Update on the Rods.... From Jerry (In a another forum post)
"During Wrenchfest we discovered that the connecting rods on John's engine left a lot to be desired, both in the condition of the Babbit bearings, and the fit on the crankshaft. The crank isn't exactly round, either. I've been doing some number crunching in the shop specification catalogs, and it's looking like insert type rod bearings for a Farmall Cub tractor can be adapted to the rods, and the crank can be ground to fit the bearings for the proper clearance. The next time the engine needs to be rebuilt, if ever, it will be a simple matter to just replace rod bearings- - - -not fight with shims and Plastigauge and hope the oil clearance will be right. It also looks like the connecting rod oiling system might be able to be upgraded to resemble the spray tube and dipper system similar to what's on a 216 or a spray oiler 235 without making any modifications that would be visible from the outside."
More from Jerry:
"It looks like two of the Cub rod bearings will fit side by side in the Chevy rod, with a groove left between them for oil flow from the dipper hole in the rod cap as it goes through the trough in the oil pan at the bottom of each stroke. I'll add permanently-mounted brass thrust washers to both sides of the rod caps to keep the rods centered on the crank journals. "Standard" Cub rod bearings are the same diameter as the original 4 cylinder Chevy crankshaft, with 10 , 20, and 30 undersizes available. The two sets of Farmall Cub rod bearings needed to do the job will cost just under $100.00. Compare that to the cost of getting somebody to re-pour the rods, if anybody will even attempt to do that anymore!
"Now on to the next project- - - -main bearings!"
