Mikelly Posted January 27, 2002 Share Posted January 27, 2002 ... Yup, the wife caught me mounting my engine on the engine stand for my tear down..Boy was she hot. Supposed to take it easy, and I was...sort of. I'm wrenching most of the stuff with my left hand since the right wrist is cracked. Anyway, Motor is on the stand and I'm starting a complete tear down so I can ship off the rotating assembly for balancing. My question is this: I have LT1 Pink rods that have been race prepped. I'm gonna be pushing (Hopefully) 450RWHP at around 6500 RPMs and I want to know from the true techies out there (Grumpy, Ron J. and others) if these rods are sufficiant for my application. I'm also lokoing into my pistons and may swap both out, but only if I have to... Thanks in advance! Mike Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted January 27, 2002 Share Posted January 27, 2002 They should be fine as long as they have been magged and I would probably go to the trouble to xray as well. Race prepped I assume you mean beams have been ground and polished, shot peened and new bolts along with a resize? They do have ARP bolts? Keep maximum engine speed below 7000 rpm. Light pistons and pins don't hurt longevity either. Listen to your wife! Let your wrist heal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Scott Posted January 27, 2002 Share Posted January 27, 2002 At least it wasn't with another women! I'm no techie, but if you want pricing information: the 4340 lightweight forged I beams, bushed for full floating, from Scat are only about $230 and good for 600hp, according to Scat tech. Eagle and others have similar rods. I backed out on my H beams. Overkill and put the $$ into more head work. JS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VRJoe Posted January 27, 2002 Share Posted January 27, 2002 Hey Mike, be careful !!!!!!! you don't want to cause any more damage to that wrist that might extend the time to heal !!!! Call a couple of buddies, you supply the beverage they supply the labor. Maybe it's a good time to work on the web site. I'd hate to think that you'd still have a cast on when the engine gets done, I would probably hear the scream all the way up here in PA. Besides it'd make you cranky and I hate asking cranky people for advice Get well fast, - VRJoe PS- My mother lives in Lousia,VA. Next time I swing down maybe I'll make a little detour and pay y'all a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted January 28, 2002 Author Share Posted January 28, 2002 Joe, By all means, feel free to stop in the next time you are in town! OVer all the arm feels good, just can't "push" on it is all! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted January 28, 2002 Share Posted January 28, 2002 Bad Boy, Bad Bad Boy! Be careful, Mike! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 28, 2002 Share Posted January 28, 2002 If they are polished, shot peened, and weight matched you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RON JONES Posted January 28, 2002 Share Posted January 28, 2002 I agree the the replys above.if they are race preped(polished beems,arp bolts,etc)I'd just have them Magged and go from there.If You out drag Racing every weekend,I'd tell You a little different story.I think You'll be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted January 29, 2002 Share Posted January 29, 2002 Bad! Remind me to smack you up side the head the next time I see you! Seriously, I understand the problem with not being able to work on a motor even when crippled. But take some time off and let that wrist heal! magnaflux and use if o.k. (if they were polished, shot peened, etc.) But at $230, that's not bad, either. I'd be tempted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted January 29, 2002 Share Posted January 29, 2002 those rods SHOULD BE ok but if you don,t already own them they would not be my first pick, but if you make sure to use A.R.P. wave-loc rod bolts they should be fine, its not the rods themselves that fail most of the time its the cheap chevy production rod bolts that stretch just enough to let the oil pressure fail and the rod bearings spin which results in a rod through the side of the block, a cracked head and a broken cam and crankshaft when the rod comes off the crank and gets pounded at 7000 times a minute by 400 ft lbs of force from the crank untill something jams solid and the engine locks up!USEING CHEAP ROD BOLTS(the most highly stressed part in your engine) TO SAVE $100 THAT CAN COST YOU AN ENGINE IS FALSE ECONOMY look here for good bolts, http://www.arp-bolts.com/pages/products/products.html BTW a good high voluum oil pump,milodon windage screen and baffled oil pan also help prevent trouble, heres a good deal, get these peoples catalog ,it free and they have lots of good stuff at low prices, true they deal mostly with the stock car racers but why not take advantage of the parts you need at good prices MWMS Claimer Pan Combo Includes: Claimer Pan (left hand dipstick only)(right hand dipstick models available for alittle more money High Volume Oil Pump High Volume Oil Pump Pick Up $79.99 http://www.midwestmotorsportsinc.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted January 29, 2002 Author Share Posted January 29, 2002 Grumpy, I hear you on the Rod Bolt issue. This motor combo is one I already have that was built for me by a Crate engine builder. I spec'd ARP Wave Locs, Crank wipers windage tray, and a pan with trap doors and a high volume pump. I lsot a motor on start up once due to a stretched BRAND NEW rod bolt due to a faulty torque wrench... Rod bolt stretch gauges are a good investment. I already have the Pink Rods in the build, which is why I want to know if they are something I can live with (They are race prepped) or if they MUST be replaced. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted January 29, 2002 Share Posted January 29, 2002 at that power level(450 hp) and the wave-loc bolts those rods should be ok LOOK BELOW FOR THE REST OF THE POST Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 29, 2002 Share Posted January 29, 2002 Well I don't want to be negative but I had a 430HP(dyno proven)ZZ4 in my 70 El Camino and at 18000 miles the #7 rod broke right at the journal... The big end was still on the crank. Out the side of the block,ouch! That thing cost me about $6500 with the dyno time. Just finished paying that sucker off several months ago. I never spun the motor past 6500rpms, always pampered it with Redline oil and K&N oil filters. When the rod let go it was just cruising at 2400rpms on my way to my second job. Major letdown. They were stock LT4 powdered metal rods. I now use ARP rod bolts and check them with a stretch guage!If you can get a set of H beams for that price I would go for it. I personally now feel that stock rods are for stock or near stock engines. Polishing, magging, and x raying go along way but you still have a basically stock rod, How much does it cost to do all those steps? I would stop and sell my pink rods( they are just thick castings that have gone through an inspection process). I like the peace of mind of having an aftermarket rod. I have to say that when the tach needle swings into the expensive end I love the aftermarket safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 29, 2002 Share Posted January 29, 2002 I kinda agree that it's rare but my groin is still pretty sore from the kick and I prefer to sidestep the stock rods. It was just such a terrible ordeal I have selectively tried to forget the incident but it still haunts me. Once bitten twice shy. IMHO I would spend less than $300 and buy the SCAT rods. They will not be stressed in that app. and it's relatively cheap after all the inspection, polishing, and hand working. I realize that I have customers with 11 second cars with basically stock(parts wise) bottom ends and they tell me stock rods are fine. I have gone through the expensive and mind altering problem of a rod letting go. I will tear my engine down next time because it's time for freshening, not because my rod windowed my block, bent my valve, broke my cam and ruined a pair of roller lifters! For that price I would rather sleep well than think of that sound happening again!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted January 29, 2002 Share Posted January 29, 2002 you guys are not going to beleve this but when I posted that the board only printed the first line ,and then the board was down for awhile, so heres the whole post! at that power level(450 hp) and the wave-loc bolts those rods should be ok! but I long ago started useing only EAGLE,SCAT,LUNATI,CALLIES,CROWER rods with cap screw type rod bolts (7/16") on any sbs that was going to have over 450hp, heres what I use, http://www.flatlanderracing.com/crhbeamscat.html (yes SCAT probably are imported but they are a good rod for the money) http://www.flatlanderracing.com/calliesrods.html (thats what I just used in my last 383 build) http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Products/IEC/IECCR/Billet.html most of my friends use these! http://www.cdpautomachine.com/ecatalog/eaglerods.html http://www.crower.com/pdf/145.pdf and many guys at the tracks run these with no problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted January 30, 2002 Share Posted January 30, 2002 I don't know anymore, but SCAT was a California based company that got its start making stroker cranks for VW bugs. They were THE crank to own for a hot rod VW. They were one of the first making cast steel 383 cranks as well, and I would guess that some of the big mail order companies "house" cranks are made by SCAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RON JONES Posted January 30, 2002 Share Posted January 30, 2002 I know a hand full of Super Stock Racers that use "pink" rods and don't have any problems.Have them maged and see if there ok.Most of the time when a rod breaks the bearing spins first and then the rod breaks.Mike look at that GRP rod I gave You,It has a dowel in the lower cap.You can have dowels instaled and use bearings with a dowel hole allready drilled.the dowel is the best thing going on the rod.lower caps almost never break unless it spins the beaing.Look in to the dowel deal?I'm just thinking about this off the top of My head,but I think I read somewhere about this being done on a Super Stock motor.As far as that rod that broke and the rod was still on the crank,thats very rare and I would consider that something You would see very rarely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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