MTFCA Forum

Just took the inspection cover off the bottom of a new to me Roadster. We suspected the motor was rebuilt and never ran. Stuck bore scope into head and no evidence it was started just shiny .20 over pistons. Looks like it has a reground crank and cam as well with new valves, hardened seats, adjustable lifters and new Babbitt. There are dippers installed but no cotter pins on the rod nuts. The tabs on the dippers are bent over to the flats on the nuts.....except on #1 which has the tabs bent and cotter pins installed. Is this regular practice instead of using pins or should I straighten them, retorque and install pins? Thanks for any advice.

Yes on cotter pins.

JTT3 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:46 pm

Yes on cotter pins.

Ditto!

Hi John,
Do the holes line up for the bolt & nut? if they don't you have no choice but to bend the tabs & tighten until the holes line up. If the rod bolts are Chevy and have no holes remove castellated nuts & get Chevy nuts & torque to Chevy specs. or replace the rod bolts & nuts. and no that's not common practice as far as I know.
Craig.

You can make the split pin holes line up with the castelations by sanding the back face of the nut on a flat surface. Do it a little at a time. When the required tension is reached and the holes line up, fit your pins. I have never seen the dippers used as locking devices either, although it is common practice on other vehicles.

Allan from down under.

When all else fails, do it the way Ford says to.

Going to pull the engine tomorrow for painting. I am going to straighten the dipper tabs and torque the nuts and install the pins. I think I read they should be 30-35 ft lbs but need to confirm that. Thanks again for everyone's advice.

Yes on the 35. Model A, same. Check for pulled thread.