Giant Connecting Rod..........restoration/display

[RMERR]

So I bought this in Dec 2021 off Craigslist for $400. The back story is this came out of a SF bay area scrapyard in NOS condition many years ago. The owner mounted it outside his machine shop in Alemeda, CA for 20 years. He closed the shop a few years ago, took it home and eventually put it on Craigslist. I'd seen a couple of big rods for sale before, but both much smaller (like 30" or so). Seeing the ad, I was immediately visualizing it all cleaned up and nicely mounted on a pedestal, thinking how cool that would look. I knew I had to have it. So I bought it and after 2 1/2 yrs I finally finished it on Thursday.

After disassembling and taping off the machined surfaces, I got the rod sandblasted to clean off old paint. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to do and made a small scale model to "visually test" everything, especially the pedestal. The model was invaluable for testing multiple options.

 

[driftpin]

I wonder if it was from some Earth moving equipment or some type of vessel.

What is your decision about how to display it? Having it tilted 15 to 30° from the vertical looks like a good choice

 

[RMERR]

After sandblasting, I went to work on the bushing/bearing surfaces. Wire brushes, flap wheels, 3M balls etc. Got a few hours into this step. A surface finishing shop finished up all these surfaces as well as the edges. I took the bolts and castle nuts to a machine shop and had them touched up on the mill and lathe to shave off the rust. The bolts then went to a plating shop. I wanted them plated for protection and appearance, but not polished/shiny like a chrome bumper (it's a connecting rod after all). The chrome shop agreed and did a nickel/chrome "no polish" plating job for me.

Bolting it down was a challenge, all the outer sufaces are rounded, the only flat spots are the bearing surfaces. It had two holes through the bottom webbing which had held it up outside for years and probably would have worked okay. However I really wanted more bracing, so I fabbed a couple of brackets out of some 1/2" Aluminum angle, drilled, then marked and hand-tapped 6 3/8"-16 blind holes (always big fun) to bolt everything together. The brackets got a brush finish at the finishing shop, I brushed all the fasteners on my drill press to match.

For the body I used POR 15 Cast Iron Gray spray paint. It's a quality spray paint (+$30 per can) that goes on really nice and is very durable. I tested some on my model first and it was exactly the look I wanted.

 

[RMERR]

The pedestal platform was made from a 2" thick slab of Aluminum I'd had from an old killer scrap deal on Craigslist. The top was filled with threaded inserts, but the underside had enough clean surface to get 5 clean sides. It was waterjet cut to size, machine shop beveled, brush grained at a finishing shop and satin clear coated at a body shop. The lower piece I purchased as an unfinished walnut butcher block, to which I added the walnut trim. I finished the wood with Rubios monocoat 2C plus "pure" and after drying, I hit with Rubios Sheen Plus to give it a bit more satin sheen. All of the exposed metal surfaces other than the Aluminum base were clear-coated with a product called Protecta Clear, a durable clear coating I've used before with success. Added some casters as I knew I'd need to move this around. (the whole set-up is north of 300lbs.)

 

[4xdog]

The research institute where I started my career did lots of government work, especially DOE and DOD. They had a large and truly impressive machine shop (and some amazing machinists). I remember seeing 40+ years ago a connecting rod bigger than yours in for some sort of work. IIRC it was out of a stationary engine or an oceangoing ship. Quite possibly USN, given the place.

Cool things, aren't they?

 

[RMERR]

Enough scrolling and clicking, show me the money! Okay Okay here you go. I left myself in one photo to lend a little scale, I'm 6'1" for reference. One of the nicer things I've made, super pleased how this turned out.

 

[Mr.zippy]

That's very nice. Beautiful and unique work. Thanks for sharing!

 

[RMERR]

I wonder if it was from some Earth moving equipment or some type of vessel.

What is your decision about how to display it? Having it tilted 15 to 30° from the vertical looks like a good choice

Still a mystery as to what this goes with. It has what appears to be a stamped forging date of of 1945. I was able to track down the forge from raised letters on the rod, a company called "Park". They have since merged with Ohio Crankshaft to become ParkOhio. Their Business Manager had to check with his chief forger who had been there for decades, but he couldn't ID it either and they had no accessable records for the part no. on the rod.

It had been mounted at an angle by the previous owner. I liked the look, so I stayed with it. A bit more "dynamic" than simply standing it on end.

 

[RMERR]

The research institute where I started my career did lots of government work, especially DOE and DOD. They had a large and truly impressive machine shop (and some amazing machinists). I remember seeing 40+ years ago a connecting rod bigger than yours in for some sort of work. IIRC it was out of a stationary engine or an oceangoing ship. Quite possibly USN, given the place.

Cool things, aren't they?

That's the operative word for me, it's "just" a connecting rod, but scaled up like this it's just cool.

 

[LXCam]

That is absolutely freaking outstanding! I’d have the same **** eating grin too if I were you.

 

[545_days]

The most prolific shipyards in WW2 were located in San Francisco Bay. I'm betting it's from a marine engine.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Shipyards

 

[KSJeff]

I love static displays. That looks great.

Reminds me of a guitar the way it's sitting. Very cool.

 

[RPH]

Up in Wisconsin there is a large bore piston manufacturer. Close to Marinette, who would have figured. We had a rf tube induction system that heat treated the piston ring lands. They made huge ones there, smallest was about 15” in diameter.
Large stationary engines and marine applications is what the rod belongs to.

 

[Old Man Roger]

RMERR, that thing is a work of art, I especially like the wrist pin bushing. I’ve seen big diesel rods like that from ships.

 

[Firebrick43]

It looks very Fairbanks Morse made to me, their smaller engines, maybe an iteration of the FM Alco 251?.

Thier big stuff used three piece rods so its on the smaller side of their engines. But the cap fitting over the turned od rod at the crank bore joint, the nuts, and the indentation the bottom arch of the cap looks very FM/Alco to me.

Pretty high output engine with the pin oil galley coming off the crank. I think its newer than people are guessing. The 251 is still in production and the way its strengthened/webbed tells me its not ww2 if I had to guess.

Made similar to a 3500 cat rod but its not cat and is much bigger than even a 3600.

Its definitely not Winston/Cleaveland Diesel/GM/EMD.

Not MAK or MAN

 

[RMERR]

Thanks LXcam, KSJeff, everybody for the kind words. And yes I do wish I had the piston for it.

RMERR, that thing is a work of art, I especially like the wrist pin bushing. I’ve seen big diesel rods like that from ships.

Thank you for saying that Old Man Roger. That is exactly what I was striving for. To elevate a lowly connecting rod to something grander...maybe even art.

It looks very Fairbanks Morse made to me, their smaller engines, maybe an iteration of the FM Alco 251?.

Thier big stuff used three piece rods so its on the smaller side of their engines. But the cap fitting over the turned od rod at the crank bore joint, the nuts, and the indentation the bottom arch of the cap looks very FM/Alco to me.

Pretty high output engine with the pin oil galley coming off the crank. I think its newer than people are guessing. The 251 is still in production and the way its strengthened/webbed tells me its not ww2 if I had to guess.

Made similar to a 3500 cat rod but its not cat and is much bigger than even a 3600.

Its definitely not Winston/Cleaveland Diesel/GM/EMD.

Not MAK or MAN

Firebrick43, you sound like you've seen a few of these things. I'm adding the raised and stamped info pics here. If that tells you any more please share, I'd be grateful. The bottom line on the last photo ( 5-22-45) is what suggested to me and others a forging date, but I'm just guessing here.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Beautiful job!

Looks like a display piece you'd see in the main lobby of the headquarters at wherever that rod was forged.

 

[jabberwoki]

Very nice , great save.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Very Nice! looks great.
Maybe Park Ohio would like to buy for a few thousand dollars and display it at their offices.

 

[driftpin]

I think you should make a donation of that upon your death, to some museum which could be all-set-up before that, so it could be enjoyed by generations to come. It would be great to be able to trace its use, and with enough time and tor 'right' resources, its provenance can be established. Someone, somewhere is gonna know.

The WW II museum in New Orleans might be a good place for it if you can discover it was from some engine of that conflict, maybe a Liberty ship?

Guess not, here's a pic of a Liberty ship WW II conn rod.

 

[RMERR]

Very Nice! looks great.
Maybe Park Ohio would like to buy for a few thousand dollars and display it at their offices.

Not sure I want to sell it, at least yet. I've only had it together a couple days and I'm still in my new project honeymoon phase. I actually did send some pics to the guy I wrote to at ParkOhio just to show him.

 

[RMERR]

I think you should make a donation of that upon your death, to some museum which could be all-set-up before that, so it could be enjoyed by generations to come. It would be great to be able to trace its use, and with enough time and tor 'right' resources, its provenance can be established. Someone, somewhere is gonna know.

The WW II museum in New Orleans might be a good place for it if you can discover it was from some engine of that conflict, maybe a Liberty ship?

Guess not, here's a pic of a Liberty ship WW II conn rod.

Thanks for the pic Driftpin. Yeah liberty ship has been bounced out by various people, with others stating no, they were bigger and different. This pic really confirms that. Seeing that pic sure makes me want one though. That smooth neck and small end would look beautiful all cleaned up. Thank you.

 

[Firebrick43]

Firebrick43, you sound like you've seen a few of these things. I'm adding the raised and stamped info pics here. If that tells you any more please share, I'd be grateful. The bottom line on the last photo ( 5-22-45) is what suggested to me and others a forging date, but I'm just guessing here.

Worked for Caterpillar large engine division for 16 years and spent at least 5 of those making connecting rods for the three models of large engines they made. Other brands were occasionally purchased and tore down, plus later I had some field time which you see other brands.

That does appear to be a date! Maybe it was some form of experimental engine that never reached production.

In the waning days of WW2 there was so much money flowing for R&D it was insane. And they threw money at even diesels at projects no sane person would think was a good idea such as the Napier Deltic engines, GM 16-338 pancake engines, or FM diamond opposed piston engine. Caterpillar even made a radial diesel engine, a version of the wright R-1820, for the sherman tank.

 

[rockcrawler]

That’s really cool. You did a fantastic job. It would be neat if you had the piston as well.

 

[weldr1]

Absolutely awesome, you really did it up nice. Much better than I had for so many years.

 

[RMERR]

Worked for Caterpillar large engine division for 16 years and spent at least 5 of those making connecting rods for the three models of large engines they made. Other brands were occasionally purchased and tore down, plus later I had some field time which you see other brands.

That does appear to be a date! Maybe it was some form of experimental engine that never reached production.

In the waning days of WW2 there was so much money flowing for R&D it was insane. And they threw money at even diesels at projects no sane person would think was a good idea such as the Napier Deltic engines, GM 16-338 pancake engines, or FM diamond opposed piston engine. Caterpillar even made a radial diesel engine, a version of the wright R-1820, for the sherman tank.

Thanks for the info! Much appreciated.

 

[RMERR]

Absolutely awesome, you really did it up nice. Much better than I had for so many years.

Hey weldr1 glad you made it in to see it. So glad you passed it on to me, thanks again,

 

[36truck]

That's really cool. The size is amazing when compared to a car or a big Cummins rod.

 

[gfd_703]

I love industrial decorations and yours is nice. I have never been around big marine engines but there are natural gas pumping stations around here that have BIG 6 cylinder engines that re-pressurize the gas to move it further down the pipeline. They were put in sometime in the late 40s or early 50s and have run continuously ever sense. The engines are over 2 stories tall with exposed valve train like old hit and miss engines. I have seen the piston and connecting rod out of one for repair once. You are not hauling either one in the back of a pickup. Best I remember they told me they run less than 100 RPM could be 50 or 80. Yours would make a great back drop for a hot rod cover shoot especially with a centerfold leaning on it.

 

[RMERR]

That's really cool. The size is amazing when compared to a car or a big Cummins rod.

Thanks 36truck and big as it is, they make them so much bigger still. I start picturing the piston and crankshaft and it's mindblowing.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Royce would have mounted a vise on that thing by now.


(also, I'm super-jealous!)

What were your craigslist search terms?

 

[American Locomotive]

Cool piece. That's a big rod.

I did some research, and I'm assuming "PARK" was probably "Park Drop Forge" out of Ohio. There were only a handful of companies in the U.S. making engines that might utilize connecting rods that large. Fairbanks-Morse, Cooper-Bessemer and Nordberg are the only ones I can think of. Of those, Cooper-Bessemer was based out of Ohio.

 

[RMERR]

Royce would have mounted a vise on that thing by now.


(also, I'm super-jealous!)

What were your craigslist search terms?

Can't honestly say I was searching for this. It showed up in "tools" SF Bay area. I browse Craigslist tools section every morning with my morning tea. Sacramento to Modesto, SFbay area to Reno. Doing it daily means I only have to look at ads in the last 24 hrs. What can I say, I'm a ******** tool junkie, even if I'm not shooting up (buying a tool) I get a semi-fix just from looking. I've recently been browsing FB Marketplace too, jeez...sombody stop me...or not.

 

[RMERR]

Cool piece. That's a big rod.

I did some research, and I'm assuming "PARK" was probably "Park Drop Forge" out of Ohio. There were only a handful of companies in the U.S. making engines that might utilize connecting rods that large. Fairbanks-Morse, Cooper-Bessemer and Nordberg are the only ones I can think of. Of those, Cooper-Bessemer was based out of Ohio.

Thanks for the info! Firebrick43 also mentioned Fairbanks-Morse. I'm thinking I may reach out to them next week after the holiday.

 

[bad_idea]

I work in ship repair, with the US Navy as our primary customer. The LPD-17 class has some big diesels for main propulsion. They store an extra piston and rod for each engine in the main spaces, they are around that size.

Cool piece.