Con Rod identification
 

hi Fellas, I recently bought a bunch of parts from a guy cleaning out his old shed. Amongst these parts are con rods which I have cleaned to reveal these prefix numbers. Can someone please decode & identify what year engine(s) the con rods belong to, or direct me to somewhere on the internet where I can get a print copy of con rod part numbers?
99A
99UB
29A
99R7
99X8
15
27
Of course there other digits placed respectively alongside the afore listed con rods which I have not listed. All the caps have 99A on them. I also received some bearings & rings which could be anything from Ford to Fiat? My novice computer skills restrict me from posting photos. Any help appreciated. thanks.

Re: Con Rod identification
 

So far as I know, no one has a web-site with the entire 28 to 48 chassis parts catalog or "green bible" made by FoMoCo. You would have to either buy one or find a friend that has one. The 99A & 29A prefixes look familiar to me being from 1939 and 1942 respectively for the 239 CID 95 horse engines. The others I don't recognize.

Re: Con Rod identification
 

This has Bruce Lancaster written all over it :)

Re: Con Rod identification
 

The early 239 rods were the 99A (1939-41) and the 29A, 1942-48...
I do not really know the difference, but I suspect that the difference is actually metallurgical...
During 1941 the Government put many imported or scarce substances on restricted lists as we moved towards war and as many markets were cut off from trade, and made these things usable only for the highest priority goods, like aircraft engines. Several important alloying materials for steel were on the list, and my bet is that Ford changed its steel formula...
Anyway, there are plenty of minor differences in the forgings from different batches and time periods. Here only the "99" and "29" are important to identify the rods. Figuring out what the various suffixes meant would be a good trick, but they are not part of parts number prefixes...I think Ford only meant to sort out the basic model of rod here. 15 and 27 are not Ford prefixes, and I don't think that the 5 or 7 correspond with any engine group...
The caps...that bears some study! I've never even looked there, only being careful to keep caps with their original rods and pointed the right way. Perhaps all caps remained 99 spec? That would NOT be researchable in the parts catalogs, as caps were never sold separately, but parts like that which were never sold by themselves did have part numbers for use within the factory.
So...anyone have a NEW 29A rod hand to look at? I think all the ones I have are rebuilt or used sets.
Perhaps all the caps remained 99 spec, perhaps rebuilders re-machining used rods swapped them...though I believe that Ford's published rebuild standards insisted on maintaining original sets even when resizing.
A new rod, or better yet a sampling of several, should tell the tale.
Damn. Remember when Joblot had crates and barrels full of NOS rods for like $3 each??

Re: Con Rod identification
 

The only thing I can say is,if you match up a set as best you can, have them balanced before you use them . I have all my engines balanced, you'd be surprised how off balance these parts can be. Walt

Re: Con Rod identification
 

The bible says; 99A (6200), pass & comm, 100HP, '39-41, replaced by 29A, stamped 99A.
29A OAL 9.187, crankshaft end 2.36 ID, Pass 100HP, '39-48, comm '39-47
None of the other pre-fixes show up

Re: Con Rod identification
 

F'Barners, I appreciate y'all chiming in with your con rod information. This Downunder Barner would like to thank Rotorwrench in San Antone, Ronnie up in Canada, Bruce in Joisey, Walt & Russ in Maine. I dig this site. I will head into the garage in the morn to clean, bag & tag them there rods. In honour of you fine gents I will crank up the garage C.D player & play music from your respective cities. Doug Sahm from San Antonio, the Band from Canada, Springsteen from N.J & some Lenny Breau jazz from Maine. cheers guys.

Re: Con Rod identification
 

Rattlesnake, did you know Lenny Breau? They say is was a guitars guitar player. I know his brother Denny, I even met his father yr's ago Hal lone Pine. My good friend and lead player in my bane used to play with both of them yr's ago. To bad lenny died yr's ago. Walt

Re: Con Rod identification
 

Walt Lenny's son "Chet" runs the Lenny Breau School Of Music company in my home town up he in Canada the home of many rock groups and country singers. The Guess Who and BTO are also a couple of well known home town groups also.Small world isn't it.
Rattlesnake play BTO "Let it ride" that is a real hard core hit. I know Freddy Turner had lunch with him last Saturday he is indeed a gear head.The car guy's here have been doing Sat lunches for 30+ years.
Nothing to do with connecting rods just a little personal info.

Walt http://aboriginalpeopleschoice.com/artists/chet-breau/

R

Re: Con Rod identification
 

hi Guys, although a long, long way from you guys, Downunder we certainly do appreciate the great music made by your iconic artists in the 20th century. Sat morning here so I am into the garage to sort out these rods & take my brother's '35 3W on it's first maiden voyage.