Ok we are just cleaning up some , what we believe are 390 connecting rods, (for wedding reception decor.)
and we came across one that has a copper tone to it. so far all the others are not like this.
casting numbers on one side are C6AE-C on the other side, from the piston side down are 72 L B24

Why would it be copper toned and appears to be cast soild, not just a coating??
The bolts for the connecting rod cap, look to be 3/8 fine thread and neck down to .346 dia.

just looking for more information

 

There was a thread talking about this long ago.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...or-damage.html

Not sure if the other links still work.

 

thanks for the reply.

The resizing does make a lot of sense.
Would it be possible that the foundry would cast some with more copper to them for racing applications??

 

No. Copper would weaken the rod.

 

Copper is way too soft to do much with in any kind of thickness.
I used to run a full set of copper sprayed rods in my 428 yrs ago. Sure looked purdy before I bolted the pan on. I think I still have them in a box somewhere after I put a set of Lemans rods in it later on.

 

well yes pure copper would be way to soft.... but was just wondering about a blended mix or brass blend to give that reddish hue?

 

The rods are forged steel, the copper you see is probably "plating" to bring up a weight or thickness spec that was just out of the margins. Another reference, similar to the prior post links, from Barry Rabotnick's FE book, caption right side bottom of page 56:

https://books.google.com/books?id=q_VeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA56&lpg=PA56&dq=copper+c olored+ford+fe+rods&source=bl&ots=8SfbJAdbnU&sig=X VLKjlNJ4GnMCfk5m1-rmgtVxnM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAieHB1-3cAhVQIqwKHcuwAaQQ6AEwFXoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=coppe r%20colored%20ford%20fe%20rods&f=false

 

They were basically "blems" that the factory coated so they could resize them back to factory specs. We're talking .001 or so on the two end bores. The rest of the rod is just colored because they dip the rod in a copper tank and plate it like you do a chrome bumper.

 

Using your example, then adding Molybdenum to steel would be a bad idea. (and many other metals used in alloying steel)