If I want to use some old rods that I have laying around for a build Is it safe to glass bead them to clean them up?



Is it safe to glass bead where the pin goes? (stock 225 Rod) so. It will press in the rod.

Is it safe to glass bead where the Bearings go ? Some of these rods have surface rust that would need to be taken care of.

I plan to put some ARP Rod Bolts in them so they would have to go to the machine shop to be reconditioned or resized anyway.



Thanks for your help,

Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

I think glass beading is a low abrasion treatment.
And the steel should not capture beads like aluminum does.
I think after you clean them after blasting you should be fine.
You could always take one you don't care to use and measure it before and after.

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Hyper_pak

I would avoid the pin and bearing surfaces. if they are getting resized they will get cleaned up in that process. If it were me and I was feeling exceptionally finicky, I would beadblast the rods, clean them with brake cleaner or solvent, soak in evaporust for the bearing surfaces, maybe polish the sides of the beam (http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/74038- ... ting-rods/) and send em to be sized and balanced

EDIT:
even on low power builds, as long as you are getting it balanced, polishing the rods reduces rotating mass and possibly drag and only really costs your time. its like free power.

Will rods need to be shot-peened after polishing?

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-MattMan
LEANED & MEAN

Take some and soak them in molasses for a couple weeks. IIRC, the mix is 3 quarts water to one quart molasses. John posted the recipe a while back. I did an 8-3/4 center section and gears. It worked very well.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Sweeet....
If you do the Molasses derust, I think low winter temperatures will slow the conversion process, use a bucket with a lid on it and keep it in doors, there are no fumes.

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Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

I have quite a bit of time on this project so I can try molasses.

Tractor supply should have some.

I can use a 5 Gal bucket for the rods as they are small.

Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

So....AFTER polishing, do the rods need to be shot-peened?

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-MattMan
LEANED & MEAN

I've never had any shot preened.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Shot peening adds compressive strength to the extreme outer layer of the steel connecting rod. So yes, shot peening will add protection against micro cracks forming on the skin of the con rods, but when is the last time you saw a slant six con rod fail due to cracking? The slant six con rod failures that I know of were the result of lube failure to the rod-crank bearing. It is important to mention that Mom Mopar did specify shot peening for the slant six steel cranks used in truck applications. No mention of shot peening rods in the same application.

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Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

Here are the Rods after 1 week of Molasses Soak - 3 Parts Water to one Part Molasses.

I don't have a before shot, But they turned out very nice.

I did not degrease them either, before the Molasses. They had lot of Old carbon Black from vintage 60's/70's 80's Oil on them with surface rust on the pin and Bearing shell areas from being stored in the attic.

After I took them out I went cleaned them with a bit of scrubbing, Hot water and purple Power Cleaner.






Next Canidates: Some Suspension Parts for a future Build, I will Probably degrease these before Dunking ' em in!


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

another + of the molasses rust removal process is that used the solution is environmentally friendly. You can basically dump the used solution on the grass in your back yard with out fear of contamination. Assuming that the parts in the solution were reasonably grease and oil free before they went in.

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Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

I probably will save / recycle / reuse it for now.. then it will go in the garden


I have no idea how the chemistry of soped up sugar water eats rust but it does!

Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack