connecting rod problem (urgent)

[stealth_5mge]

Hey folks heres the situation,
I am in the middle of rebuilding the 5M-GE from my '85. This is not my first engine rebuild but it is my first 5M build. I had just finished plastugauging the new main bearings and was starting on the con rod bearings when... the bearing locating tabs are on the wrong side. So I looked at a spare set of rods that I had kicking around, and the tab cutout is opposite of the rods im using ( corresponds to the bearing tab ). hope that makes sense. The bearings are rockauto standard size bearings that came with a rebuild kit for a late model 5mge (84-88). Are the rods out of my 85 engine from a pre 84?
this is my first attempt posting a pic hope it turns out.
on the left is a rod out of my 85, on the right is a spare rod that came from a spare motor (85 i believe)

[IMG=http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2072/107dv.jpg][/IMG]

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any input would be appreciated.

[cmdeshon]

i had this same problem with a customers 6m a few months ago. i got bearings from a friend who had an extra set. Mains fit GREAT but rod bearings had the spin tab on the wrong side. turned out that they were 82-83 rod-bearings and i needed 84+

So, either your bearings or your motor aren't the right year.

Last time i checked one of our venders had those bearings on clearance. i think it was Mr Chimp.

[stealth_5mge]

Yeah thats what i figured. All the parts I ordered were for 84+. So i guess the real question is, did the vendor send me the wrong rod bearings, or does my 85 engine have 82/83 rods. That could be a possibility as the engine does show signs of having been rebuilt at some point in its life. i went back to enginepartsstore.com and ordered a set of early and late model rod bearings, at $40shipped for both, I dont really care about the cost, I just hate project downtime.

[rabidchimp.com]

The rod on the right is 82/83, and your supplier set you up with early model con rod bearings, unfortunately. I can sell you a set of standard late model 5m bearings today for $34 plus shipping. There is a difference in the main bearings between late and early model as well. The number one journal is wider than the rest. I can't recall if the tabs are different. Early model rod bearings will have two oiling holes as well.
-Aaron

[GSBoek]

The tabs are indeed different for the no.1 main bearing.

[Road Ripper]

The 84 engines were a split year, so it depends on the manufacture date of the engine. If you have an 84, almost better off to order both sets of bearings and return the set you don't use.

[rabidchimp.com]

Good advice from ripper. Its that, or open the engine up before buying parts.
-Aaron

[stealth_5mge]

so heres an update on this situation for anybody who cares. Rock products has their part #s backwards! I ordered con.rod bearings specified for 84-88 5mge part# RB941B and they send me bearings that have 2 oil holes and the locating tab at the top/right if looking from the inside of the bearing (hope im being clear), which I have come to understand identifies them as early model (82/early 84 according to road ripper) bearings. so out of curiousity and lack of time to fk around, I ordered an early and late model set of bearings from the same vendor, one set has to fit right? so sure enough, the set that fits is labelled as early model bearings on the box part#RB941. So now i have not one but two sets of unused early model rod bearings (std. size) kicking around, written off as a relatively inexpensive albeit frustrating learning experience. I hope this saves the next guy the trouble of ordering the right part and getting the wrong one only to think "am i an idiot or is the vendor" fortunately in this case i was not the idiot. Just one more reason to deal with the vendors that are actually familiar with MKII's and all their idiosyncracies. Thanks for all the input!