Re: connecting rod applications

Posted by Tim Cole On 2012/8/12 9:35:26

Dear Babbitt

I hope these rods are loose stock and not part of an engine because these number indicate different series rods. If they are part of an engine then I assume that is why it requires service.

For motors with babbitt bearings individual rods could be purchased as replacements. Substitution of insert bearing rods was an authorized repair for 7th through 11th series cars, but they were sold in sets. Of course cheating would occur.

For cars with insert bearings, the numbers should thus match, but for cars with poured bearings they do not have to match. By matched set there are two number sets, one for odd cylinders and the other for even cylinders. On the twelve one number for left bank and one number for right bank. These numbers are different by one.

Things get even more foggy because Packard listed babbitt bearing rod assemblies for 12th series cars.

Now, if the car has babbitt bearings the casting numbers denote the original bearing size (std, .001, .002 etc), so they need only weigh the same and be congruent. When new the cars had matched sets as noted above.

If the car has insert bearings the numbers should be a matched set.

I assume in the case of bearing burnout the replacement would have the same number if purchased through Packard, but after WWII who knows what would have been going into those motors.

Hope this helps.