Aluminum MFI linkage???

BigD9146gt · BigD9146gt's Garage

What are these aluminum mfi linkage rods and nuts off of? Are they from the Werks devision? One has a broken thread, the others are fine. They are 8.5grams lighter than the steel rods w/nuts.

Aluminum

Steel

304065 · 07-14-2008, 12:13 PM

Those are stock, the factory used aluminum because it better matches the expansion rate of the engine.

Jim727 · 07-14-2008, 01:20 PM

Now, THAT is "attention to detail".

Zeke · 07-14-2008, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_cramer

Those are stock, the factory used aluminum because it better matches the expansion rate of the engine.

IIRC, they were on the mag stacks used as the butterfly links. I think the plastic stacks of the '72-73 era used steel. At least there are steel ones out there that match the lengths of the butterfly linkages. When one gets all the rods out on a table, some are so slightly different that they could be placed in the wrong position and still work. All the rest are steel.

304065 · 07-14-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milt

IIRC, they were on the mag stacks used as the butterfly links. I think the plastic stacks of the '72-73 era used steel. At least there are steel ones out there that match the lengths of the butterfly linkages. When one gets all the rods out on a table, some are so slightly different that they could be placed in the wrong position and still work. All the rest are steel.

You forgot to mention the other critical difference: the Aluminum ones melt when you hot-tank them . . .

911st · 07-15-2008, 06:17 AM

I belive my 72S had aloy and my 72T had steel but not sure.

Zeke · 07-15-2008, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_cramer

You forgot to mention the other critical difference: the Aluminum ones melt when you hot-tank them . . .

Yes. This is when I first learned of the AL rods. I took a whole box of parts to be gold zinc'd and the guy threw the AL rods in will all else. They were ruined. I managed to save a couple of left hand nuts and rod ends, but most was all eaten up.

Another item he caught (too bad he didn't see the rods) was the dick nose plunger on both the front and back latches. That is pot metal, not steel, and must be removed from the shaft and spring before plating. At the time, I wasn't sure it was a separate part.

Thanks for remembering my little disaster, John, and thanks to the gentleman in NorCal (at the moment his name slips my mind) for loaning my some good AL rods while I searched for replacements.

This is a great community.