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L32 connecting rods, Stupid question

J

JayGTP02

New member
ok. here's my stupid question. i bought some brand new GM Genuine L32 connecting rods for my GTP. why are the cap and rod both one piece. theres a notch cut in it but theres no seam. what am i supposed to do with these rods? do i have to cut or break them to install them?
 


DO NOT CUT THEM. Crack them. The rods came to the assembly line just like you received them and were "cracked" as the pistons were stuffed into the bores, being very careful to keep the correct cap with the correct rod as they were truely a matched set. "Cracking" the caps assures perfect alignment and provides a stronger connection.

Some other thoughts on the subject:

Powdered Metal rods are made up of a composite of alloys that allow rod caps to be "cracked" at the parting line rather than split with a straight cut.
It comes out of the casting process the final size and is broken at a scored line that is part of the design.
The resulting fracture is like a piece of broken china. It has a very distinctive surface that custom fits together. The fracture has more surface area because you have peaks and valleys, and the alignment is more accurate since the cap only fits together one way.
Click to expand...
 
i tried to post.. i dunno if it went thru.. sorry if this is a repeat.. but how do i crack them? do i just remove the bolts or what?
 
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