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820 rod upgrade
#11
Ted,
 I opened up my 820 last night and noticed the rod is painted black. Do you know if the different types of rods were color coded in any way.

Brad
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#12
(11-25-2019, 09:37 AM)Brad Rose Wrote: Ted,
 I opened up my 820 last night and noticed the rod is painted black. Do you know if the different types of rods were color coded in any way.

Brad

Brad, here are all the W.B. rods, newest left, oldest right. Courtesy of Steve Welte. Ted
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#13
O.K. I'm tired of fighting the forum. I haven't been able to attach pix for some time now. I give up. Brad, if you still have my email address, send me an email and I will send you the Steve Welte photos of all the 820/610 rods from newest to oldest. Ted
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#14
That’s ok Ted. I have watched Steve’s videos on the rods and different types. I just cannot tell from the bottom end which one it is without taking the engine down some more. But I did notice the rod painted black and thought that may be an indication of which rod it is.

Brad
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#15
Brad, if you simply remove the intake manifold, you can easily look in and see the edge view of the rod. If the hole is visible at the joint of rod proper and cap, it's an old rod. The new rods I've seen are either bronze in color, or silver for the generation before the latest one. The silver one still has no hole. TJ
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#16
The silver one is still not a good rod. The only decent one is the latest version you find from about 2000 or so. Even the ones that came in the US 820 from when they had that class are junk. They look almost the same but have a weak cap.
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#17
Thanks for the clarification, Steve. I hadn't seen one of the silver rods break, but if the cap is weak, then it's another West Bend rod to stay away from! I don't know how many rods I've thrown away in the last few years, but if it saves one good cylinder, it's worth the sacrifice. Happy Thanksgiving. Ted
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#18
Ted I can't personally say the silver rod is bad but David told me not to run them as they can be a problem. they look right but i guess the forging isn't the best. Some may get away with thing I can't because they don't run the engines as hard as some of us do. But is a risky rod worth an engine. Now rod bolts, Hmmmmm
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#19
Seems I read something awhile back on the bolts. Are there still issues?

 Ted, I haven’t had a chance to tear down my engine anymore. Hopefully I can get to it this weekend.

Brad
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#20
Brad, there are certainly still issues with bolts. You can still use a high quality commercially made black oxide socket head cap screw in a stock or slightly modified engine. It's when you get to engines like Steve and Shawn Welte's or Jeff Brown's or Dave Bonbright's that you can get into trouble. The Bonbright screws have been very reliable, and reusable, but also are no longer obtainable. Unbrako brand SHCS claims a 190 KSI tensile strength in screws 1/2" or less in diameter. Holo-Krome screws have had a good rep, but are 10 KSI less in tensile strength. Unbrako recommends a 91 inch-pound torque for their No. 10-32 black oxide SHCS series. This is with a properly lubricated screw and a well calibrated torque wrench. The special Multiphase MP159A alloy that MS Aerospace used in the Bonbright screws is definitely available, and Dave B. still has the engineering drawings to make the screws, but until there can be a very great increase in demand, no screw manufacturer is willing to fabricate the screws. Several people have been working on the issue, but so far, the results have been less than spectacular. I have exactly one (1!) set of spline head early Bonbright screws left, and I am hoarding them! Use the Unbrako screws, but use them carefully, and REPLACE them EVERY TIME they are loosened. You also need a reliable inch-pound torque wrench. I'm sure the rest of the West Bend users have other ideas, but these guidelines work for me. Ted
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