The Ford Barn - View Single Post - Why use hammer on full floating rod inseerts?

Bored&Stroked · 08-14-2019, 08:27 AM

Yep - and it is one of the most common mistakes that "flathead builders" make - they figure as long as they measure shell thickness and do a bit of math, they are good (even if they do that!). They neglect to consider that floaters need to float . . . and in order to do that, they need to be consistently round and also fitted to the rod bores and journals.

If you're running 32 - 48 rods and full-floating bearings and you neglect (or don't know) to do this - then you'll probably ruin some bearings and score your crank and rods. I've seen this countless times - on "just rebuilt" flatheads . . . sometimes from big-name builders.

I remember the first time I heard about guys taking the rubber mallets to bearings - thought "that is crazy" (of course I was about 15). Shortly afterwards, it was my turn to see if my newly bought and expensive (even then) Cadmium Silver "For Truck and Bus" rod bearings would correctly float - about 1/2 of them did . . . the rest got the "treatment". Rubber Mallet, lacquer thinner and ScotchBrite - your full-floater "tools of the trade". LOL

08-14-2019, 08:27 AM	#3
Bored&Stroked Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 5,068	Re: Why use hammer on full floating rod inseerts? Yep - and it is one of the most common mistakes that "flathead builders" make - they figure as long as they measure shell thickness and do a bit of math, they are good (even if they do that!). They neglect to consider that floaters need to float . . . and in order to do that, they need to be consistently round and also fitted to the rod bores and journals. If you're running 32 - 48 rods and full-floating bearings and you neglect (or don't know) to do this - then you'll probably ruin some bearings and score your crank and rods. I've seen this countless times - on "just rebuilt" flatheads . . . sometimes from big-name builders. I remember the first time I heard about guys taking the rubber mallets to bearings - thought "that is crazy" (of course I was about 15). Shortly afterwards, it was my turn to see if my newly bought and expensive (even then) Cadmium Silver "For Truck and Bus" rod bearings would correctly float - about 1/2 of them did . . . the rest got the "treatment". Rubber Mallet, lacquer thinner and ScotchBrite - your full-floater "tools of the trade". LOL