Any con-rod you install in your engine must be prepped. I don't mean just wash it, I mean prep it. Factory, rebuilt, or new aftermarket must be prepped. One exception I've found was a set of new Molnar rods that had already been prepped.
You need to separate the cap from the rod and lightly file all the connecting machined surfaces. The edges where the bearing surface and the cap and rod meet have a sharp edge that could strip some of the metal bearing back off when you push the bearing into the cap or rod.
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This picture shows the small triangular file I use to do the operation. I'm not putting a bevel on the rod/cap just gently rounding the mating surface all around the ends of the cap and rod to remove any small chips that may get into the engine. Additionally, more often than not, the register that the bearing tang rides in will have a sliver of proud metal inside the register. Often I cannot easily get the file to remove that sliver and I have to rely on my trusty Buck pocketknife to cut it out.
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I also lightly sand, using flat surface with 280 grit, the sides of the caps and rods looking for any proud edges that may interfere with the side clearance or mess with the adjacent rod or the crank. I'm not sanding them smooth, just looking for high areas that may need attention.
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I even lightly sand the corners of the cap and rods when possible to get them a little smoother for bearing installation
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Now we wash everything up and install the bearing into the rods and measure the rod bearing clearances.
