[7_Zero]

I found part of the problem, the babbitt in rod #3 is cracked and missing. Rods #1 & #4 have a small piece gone as well, and one of the rod caps has a crack in the babbitt. The clearances in all of the rods were at .015 so I am wondering if it was run loose at some point causing it to break up? A very small piece of babbitt fell out when I removed the #3 rod but there were no large pieces in the pan. The oil in the dipper tray had a white/silvery look to it.

I am trying to decide the next step, do a full rebuild or just replace the rods? What exactly would be involved in this and would it be worth while for a novice to attempt or would I just be getting myself into a bigger mess? In my head it seems doable, measure the crank for appropriate sized rods, get new rods, hone wrist pin bushings to fit. Easier said than done of course. The engine had good compression, 59-63psi. The ridge on the cylinder wall feels like it is mostly just carbon buildup as a lot of it can be scraped away. What are the chances of reusing the current pistons and just change out the rods? What what other things should I be aware of and or take into consideration? I have not checked the main bearings yet, so that could be a big deciding factor too. The crank has some marks, but I cannot feel anything with my fingernail, would it be okay, or would it need to be polished?

New babbitted rods are $99 so it would be about $500 to get new rods and have them honed. Not too bad price wise compared to a rebuild, but if I run into bigger problems it could get expensive fast.

Thank you for any help and advice!