03-02-2019, 05:51 PM
Colin,
If I could find no replacements I would re-use what I had, unless they have seen very hard use. I would first inspect the bolts under a magnifying glass for any signs of wear and tear.
The rods on my car (n.b. these are not Austin rods) have been modified by inserting helicoils in the 'rod' half so a bolt can be screwed in from below. This solves the problem of clearance to the camshaft. If done properly a helicoil is very strong. I've never tried this on an Austin Seven rod, and the first thing would be to check there is enough clearance on the big end bore. My car has run like this for decades, using plain shanked 5/16" bolts.
I'm not advocating this and certainly wouldn't to be held repsonsible for the outcome! Just offering it up as a possibility.
If I could find no replacements I would re-use what I had, unless they have seen very hard use. I would first inspect the bolts under a magnifying glass for any signs of wear and tear.
The rods on my car (n.b. these are not Austin rods) have been modified by inserting helicoils in the 'rod' half so a bolt can be screwed in from below. This solves the problem of clearance to the camshaft. If done properly a helicoil is very strong. I've never tried this on an Austin Seven rod, and the first thing would be to check there is enough clearance on the big end bore. My car has run like this for decades, using plain shanked 5/16" bolts.
I'm not advocating this and certainly wouldn't to be held repsonsible for the outcome! Just offering it up as a possibility.