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Hi all. So I have an issue, and I know some of you all are pretty savvy, so I hope maybe someone can help me out.
Some years back I had my 3.0 out and took the block to a machine shop down in TX. So "life" happens, and I'm just getting the chance to reassemble (life and) the motor!
As I was putting it back together, I'm putting the pistons in. Shop in TX had to rebore 1st oversize, I had issues with ring gaps, took to a shop in Denver last month, he said he thought I'd be fine. So this week off, I'm assembling, and as I go I start to remember a few things. Like that little bump on journal caps is supposed to face front. (Have a real FSM, I cant find anything about that in there).
Of course, then I remember my marks I'd put on caps and rod sides. (Didn't have real number stamps at the time, so I made my own 'digital' number system.) I realize that if I orient the caps properly, the factory size stamps would no longer be correct on at least some cylinders, meaning the two halfs aren't the same side any more. The only explanation is that the rods were not put on in the correct orientation. Does that make any sense? You pretty much have had to done this before to get it. I'll try to put up a decent pic.
This is number 6. Its hard to see in the second pic, but the stamps are correct, ie the cap and the rod are aligned as from the factory. So originally the rod faced one side towards front of engine, as did the cap. But when the rod got put on the new pistons, IF I orient the cap with the front of cap towards the front of engine, the two halfs would not be as original.
Sorry for the long post, but my question for rebuilders out there is: If I orient the cap properly (I have new bearings), is there any potential issue with the rods being reversed? Make sense? Or do you think its just not a big deal? Do I need to take them out and have the pistons reversed?
Theres one point in the rotation, where it takes about 20 ft-lbs to rotate the assembly. Else its about 7 (like 90 in-lbs.)
Well, I have to figure out how to whack the resolution. I don't want you all to find me and beat me with a stick.
Hmmmmmm...I don't know. I know what I would do, but I have a problem leaving things well enough alone. When I know I can do them perfectly(or as close to it as possible).
Blah blah blah...no. I can't see how it possibly matters if the rods are installed backwards. It probably does matter that their caps go back on as they originally were. They bore to size the big ends of the rods with the caps installed. And it would probably throw things out of whack if you put the caps on backwards. Odds are things might not line up that well. So I'd say don't do that.
AFAIK, rods do have a front and rear, but which way they face in operation is meaningless. It makes no difference. You can also use the pistons marked "R" in the left-hand cylinder bank. And vice versa with the pistons marked "L" in the right-hand bank. Since despite their markings they're actually the same. That's been done before(accidentally or not), and it worked just fine. There's also no such thing as a Right or Left cylinder head. They too are identical(for the most part, though one of the cam bearing caps is different, either is still usable on any head).
Long story short, if there's no obvious reason not too, there's no real reason you can't. That I'm aware of.
Does the 3vz-e rod have an oil squirter hole in it like the 22r type engines do??
If so, yes it is important that the rods be oriented correctly, so that the oil sprays as the designers intended. on a v type engine, each bank might be different, I'm not familiar enough with the 3vz to say, and I don't have one apart to inspect.
As to the rods and caps, the bearing tangs on the rod and the cap, should be together on the same side and the boss on all rods pointing to ther engine front. 22r type engines are assembled like this for sure.
Good luck, maybe someone has one disassembled and can take a look.
Oh man. Yeah, that's the 'hole that goes no-where'. Bummer. I'll have to check that! Just had problems with 1, 4 and 6. 2, 3 & 5 were all fine. And dropped in smooth too. Six is shown above. Goofy thing, when I first noticed (not the caps, but that something was amiss) I thought: "dang (loose translation)! He got 1 and 4 swapped." So I actually put 1 back into 4 playing with it. Funny thing, the 1 cap would not fit into the "4 hole" for the cap. I put it back into 1, and went on. Then I remembered my number system. (you can see it on the 6 photo: 2^2 - 2^1 - 2^0. Gotta be a geek as myself to get it.)
03-05-2016, 07:53 AM
