Hi,
I've just got my 850 block back from being re-bored, crank ground and ready for the rebuild.

Yesterday I fitted the crank, set the end float and installed the pistons on the rods (with the sizing facing the front of the engine). This is where the swearing began. I installed the rods and pistons into the block, tightened up the big ends and spun over the crank over 180 degrees- and everything seemed to be going along well. This is when I realised that I'd installed the rods the wrong way because the big end bolts fouled on the side of the block. I then removed and refitted the pistons on the rods to get the right orientation, and then re-installed them in the block. This is when I encountered the next problem, the rods wouldn't align on the big end journals on the crank. I've re-read the workshop manual, I've tried reversing the piston on the rod, yet nothing seems to fix the issue. Initially I was thinking that I had the wrong crank, but the numbers on the crank all point to an early 850. Frustratingly the engine turned over previously, so I know that there wasn't a problem when I pulled it all down.

I'm quite sure that there's a simple fix and I'm hoping that someone will know what I've done. I really would like to do this myself and not take the whole assembly back to the mechanic for them to fix and make me look utterly incompetent.

Thanks in advance,
James.

the rods & pistons will probly need to be swapped
did you mark them on diss-assembly?
they are all off-set,,, so 1 & 4 go one way & 2 & 3 go the other way, (if you get my drift)

_________________
No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Hi Matt,
That was the answer. I did number all of the con rods and caps, but I numbered them 4-1 instead of 1-4.
Thanks for your help, you saved me from a life of humiliation.
James.