Do Connecting Rods Have To Be Same Casting

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Oct 12, 2008 | 12:53 PM

taylorjgreen

Thread Starter

Junior User

Joined: Apr 2002

Posts: 90

Likes: 0

From: Edmonton Canada

Do Connecting Rods Have To Be Same Casting

I tore apart a 390 motor I got from a guy out of the local paper. It was suppose to have come from a 66 390-2V Fairlaine. I noticed that there are two different casting numbers on the connecting rods.

C3AE-C
C6AE-C

There are 4 of each. This alone makes no sense to me. Even if the motor was rebuilt at some point (which it probably was), why would the C3AE-A be there. This was a casting from 1963.

I am no expert in rebuilding motors, so I am wondering if the casting numbers should all match; or does it matter.

Oct 12, 2008 | 02:53 PM

FFR428

Needsmorecoffee.

Joined: Oct 2004

Posts: 3,624

Likes: 2

From: CT

There is also the later C7-B rod too. I know the C3 and C7 rods are identical other then large bolt versions used on the 427 and some 428's. Those were machined and installed with larger rod bolts. The C6-C falls into the same gram weight as the others so I'd think it's very possible they can be the same as the earlier C3 version. I've had em years ago but never compared them to the C3 and C7. With that I've had engines with mixed C3-C and C7-B rods that were rebuilds someone did.

Oct 12, 2008 | 07:17 PM

Barry_R

Senior User

Joined: Feb 2006

Posts: 355

Likes: 1

It was probably rebuilt by a big rebuilder like Jasper or Tomadur at one time. they just take engines apart and put the loose parts in a bin to be cleaned and reassembled as needed later - - not concerned with matching numbers as long as the parts fit together.

it'll be fine...