West Bend rods

[ted johnson]

Amen, Steve! None of us are getting younger, and most of us can't spend big bucks on a totally speculative product. I'm still interested in the K Precision screw, if it has been re-engineered. The first run did not impress. Unfortunately, we are such small potatoes as a group that you can't seem to even get to talk to the Bennetts about their screws. I want to know everything about those. Material, tensile strength and the whole ball of wax. The last thing anyone wants is to risk your $1000 engine block and an un-buyable piston to an unknown screw.  Using the 101 screw involves the same issues as using the first generation of the Bonbright MP159 screws. Reduce the diameter of the nose of your socket and maybe ream out the counterbore in the rod cap. I had no clue as to how to do this trick, but Mr. Bonbright said just get a cartridge roll and have at it. I have ONE pair of the first generation screws left. I doubt that the use of clean, unrusted 101 screws would cause any problem at all. I used to turn my square-port open 101's at ungodly RPM. Both ended up as toast, but I never proved that it was rod bolt failure. Anyhow, we all appreciate your research efforts, Steve.
BTW, 1-1/2 screw diameters of thread engagement was what we used for NASA, so it's good enough for me! Ted