This is on a 91 3.1V6. Have the engine out of the car due to a spun rod bearing. Crank was turned on the rod journals so they would all be even. Had the one rod resized that spun the bearing. Went ahead and removed the other 5 pistons to rering them. What has happened is the table that the parts were laying on all matched up with each other was knocked over and naturally I now have 5 rod caps that are not with their correct rods. What is the easiest way to pair them back up together.

Next time I disassemble a bottom end I'm stamping the rods and caps so this is avoided.

Thanks for any help that is out there.

 

Take them to a shop that's got a bore gague for rods. They'll be able to re-assemble the jigsaw puzzle for you. You'll never be able to tell them apart by eye. They'll all look like they fit on any rod.

On the bore gague though, there will be an obvious "step" in the readings if the wrong cap is put on the rod. When they're matched up right it'll be a smooth reading all the way around the inside circumference.

I bet you'll stamp every damned rod you ever take out of a motor after this. Kinda mistake you only make once. Did I ever make this mistake? Well, uh......... no, of course not. I'm just about perfect and always have been. Heh heh.

 

too late now but what i do is stamp the piston when i get the heads off then stamp the rod cap when i get the oil pan off and since i'm so **** about everything i match mark the cap and rod. i stamp them in a way that i know which way is to the front of the engine.

if it were me i'd skip measuering the rods and just have them all resized.

 

Some new rod bolts would go mighty nicely with those resized rods

But i agree with ede. Take them to a shop and have them install rod bolts and resize them. You'll get a sturdier bottom end out of the deal.

 

You'll probably never get all the journals to be within spec now. Just take it to a machine shop and have them align bored. Costs around $50-60.

 

Sounds like the most cost effective and reliable solution is to have them rezised.

Thanks for the input

 

rods don't have journals and they're next to impossiable to align bore