Installing Rod Bearings

[Ares]

Can someone please confirm how these go on. I don't remember how they came off and the wording in the manual still has me wondering. Plus I'm paranoid about messing something up.

From the Ford manual.

12.CAUTION:
When assembling the connecting rods and connecting rod caps, it is imperative that bearing slots and tangs be located on the same side of the connecting rods.

This is what I think it means and the way they're supposed to go.

Or do they go like this.

I appreciate any input.

 

[Ares]

OK I decided to just take a guess and put them on the way they're lined up in the first pic. Hopefully I'm right. It looked like they should go on that way so I'll see soon enough if it works out.

So I put the pistons in as well with the new clevite bearings, got clevite mains too btw, and it was kind of a pita. Not at all as easy as I thought it would be. Put new rings on too and maybe it was the compressor I used but it took me a good while to get them down the cylinders. A couple times I got one piston stuck at the top because the rings weren't fully compressed. In the process I broke compression ring number 2. And if breaking it once wasn't bad enough I broke it again! Talk about getting pissed.

All in all it was a messy tedious kind of job but I got through it and that part of this rebuild is over. I took a compression ring from the original set and threw it on to replace the one I broke. I think I'll be ok. Has this ever happened to anyone else I wonder? A couple more pics of where I'm at.

Broke compression rings.

Pistons, rings, bearings installed.

 

[Bugzuki]

According to what you posted from the Ford manual, it sounds like you got them on the right way, as in the first set of pictures.

It is probably not optimal to put in a used ring, but much better then a broken one. It will probably be fine, as long as there was nothing wrong with that piston in the first place.

Good luck on the build, hope someone more knowlegdable about the lower end speaks up.

 

[fred22]

hi buddy just to let u know that the first pictures with the notches or grooves in the connecting rod and cap that line up IS the correct way just to ease your mind, i can guarantee that one as ive done it on my car as well as my rebuilt engine and i made sure i studied them as well as put them on the correct way when taking them off and putting them on, yes your right it can get tricky when thinking about it but if you take pics of this on your camera phone before you take them off u can have like a reference when comming to refitting them and u can see how it should go, but yeah if u have done them like in the first picture with the groove lined up then its perfect as to how they go back on, hope this helps

 

[fred22]

also on the rings as ive just read more of your post the rings being used from before isnt the best but as said above its better than using a broken one, the reason its broke on you is like u said u didnt fully compress the spring, u shouldnt force it down with your hammer it should be tapped down with your handle on your rubber mallet or wooden hammer handle if this makes sense, if u feel like it stops and it doesnt want to go down further then the ring isnt fully compressed and if u force it it bends the ring and then breaks it as u showed on the pictures, u should be fine as sometimes those stupid rings can cost $$$ from fords but as said should be fine