rsicard Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Wheelman: Go back and rework your Math for stroke, rod length and piston compression height. Rod Stroker ratio has NOTHING to do with resistance to detonation. Maximize squish to increase resistance to detonation. Follow my previous suggestions. The biggest increase in HP and TQ, for any displacement, will come from cylinder heads, camshaft and induction system. If the bottom end is not solid other work may be in vain. Good bearings, oil pump and good piston rings etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxfiend1967 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) My 2 cents, If im not mistaken the rods in an lt1 are the pmf , they are several times stronger than older style rods . I am using them in my 406 with speedpro(heavy) pistons. I turn 6000-6500 regularly If you are worried use some scat hbeams . put the longest rod you can fit but imo no need to use 6 inch rod in a 350 turning 6500 . It will make more horsepower but for the 3 or 4 hp youll gain not worth extra money. the pmf rods are good for 500-600 horsepower maybe more. that comes from a nascar engine shop and from me (remember 2 cents) and my expierience.lol ps ls1 engine have powdered metalurgy rods(spelling) zr1 makes 600 plus horsepower. Im just sayin Edited November 9, 2011 by saxfiend1967 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 Doing a compression and leakdown test will tell us a lot about the condition the motor is in right now, and give you a good idea of what needs freshening. If the bottom end is solid still, $2500 could get you a very respectable set of heads. The low oil pressure probably doesn't indicate a solid bottom end though. I don't have leakdown gauges, but I do have a compression tester (it's a cheap one, but it gets the job done) if you'd like to borrow it. I don't know if you've ever gone to S&B before, but all of my experiences with them have been negative. Their prices are high, and the guy that is typically working (Ryan) tends to be very condescending. Maybe it's because I'm probably one of their younger customers, but my friends have had similar responses from him. We've all switched over to Auto Machine in Pasco (on Lewis St.) and have been very happy. I don't have any experience with Poynor Machine, but my friend speaks ill of them, mainly because of their prices. You're running a set of block-huggers right now, right? You're car is already a beast at 300hp! 50 more to the wheels will be quite a blast Ryan, Sounds like I really should see what Auto Machine in Pasco would charge. I've never had problems with S&B or Poynor (except for timelyness) but have to agree about the guy at S&B being a bit of an ASS. He always treats me like I have no idea what I'm talking about. I have a compression tester but not a leak down tester, all the cylinders read ~190+psi so the rings and valves are good but thats not where my concern lies as I've already stated. Yes I'm running block huggers right now. They are ceramic coated Headman Tight Tubes that dump into 2 1/4" pipe that merges into 2 1/2" just in front of the diff and exits through a Hooker Aero-Chamber muffler. It sounds good (sorta like a european sports car) but could be a bit louder. My 2 cents, If im not mistaken the rods in an lt1 are the pmf , they are several times stronger than older style rods . I am using them in my 406 with speedpro(heavy) pistons. I turn 6000-6500 regularly If you are worried use some scat hbeams . put the longest rod you can fit but imo no need to use 6 inch rod in a 350 turning 6500 . It will make more horsepower but for the 3 or 4 hp youll gain not worth extra money. the pmf rods are good for 500-600 horsepower maybe more. that comes from a nascar engine shop and from me (remember 2 cents) and my expierience.lol ps ls1 engine have powdered metalurgy rods(spelling) zr1 makes 600 plus horsepower. Im just sayin This is good to know. I wasn't aware the LS1 uses PM rods or that the LT1 rods are rated for 500-600hp. Maybe all I really need to do is replace the rod and main bearings then as Ryan suggested spend the rest of my money on a good set of heads, a hotter cam and port work on the intake. You guys are giving me too many options to consider, I thought I had a simple plan worked out and now I need to reconsider my choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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