Welded connecting rods

[[email protected]]

Yes I know "crazy " ... ..ive was looking around the internet and was just looking around and found this ..
http://www.dlkweb.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5970
Seems like in the 60s guys were welding big end 36hp rods and welded 40 or 1500 rod small end for a custom ratio rod and seems like they welded the i beam of the rod for strength "h beam style " ... does any of you old timers have experience with those type of welded rods and how safe were they ??? I love how guys in those days weren't scared to do the unthinkable...

[FritzCP]

I looked into doing this, and found a few shops that have and do still weld them. Mainly used in the vintage tractor pulling world.
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[modok]

Yep, since most OE conrods are just good quality mild steel.....they can be welded.
I think it would work fine.
Why do you never see it done.......
it's "unthinkable" .... only because nobody has ever thought to ask.

[Busted-bolt]

I was always thinking about tacking the rod bolt heads, my self
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Vw collection 60 combi ,61 panel ,62 deluxe micro,82 diesel Westfalia,88 Vanagon synchro,98 Jetta tdi,11 Jetta tdi mt ,11 Jetta tdi dsg.
I do all my own work,body,engine and transmission.

[Busted-bolt]

Yeah I can see where a couple of pieces of flat sheet metal with a good weld will in fact make an "I" beam "H" beam hybrid rod almost bomb proof ,albeit a bit heavier.
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Vw collection 60 combi ,61 panel ,62 deluxe micro,82 diesel Westfalia,88 Vanagon synchro,98 Jetta tdi,11 Jetta tdi mt ,11 Jetta tdi dsg.
I do all my own work,body,engine and transmission.

[[email protected]]

I thought about having the rod bolt holes of the 36hp rod welded and redrilled and tapped for smaller bolts 1.4x 1/4 bolts so that it would have better clearance for a bigger lobe ...but I told that if I did that the rods would fail but who knows if they would ...

[Busted-bolt]

I think I would go with the larger stock thread diameter ,and just modify the depth of the threads in the cap and use a allen or twelve point external "aka arp "rod bolt. That alone if adjusted correctly should achieve the room you need to clear the cam.
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Vw collection 60 combi ,61 panel ,62 deluxe micro,82 diesel Westfalia,88 Vanagon synchro,98 Jetta tdi,11 Jetta tdi mt ,11 Jetta tdi dsg.
I do all my own work,body,engine and transmission.

[TomSimon]

I beam rods w/sheetmetal 'caps' welded over the beam, V8 stuff, show up at old car swap meets once in a while. VW rods are old school heavy 'clubs' by comparison to anything modern. With the availability of inexpensive and decent quality Chinese H beams, you don't see the rods when you pop the decklid, so why bother?
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[earthquake]

Hey, If MacGyver could do it with a half dollar as the welding rod any body with a flux core welder should be able to handle it fine!

eQ
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