Connecting rod question
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 68
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Connecting rod question I am considering upping the jetting on the TNT kit for another 25 horse to the wheels, hoping to reach a 125 mph trap......
I am wondering if I am flirting with disaster though. I am not exactly sure what rods I have as the car was purchased with the stroker kit. I have had the engine apart to check on the internals and to do a rebuild about 3k miles ago. When I did the rebuild, the machinist said it looked like a SCAT crank. Anyways, the rods appear to be stock, but I am wondering if that is likely. The pistons are keith black hypereutectics. Is it possible the stock rods could have been used?......or would the stroker kit have come with a better rod? In any case, I dont think they are anything special.......
Assuming that it is not a forged rod, am I flirting with the "line" now? COuld I add some more juice to this thing?
I am wondering if I am flirting with disaster though. I am not exactly sure what rods I have as the car was purchased with the stroker kit. I have had the engine apart to check on the internals and to do a rebuild about 3k miles ago. When I did the rebuild, the machinist said it looked like a SCAT crank. Anyways, the rods appear to be stock, but I am wondering if that is likely. The pistons are keith black hypereutectics. Is it possible the stock rods could have been used?......or would the stroker kit have come with a better rod? In any case, I dont think they are anything special.......
Assuming that it is not a forged rod, am I flirting with the "line" now? COuld I add some more juice to this thing?
I always heard the rule of thumb was about 150 at the flywheel so 125 at the wheels equates with about 150 at the flywheel if you calculate a 20% drivetrain loss. I wouldn't go anymore than what you're wanting to do. You probably should have went with the forged rods and pistons when you rebuilt. Would have only been about $600 more if you had bought the rods outright (based on the idea you still have stock rods and $0 was spent on rods).
The stock rods are better than some of the aftermarket stuff out there so stock is not a bad thing. I know there are several power adder b-bodies at 120+mph on stock bottomends. Another thing to consider is are your heads going to flow enough to give you any gain from another 25HP of juice. You are not spraying that much but your cam seems to be doing a good job of making the heads flow air.
I watched one of the b-body guys with milder heads and cam go from 175HP jets to 200 hp jets on a stock bottomend and gain nothing in E.T. we figured the exhaust ports were just doing all they could with the 175.
I watched one of the b-body guys with milder heads and cam go from 175HP jets to 200 hp jets on a stock bottomend and gain nothing in E.T. we figured the exhaust ports were just doing all they could with the 175.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 68
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Originally Posted by 96capricemgr
The stock rods are better than some of the aftermarket stuff out there so stock is not a bad thing. I know there are several power adder b-bodies at 120+mph on stock bottomends. Another thing to consider is are your heads going to flow enough to give you any gain from another 25HP of juice. You are not spraying that much but your cam seems to be doing a good job of making the heads flow air.
I watched one of the b-body guys with milder heads and cam go from 175HP jets to 200 hp jets on a stock bottomend and gain nothing in E.T. we figured the exhaust ports were just doing all they could with the 175.
I watched one of the b-body guys with milder heads and cam go from 175HP jets to 200 hp jets on a stock bottomend and gain nothing in E.T. we figured the exhaust ports were just doing all they could with the 175.
I don't see much of a problem using the stock rods, especially if they were re-sized and shot-peened and had the bolts upgraded. I'd be more concerned with the pistons, hypereutic pistons wouldn't be my first choice for a nitrous motor. Although honestly I think you'll be fine using the relatively small shot of nitrous, providing your tuning is right. IMO first thing to go would be your rings, not your rods.
