Bluing on rods - are they ok?
01-10-2008, 10:16 PM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bluing on rods - are they ok?
Can anyone share some experience with rods? I bought a couple of 454's, one .030 over and one original bores and the rods have some discoloring from heat. The one on the left is pretty much what I'd expect to see, with a little bluing immediately around the pin hub. The one on the right has bluing all the way down to my wife's toothpick. Should this be a cause for concern? I'm not expecting more than about 350hp each, so can I safely run with these for a season?
01-11-2008, 06:39 AM
#2
Registered
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is this a floating or semi-floating pin?
ie does it have circlips holding the wrist pin into the rod or is the rod tight in the rod end and free to float either way in the piston?
Reason I ask is that semi-floating pins are put into heated rod ends and then as the rod cools they are locked into place. This would result in the blueing you are seeing as a normal part of the production process.
If they are fully floating pins ie with circlips and a bush in the rod eye, then you need to remove the pin and inspect the bush. If the bush has worn severly or the oil feed is marginal then this would explain the blueing you are seeing. If the rod is this blue (and is a floating pin design) then I would expect that the small end eye is toast.
ie does it have circlips holding the wrist pin into the rod or is the rod tight in the rod end and free to float either way in the piston?
Reason I ask is that semi-floating pins are put into heated rod ends and then as the rod cools they are locked into place. This would result in the blueing you are seeing as a normal part of the production process.
If they are fully floating pins ie with circlips and a bush in the rod eye, then you need to remove the pin and inspect the bush. If the bush has worn severly or the oil feed is marginal then this would explain the blueing you are seeing. If the rod is this blue (and is a floating pin design) then I would expect that the small end eye is toast.
01-11-2008, 08:45 AM
#3
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is this a floating or semi-floating pin?
ie does it have circlips holding the wrist pin into the rod or is the rod tight in the rod end and free to float either way in the piston?
Reason I ask is that semi-floating pins are put into heated rod ends and then as the rod cools they are locked into place. This would result in the blueing you are seeing as a normal part of the production process.
If they are fully floating pins ie with circlips and a bush in the rod eye, then you need to remove the pin and inspect the bush. If the bush has worn severly or the oil feed is marginal then this would explain the blueing you are seeing. If the rod is this blue (and is a floating pin design) then I would expect that the small end eye is toast.
ie does it have circlips holding the wrist pin into the rod or is the rod tight in the rod end and free to float either way in the piston?
Reason I ask is that semi-floating pins are put into heated rod ends and then as the rod cools they are locked into place. This would result in the blueing you are seeing as a normal part of the production process.
If they are fully floating pins ie with circlips and a bush in the rod eye, then you need to remove the pin and inspect the bush. If the bush has worn severly or the oil feed is marginal then this would explain the blueing you are seeing. If the rod is this blue (and is a floating pin design) then I would expect that the small end eye is toast.
I have the blocks in at machine shop, and the shop owner is new to me, so I don't have a great confidence level with his advice yet. I wanted to get some opinions before I listen to yet another sales pitch from this guy....
01-12-2008, 11:14 AM
#4
Registered
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well for me, blueing of the rods from the small end down to mid rod is quite normal with induction heated rods with a freeze fitted wrist pin. The process is quite variable so I wouldn't worry about it being different from one engine to another.
If the rod was heavily blued around the big end or the small end when fitted with floating pins then I'd worry.
There is no mid rod heat source and your piston all looks fine (no blackened undercrown or ring pack blow by so I'd say all was well.
HTH
If the rod was heavily blued around the big end or the small end when fitted with floating pins then I'd worry.
There is no mid rod heat source and your piston all looks fine (no blackened undercrown or ring pack blow by so I'd say all was well.
HTH
01-12-2008, 12:29 PM
#5
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well for me, blueing of the rods from the small end down to mid rod is quite normal with induction heated rods with a freeze fitted wrist pin. The process is quite variable so I wouldn't worry about it being different from one engine to another.
If the rod was heavily blued around the big end or the small end when fitted with floating pins then I'd worry.
There is no mid rod heat source and your piston all looks fine (no blackened undercrown or ring pack blow by so I'd say all was well.
HTH
If the rod was heavily blued around the big end or the small end when fitted with floating pins then I'd worry.
There is no mid rod heat source and your piston all looks fine (no blackened undercrown or ring pack blow by so I'd say all was well.
HTH
