So I constructed a jig to measure the small end. I was advised elsewhere that for this application all I really needed to do was to get the small end weight right, then get the overall weight within tolerance. I realize this level of technology is far beyond the hopes and dreams of the non-nuclear scientists out there, but for future NASA engineers ... and after several beers ... I present the Pragmatic Small End Measuring Engine, Mark I (TM):



So for curious minds, I compared the old and new rods - identical casting marks, but the old, lighter one has clearly had work done on it. With calipers, I could tell it had been ground about a half millimeter on the top and sides.



So with a flap disk and a wire brush I ground the small end and got it within one gram. Yes, I realize my high-tech measuring jig isn't perfectly level, but the actual numbers are meaningless for this purpose, as long as the measurements were repeatable, which they were. Old:



New:



Overall weight came in ... after a bit of big end polishing ... within 3 grams of the old rod. And the finished, polished rod:



Installed, the piston sits perfectly:



Someone earlier had expressed surprise at the original bent rod. I'm going with the theory that the original was bored a bit off to account for a casting error and that caused it to continue to bend over time. It was definitely bent or otherwise out of alignment, though. You can see here how the piston was wearing at the top because it was canted ...



Someone asked above to show pics of the overall rebuild. So after fixing this I got the upper pan on, the crank seals in and timing chain guides installed. The machine shop did an awesome job with the boring and honing - I double checked with a bore gauge and calipers and all are dead on within the FSM specs, toward the lower half of the tolerance, which I requested. I'll post more when it is closer to done.

Short block rotating assembly: