The Boating Forum - Evinrude Connecting Rod Tool

I got my manual today to help me get my 200 OceanPro back together. I understand nearly everything, but with one glaring exception.
There is reference to a tool that is used to somehow assist in reassembling the rod caps. My minimal understanding is that the tool somehow helps with alignment of the caps.
Am I correct?
If so, how is this accomplished?
Of course, I do not have the tool in any case. Is there a way to accomplish the same results without a tool?
And is the tool even necessary? I have not run across any such tool will any other type of motor, what is the deal.
Seeking knowledge!
Thanks,
Jon

Are you referring to the shift rod length?

If so there is a good you tube video that shows how to make one easily

No, not shift rod length at all.
Connecting rod cap.
This has gotten interesting.
"Cracked Rods". Who ever heard of such a thing?
But heck, I had rotated cylinder liners. I never heard of that either.
Conventional wisdom holds that a fingernail, or a sharp pencil should suffice if care is exersized. I will go that route. Seems a hot button of sorts, some builders dislike the tool, some embrace it. I do not have one, and will report back. But my research on the internets lead me to believe that I will be OK.
I really had no plans to use new rod bolts, but it is not too late to do so.
...what say the gallery?
I have rebuilt 13,000 RPM motorcycle engines, both two stroke and four stroke. Two, four, and five valve singles, twins, triples and fours. Pushrod, SOHC, and DOHC. I never expected to have to "go to school" on this outboard. Yet some schooling is clearly needed!
First rotated liners, now "cracked rods". What mysteries still await?
Jon

I have to keep an eye on this

"cracked rods" mean the rod cap is physically broken (cracked) off the rod after it is machined. The inner surface must be PERFECTLY aligned because a needle bearing rolls on it. A cracked off cap/rod assembly assures perfect fit as the irregularities re-align, but ONLY if the cap is perfectly re-assembled.

I like new rod bolts. An option is to mic the bolts to check for stretch and to use dye penetrant to check for cracks. I'll betcha a quarter your bolts are stretched a wee bit.

Modern rod bolts are designed to stretch. And should be considered single use if you want to do a quality job. Can they be used, yes. Should they be reused, no. Rod bolts are cheap.

Fractured rod end caps by design, pretty difficult to miss how they align. the only special tool you might need is a deep thin wall 12pt socket for the rod end cap bolts. Good advise about replacing the end cap bolts too.

Ordered new rod bolts today. Seems like the smart thing.
I believe I understand the caps enough to line them up good. Might take a couple hours, as this will be a first time deal. I absolutely have them matched up and marked, so no worries there.
Anyone hasn't kept up with this, my water pump crapped out and the engine seized up before I figured out what happened.
200 looper. Wasted a few months looking for a good block or short block and never found the right motor or block for the right price.
I had already pulled it down and had two seized slugs and five liners rotated in the block.
Warmed the block over my crawfish cooker and coaxed the liners back into place.
Etched the smeared aluminum off of the two bores with hydrocloric acid.
A spring hone got them looking really good.
I measured quite a bit of out of round before I got the liners oriented (maybe .006" or so), but once I got the liners back into place the out of round settled in around .003 to .004 or so. Just within tolerance.
So I bought two standard piston kits, a manual, a gasket kit.
I have a good inch-pound torque wrench, a piston ring compressor, lots of internet friends and a crawfish cooker.
Oh, and a dozen rod bolts.
What could possibly go wrong?

The rods are machined then frozen in liquid nitrogen, then snapped.
Thats the most accurate way to get a perfect fit when assembled.

The rods are machined then frozen in liquid nitrogen, then snapped.
Thats the most accurate way to get a perfect fit when assembled.

Correct.

And new bolts are a must. They are one use only. And make sure to use the proper socket. It's been years since I have rebuilt a powerhead but I think it's an 8 point? Could be more. I remember hunting that socket down the first time I had to do rod ends.

The socket I use is a 5/16 12pt Mac thin wall deep socket 3/8 drive part #XD102TR.

I had no problem getting.them off . . . . . If I recall correctly, I used a 1/4" drive 8mm 12 point.
The flywheel nut was a different beast. I had to buy a socket and grind off several ounces of diameter.

So, I am in the middle of this. I can snug the bolts and, sure enough, coax the cap this way and that.
What am I looking for?
Is the side alignment disregarded? Should I be concerned?
How precise do I need to be? I can get them really close, but I can still feel the seam with a fingernail. I can't seem to make it completely seamless.
Anybody have any techniques they would share?

So, I am in the middle of this. I can snug the bolts and, sure enough, coax the cap this way and that.
What am I looking for?
Is the side alignment disregarded? Should I be concerned?
How precise do I need to be? I can get them really close, but I can still feel the seam with a fingernail. I can't seem to make it completely seamless.
Anybody have any techniques they would share?

Since they were formed and machined in one piece, then cracked, all exterior and interior surfaces should line up perfectly. There may be a small fracture line, but the surfaces themselves MUST be lined up exactly.

I have worked with all six rods now, have about 8 hrs invested.
Working off of the beveled surfaces on the corners.
NONE of them have I been able to get all four smooth enough so that I can't hang a pencil lead.
Very very close, but not perfect. Is perfect really attainable?
Some I can get two surfaces, some three. None all four.
Thoughts?

I think we need some help on this..should line up otherwise they aren't straight?

Did you put new bolts in the caps?

Yes, new bolts.
I can see the irregularities of the caps, the highs and lows. They look like they should want to line up. And they do line themselves up, but not to the accuracy that I am looking for.
Maybe they would pass the fingernail test, barely. Although I do not possess a fingernail that will reach the (downhill) surface of these rods.
But no way will they pass the pencil lead.
I gave up a couple hours ago. They are as good as I am going to get them.
Pretty good, and the end surfaces (the flats, not the bevels) lined up pretty good.
I have buttoned the engine up,
Will hope for the best.
Thanks for the replies!
Jon