In process of building the 351C to swap in place of worn 302.
Getting ready to "heat" my conn rod pins to install the pistons.
Do the pistons/rods orientation matter?
I'm reusing the stock rods that came w/ the 351C..
Looks like either way will work. Just thought I'd double check. Thx

 

They will work either way but generally you mark the numbers for the rods on the outside
Then you reassemble with the rods in the corret positions ion the block
Some rods do matter like the Hi po 289 rods in my Boss 302
They have a pin hole in the rod that only goes one wat
That pin hole in the rod squirts oil up into the piston pin area
With new rods, it does not matter which way they go the first time

 

You are fixing to have a BIG wreck trying to do that yourself. The stamped numbers go to the outside of the block. The valve reliefs face forward on 1-4 and to the back 5-8. The rods are NOT centered in the piston. Take all that to a machine shop that has a rod heater and fixture and let them put the pistons on the rods.

 

The rod bearing is offset in the rod to move it away from the "cheek" of the journal and the radius that's there so that the bearing can't edge ride up on the radius, run out of clearance and spin. At our shop we use a home made fixture where the big end of the rod is clamped and the small end is heated using a propane rosebud torch that's mounted on a swivel for approximately one minute. Then the pin is slipped into place. The trick is to get the rod hot enough to expand enough to allow for easy assembly but not overheated.