Hi I have a shot at a set of 67 SS350 dimple rods at a decent price. They are reconditioned and my question is if rods can be over-reconditioned? Is my best course of action to take them to a shop have them measured and magnefluxed then make my decision? I don't want to have a bunch of money in a set of rods I can't end up using. Thanks.
Several statements you make I do not quite understand. I am not aware of any 350 rods referred to as a "dimple" rod. If you have them "checked out" and are getting them at a "decent price", how can you have too much in them? If they are bad, a decision will be made at that point whether to spend extra to make usable or pitch them. If you have a concern about the quality and do not have the tools to measure them yourself, perhaps you should just get a used set of small journal (1967 and earlier) rods and have them re-conditioned at the shop you would have these rods you are considering checked out. SB Rods are generally plentiful and rod machine work for stock rebuild is generally not a bank breaker. Over re-conditioned? Not sure what that means-the rod is either good or it is not. Now, other modifications are possible such as "floating" or "bushing" the small end, indexing, balancing, stress relieving, side beam polished, lightened, etc...A basic rebuild, I would have the rods checked for bent/twisting, magnafliuxed, big end resized, and new rod boltsd, if money holds out have reciprocating assembly balanced.
A note:
small journal, 11/32 rod bolts in 1967
large journal, 3/8 rod bolts 1968, 1969
forged steel
pressed pin
small rod beam
a Chevrolet Engineering Servce Letter, dated November 1, 1967, read in part:
"In order to use up a surplus of 45,000 1967 350 cu. in. Connecting Rod Assemblies (incorporating the 11/32" rod bolts and nuts), approximately 5,600 1968 RPO L30 (327 Cu. In.) engines with Powerglide Transmissions were built from 10-11-67 through 10-13-67 with the 1967 Connecting Rod Assemblies."
