sidevalve con rod markings

Post by **NRX** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:12 pm

hi im re building my sidevalve engine in my 1950 lowlight. On one of the conrods just above the cranckshaft bearing there is the german flag mark the other three all are marked sdf. All the con rods have mowog cast onto them but why has this one got a differnt mark ?

Post by **mike.perry** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:22 pm

Absolutely no idea! Where did the con rods come from? Are they ex military stock?
Could you send me the details of your car for the register please

Post by **NRX** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:29 pm

Hi Mike
Cam has just updated my car details after talking to him in Wales 1950 lowlight saloon OJO779. It was owned by someone in S block at Morris cowley who still had it in 1962 when a goldseal engine was fitted by Morris Motors of Oxford. I boght it about 2 years ago from banbury where I believe it was last on the road in 1974

Post by **MarkyB** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:40 am

The Nazi Swastika was the other way round.
Your Swastika is like the Egyptian good luck symbol.
Probably cast by the lucky con rod foundry in Cairo

Post by **RobThomas** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:39 am

I don't think that the germans regard that as their flag anymore (Well, most of them)

There is a Casting company in India that have been in business since the 1950s and they cast car components. Their name is "The Swastika Group" so it may be that they manufactured a batch of rods?

http://www.aluminiumcasting.net/profile.html

Post by **RobThomas** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:47 am

Problem solved. Morris Motors used a UK casting company that had the good-luck symbol on their conrods as a feature to improve reliability (???) and this carried on until the 1940s when they dropped the mark for obvious reasons. Likewise, Jaguar cars was previously known as SS Cars which wouldn't have been good for business in the late 1940s.
MG WA, VA and SA cars have also found these marks which are the Indian versions. The Nazi symbol is a clockwise shape, not anticlockwise, and is rotated 45 degrees.

I'd put money on your rod being a 1939 Morris 8E one that got recycled

Post by **mike.perry** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:49 am

You must have some interesting references

Post by **RobThomas** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:39 am

SDF is Smethwick Drop Forged, the largest Conrod manufacturer in the UK.

http://www.sdf-auto.co.uk/about%20us.html
info@sdf-auto.co.uk <info@sdf-auto.co.uk>

Might be a bit of company history in there that would be of use? I wonder if they might be conned into producing a new batch of decent rod bolts for us as a favour??

Post by **RobThomas** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:52 am

It gets better. A quick phonecall got me through to a chap who has a passing interest in company history. He has a "Dropforgers against Nazis" stamp from the 1939 era before the reverse swastika was removed from the company logo. He is sending me a copy when he can find an inkpad.
If anyone can supply a casting mark, serial number, part number or similar then he will try to hunt down the spec sheet from which we can get new bolts made up.

Can anyone post me their casting numbers?

Cheers

Post by **MarkyB** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:08 pm

Maybe SDF would make some with extra good luck symbols like 4 leaf clover, rabbits foot or "lucky heather"

.

Post by **mike.perry** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:54 pm

As I mentioned in another topic, plenty of conrods around with bolts. Nothing wrong with the bolts provided they are torqued up to Series MM settings not Series II figures which are too high and stretch the threads.
See website Tech. Info for settings.

Post by **RobThomas** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:48 pm

Does anyone have bolts without rods? I've got some spare new rods but no extra bolts to replace the ones already in my engines and, possibly, already rather stretched.

Post by **mike.perry** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:46 pm

Rob, PM sent. Please let me know if not received

Post by **RobThomas** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:17 am

Hmmmm. Nothing there.

Post by **mike.perry** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:37 pm

Rob, I don'tknow what is wrong with my PMs, they never seem to get through. Send me your email address. mike.perry@mmoc.org.uk.

Post by **NRX** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:54 pm

All my con rods now back in the engine just got to refit the crank then the sump goes back on. All marks will then be hidden from view until the next rebuild. Could be a bit as according to the last bill when this goldseal engine was fitted that was 1962. Hope so anyway
Martin

Post by **DAVIDMCCULLOUGH** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:52 pm

Ive just about got mine run in after rebuilding it, going much better and well worth the effort of rebuilding!

Post by **NRX** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 7:55 pm

never had mine running as it the car was bought stripped with the engine on the back seat and the gearbox in the front footwell. So really looking forward after a 2 year rebuild to get it out on the open road again. Pic shows car at north lincs club rally body done but no engine / gearbox or interior.

Martin

Post by **DAVIDMCCULLOUGH** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:15 pm

Its looking sooooper!! Looks like a great paint job and fantastic chrome. I had never driven a lowlight before I bought mine and found it very odd as you cant see the front wings at all from the normal driving position. The holes were already drilled for the wing mirrors and I find them a big help, well the drivers one anyway as all you can from the passenger one is wether the semaphore has come out or not....

Are you going to put a pinstripe on it? I think they look good with it on.

Post by **RobThomas** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:58 pm

I've received a copy of that stamp from the historian at SDF. It is in paedophile format (or is it PDF. file?) so I'm not sure how to copy it to anyone.

Any ideas how to post a .pdf picture?

I knew I should'nt have bought that laptop at the Gary Glitter fanclub closing-down sale!