Wow thats crazy! Are you running a block girdle? Last time I checked you could only get the 3/4 groove main bearings in std, and .010 under as well. I used to take my old 455 with the heavy hypertec pistons to 6500 rpm all the time, and never had one issue with it other than I melted a cpl sets of cam bearings before I did the oil mods. I think it was overloading the oil pump and shoving the camshaft down. That engine had stock rods with arp rod bolts, and a std crank. Not a big power maker but ran 12.17@117 mph on bfg 245/60/15 hard tires. They would not let me run my ET streets back then with the stock axles and wheel studs. Was prob mid 11's at 3850 lbs with traction.
My 494 has been very reliable, going on years since I built it. Virgin crank, expert local crank grinder, lightweight reciprocating mass (GRP AL rods/JE pistons), no fill or girdle or oil cooler, plenty of street abuse in a heavy convertible and plenty of high 10/low 11 second passes @ 120+, rpm 6000-6200. I pulled it out last winter for the first time and put some new bearings in just because. It's nothing fancy or exotic, 1000's of miles too.
It was Fred Catlin R.I.P. that pioneered the 4:15 offset grind crank. And he built and ran them successfully for years. His combo was a 490". He used JE Pistons and Cunningham rods. He had Hines out of Indiana grind the crank and he would have the rod journals hard chromed. We discussed this combo with him decades ago. And was told of the need for grinding the crank properly. Even with the rod journals not being hard chromed and crank not gas nitride treated. If it is ground properly, that combo has lasted and held together for many folks. However, we like having the crank gas nitride treated. It is a great performing combo.
I never had a problem with my 494. And was always a drag car. I’m pretty sure it was the first 494. Came up with the idea from the Mopar group, and presented to Mike at ta. He offset ground a crank for me, and I had to sorce the rods and pistons. .it’s a very long rod engine. If I remember right the rods are 7.10 “ long. And girdled.
Here,if anyone is still skeptical about an aluminum rod,you can run a titanium rod. However,it can pound your bearings out of you’re not careful.
Awesome combo, I'm now kinda thinking about putting this 494 into my 72 GSX, instead of the 66 GS. Id like to get rid of the power brake booster on the 72, how did you go about doing away with the booster on yours?
Thats super cool, I know the 440 Mopar is fairly similar to the Buick. Could prob take one a little farther yet with the small Honda journals they have now. I remember back int he early 90's before the cheap sbc stroker crankshafts were available the machine shop I used, was building a lot of offset ground sbc strokers for circle track engines. I rarely heard of the crankshaft it's self failing.
I don’t have a booster on anything. The master cylinder is the same. You will need the manual brake pushrod and you will also mount the rod clevis in the upper hole on the brake pedal.
I really don’t know where the myth started about manual brakes having a hard pedal. I have never felt the difference. Manual steering is only different when you aren’t moving.
Yea when you move the pushrod to the upper hole you have plenty of leverage on the piston, it's just a longer stroke, which I do not mind at all. I hate touchy grabby brakes anyways. As for the manual steering I agree, I just hate the slow reaction of the steering. I love how I can one finger steer my 66GS with the power steering, my 72 GSX was converted to manual steering by my Dad before I ended up with it. Steering is not too hard but it keeps you busy.
