Connecting rod play
 

Should rods have forward and back movement?
Tia
Dick

Re: Connecting rod play
 

Yes. I am not sure how much is too much. I would day up to 0.050 inch would be OK, but that is just a guess.

If the rod is bent or twisted it will bang back and forth and create a knocking noise. Otherwise it will just float in there.

Re: Connecting rod play
 

From the Ford service bulletins
0.008 - 0.012 “

Re: Connecting rod play
 

Thank you Kurt.

Re: Connecting rod play
 

The connecting rods must have fore-aft clearance on the crankshaft pins to accommodate the end play of crankshaft. Each time you step on the clutch, the crankshaft moves on its axis.
When the crankshaft end ply becomes excessive, the connecting rods get a bending stress.

Re: Connecting rod play
 

This is timely, I just checked mine and I ended up with about .012 on #2/4 and 0 on #1/3-or such a small amount as to be negligible.

Mike

Re: Connecting rod play
 

You should have more to allow oil to flow thru the bearing for good cooling of the brg. You can increase it by sanding a little off the sides of the rods using a flat surface of some kind. This is not rocket science.

Re: Connecting rod play
 

The Ford journal is nominally 1.625 wide. My standard for facing rod thrust is to make them 1.615. Seems to have worked well for 40 + years so.........just throwing it out there.