1945 2N engine full rebuild. New sleeves, pistons and rings
Main and rod bearings, crank turned and line bored, and new
valves with adjustable lifters
Question is on my rod caps. I kept the caps with the same rods,
but I just realized that I didn't keep track of which way the caps
go on the rods. Do the bearing notches go opposite of each
other? I cant find anything in the manual. Also some time in its
life it has had the caps rearranged. None of the cap numbers
match the rods and I have two number 2 caps.
If it matters or not the crank was ground .020 under for the rods
and I have the correct bearings for them. Mains done and
installed but I haven't plastigaged the rods yet.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Corey
 
If you had to rods/caps trued up, you better keep them the way they are. If not you will have to install them and carefully rotate the crank after each one to check.
You'll know if you get one on backwards; ie don't force it.

On 70 year old engines that could have been rebuilt numerous time and parts swapped, anything is possible. I have seen them with the bearing slots all aligned, all opposite, and a mismatch of each.

The 8N i did last winter had to bearing slots line up and two that were opposite. It sported FORD STD bearings, both rods and mains. Can't say if it shipped from MI that way or not. Good luck.
 
If you look at bearing insert notches, you will see that the notched part of insert butts against the rod/rod cap. Trying to rotate the insert one way pushes tab against the rod/cap iron and stops any attempted spin of the insert. The other way will try to spin the tab up the slope/ramp. You don't want it to spin! If the other half (rod or cap) has tab on same side, then the insert pair is locked from spinning in either direction. However, if tabs are on opposite sides, then you will see that they both act to prevent spinning in same direction, but both want to spin up the slope/ramp in the other direction. The answer is, both on same side of rod.
 
I asked a similar question and got the response that "The rods should have a number stamped on them and standard practice is for the number go to the camshaft side of the engine. The numbers may be hard to read but they should be there. "
I could barely see the numbers but they were there. Cant help you with having 2 number two's
 
At this point, you need to pack up the rods and have the machine shop verify cap installation and size and "out of round" of the "big ends".

Everything else is top-notch and ONE cap swapped or installed backwards will destroy the engine (at the very least that rod and crank journal) and fill the engine and oil passages full of metal filings.

Have you already had them checked for straightness, and had new "small end" bushings installed and sized?

Now is NOT the time to save a few bucks and guess (unless you have a good bore gauge/inside mic. and know how to use it precisely)!
 
The insert tabs go on the same side.

Left side of the engine. Piston marks forward.

Zane
 

When I did my rebuild. I took the block with sleeves in it, the crankshaft, head, and the rods to the machine shop. He reconditioned the rods, line bored the block, new sleeves, new valve seats, and seated the valves, My rod caps had been mixed up although it had original bearings in it. Only reason for rebuild was a horrible knock. I plastiguaged everything and checked every clearance and it went together like a hand in a glove. Although I had to do some work on the head to get it to clear the pistons. The dremmel was my best friend for hours.
 
(quoted from post at 22:05:59 09/17/14)
When I did my rebuild. I took the block with sleeves in it, the crankshaft, head, and the rods to the machine shop. He reconditioned the rods, line bored the block, new sleeves, new valve seats, and seated the valves, My rod caps had been mixed up although it had original bearings in it. Only reason for rebuild was a horrible knock. I plastiguaged everything and checked every clearance and it went together like a hand in a glove. Although I had to do some work on the head to get it to clear the pistons. The dremmel was my best friend for hours.
ut..........Bob has it correct. Since so much has been "mixed", it would be best to have those rods re-sized & marked with a clean start.
 
Have the rods reconditioned as should be done in any event.

If the machine shop does not mark the caps after reconditioning, do so before reassembly.

Dean
 

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