Jump to content

Model B conrods


pvmw

Recommended Posts

I wondered if someone might advise me...................

 

I'm restoring a 1916 Maxwell, and recently dropped the sump for a look inside.  I found two strange things,  The first was a sock.  OK, its a sock.  I can live with that!  The second was that all the rods had been shortened at some time in the past by heating them and then compressing them, such that there is a bulge in the middle.  Quite bizarre, I've never seen anything like it.  I suspect it was done when someone changed the pistons to alloy, the crown height was different so the rods were shortened - apparently by a blacksmith of large biceps and small brain (tho' to be fair, to have got them all the same length and true in both axes is quite an achievement).

 

However, I don't want to risk using them so I'm looking for an alternative.  I first thought Model A, the length (7 1/2 inches) is about right but the journals are too small. However, I think the Model B rod has 1 7/8 inch Big Ends which would be very close. Could someone please tell me the dimensions of a Model B rod, length between centres, big end and small end journal diameter and big end width?

 

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The overall length is 9.562" and the crankshaft end is1.872" ID. The model A rods have an overall length 9.312 and 1.497 id at the crank end. I found these dimensions in the Green Book (1928-1948 Ford Chassis Parts Catalog) and cannot give you the center to center measurements.

 

I hope that this helps you.

 

Are you sure that the bulge was not from the factory? It seems to me that it would be easier to find pistons with the wrist pin located in the correct place for the rods than to shorten 4 rods by heating them and shrinking them. That process has so many issues that have to be resolved, that I find it hard to believe that someone would take it on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that.  The journal dia. fits, but if the overall length is different then maybe the centre to centre dimension is different.  I'll need to find out what it is.  I don't think the factory would have done anything quite as messy as shown in the photo below. All the rods have been done , but all are different so they weren't done on a jig or anything like that.  It is hard to believe, but I think someone must have done it to be able to use new alloy pistons.

 

20151116_181052_zpsdvajfcr9.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...