hand, see above.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: wdkingery on April 05, 2012, 01:18:48 pm
Can You Say , , , , ,, , , ,, , , , , , , ,[bAd things] ?

If the piss-ton will not go up-down-up-down by hand, see above.
lol the obvious has been stated, now on to the questions..
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: maxfax on April 05, 2012, 03:43:38 pm
My biggest worry on that would be that the big end is out of round to some degree.. On another note you may want to check weights on your current set of rods and the replacement rod to make sure they're in the ballpark (I forget how much tolerance they say for these) of one another... AS far as the bushing, they rarely ever have issues and need replacing.. Give it a visual check and stuff a wrist pin in there and see how the fitment is...   Get your eagle eyes on that piston too.. Make sure none of the ring lands have cracked..
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: RabbitJockey on April 05, 2012, 05:58:18 pm
u gotta take that to a machine shop if u wanna re use, they might be able to resize it for you by shaving down the effed up and then reboring the hole.  but i dunno, its probably a paper weight now.  or a cool new shifter haha.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: theman53 on April 05, 2012, 06:01:34 pm
What does the bore look like?
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: ORCoaster on April 05, 2012, 06:54:33 pm
Rule 23.6  Mechanics have wrenches and carpenters have hammers.  Do not cross train.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: pointynoggin on April 05, 2012, 08:49:29 pm
I wouldn't sweat it.  You will need to remove the metal that was deformed above the surface of the bore.  I wouldn't use sand paper because you will remove more than required and in the wrong spots.  I would use a fine sharp  round faced file and use a utility knife blade to check for high spots.

The bearing will distribute the load so the pits will be ok.  Make sure to plastigage it.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: billybobf on April 05, 2012, 09:13:38 pm
you know the rebuild thread for injectors, back when I was building engines, we would de glaze the main caps on a flat plate with like 1k grit sandpaper. could do the same thing, piece of glass and 1k grit paper with some wd40 on it, got a three stone cylinder hone? how about an inside mic or dial bore guage? lol  you could sand the flat surface an side surfaces of the rod, then plasti gauge it?

if there are a few nicks on the bearing surface you could clean them up too? Ive considered a basic cylinder hone to deglaze. even sand caps and deglaze to repair slightly stretched caps but have never tried it.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: pointynoggin on April 06, 2012, 06:44:38 am
I thought the damage was in bearing seat. now I see the damage on the rod/cap mating surface. I'd try the glass plate and sand paper.  You can dye the surface with a sharpie so you can see when you get to the good surface and stop.

Stress wise you should be fine that is a strong part of the rod.

othewise take it and the cap to a machine shop.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: theman53 on April 06, 2012, 07:13:45 am
FWIW, this is what I consider a critical engine part and I wouldn't skimp personally. I would take it to a shop for no other reason than to have peace of mind that it was perfect. Might even have someon to fall back on if it fails, instead of standing there with a hole in your block thinking I shouldn't have done that.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: wdkingery on April 06, 2012, 07:49:45 am
Hey OP here, was curious about the bushing in the skinny end of the rod. Have new rod, don't have new bushing. Can use old bushing?
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: billybobf on April 06, 2012, 08:06:19 am
Probably not normally they are Pressed in but bushings are normally cheap? Like 8 bucks or less plus install
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: ffgb on April 06, 2012, 12:58:09 pm
I would just bring all four rods in to get them resized.  I did that for my rods because I had new ARP rod bolts installed, along with getting the small end re-bushed, cost was $25 for all four.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: wdkingery on April 06, 2012, 04:02:13 pm
Ebay rod had bushing.. All good
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: fatmobile on April 06, 2012, 10:01:20 pm
When you put the piston pin in the rod bushing there should be NO slop.
 They are normally installed and reamed to fit.
 
 The surface area of the bushing is much smaller than the rod bearings, all the same pressures are on the smaller surface area.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: billybobf on April 06, 2012, 11:51:36 pm
just doesnt see the rotation that the big end takes ;)
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: BigVWman on April 07, 2012, 03:36:27 pm
Aren't the rods matched in weight group sets? Was the single the same weight group as the other 3? I'm not sure if its super critical merely mentioning it since i would suspect it could cause unusual engine vibration if diff size.
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: maxfax on April 07, 2012, 03:46:55 pm
Aren't the rods matched in weight group sets? Was the single the same weight group as the other 3? I'm not sure if its super critical merely mentioning it since i would suspect it could cause unusual engine vibration if diff size.

Yes...  Considering these things vibrate anyhow chances are it wouldn't be too noticeable, but not good for anything either.. From past experience I've found that if you are replacing one rod it needs to be at least close to get it matched to the rest..  Don't want to have to take too much material off..
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: wdkingery on April 07, 2012, 05:02:00 pm
Yes Bentley would suggest replacing them in fours even. But he can eat it. I threw that rod on, didn't weigh it, it doesn't vibrate. It runs fine actually. If it runs long term I'm a hero
Title: Re: connecting rod damn-age
Post by: maxfax on April 07, 2012, 05:29:51 pm
I've mixed and matched in the past with no short term ill effects..  They lasted till something else blew apart..  ::)  I must say, the one engine I had balanced (rods were within IIRC 2 grams difference) was amazing smooth...