Stock uncut 455 block is approx 10.57" stock stroke is 3.9" Stock rods 6.607" 1/2 stroke=1.95"+6.608"=8.557 10.57-8.557=2.013 So a clean up cut of .020ish Block now 10.55 - 8.557=1.993 Many aftermarket rods as plug in are 6.600 So if we go a 482 stroker of 4.05 and a 6.8 rod , after clean of .020. 10.55-8.825=1.725 piston
Here is the issue at hand the engine builder that was going to do the short block ordered billet aluminum rods that are 7.250 in long he had a major heart attack and I was givin all my parts back from the family... I hate to have to not at least try and use them. I have a 76block really nice uncut stock block that I would like to use, I understand that to build a motor based on rods you have is not ideal but these are nice I would love to use them..
So a 7.250 rod + 1/2 stock stroke=9.2" 10.57-9.2=1.37. Thats getting short I've heard some using 7.100 rods
Those are some long rods. Do you know what sizes the big and small ends are? I think if I were in your shoes id be looking to sell those rods. Imo aluminum rods are a consumable. And need to be pulled and measured on regular intervals. Maybe I'm wrong. I would want to put it together and run it, for yrs. I do like the blue block as a starting point. Lots to think about and like belly buttons, everyone has an opinion. That's why I love these exchanges. Adds all kinds of new angles to my thoughts.
Rich its pains me dearly that I am stuck with these Venolia rods I had no clue the guys plans who was to build the short block these are made from C555 billet my thoughts like yours were the same regarding aluminum rods were they could stretch, bend whatever. BUT her is were it gets interesting I spoke to several people using them one inn particular used Howards aluminum rods hes an old timer and very nice guy (Delbert Eddie Balling) his car is below, he has used the same rods in several engines built and I trust him when he said I sent them back to Howards several times since he bought them and always were in spec and no issues, he races or raced that 4 speed convertible for years same rods, a close friend another interesting name Clifton Love uses a set of aluminum rods not sure of the brand and he also uses them in different builds never an issue both are on Facebook and will tell you the same thing they wooped the heck out of these cars using aluminum rods, here is the concern mine are 7.25 long right, his are 6.8 not sure what Delberts are, shorter rods are most likely to bend less than a longer rod, but mine are made from C555 billet way stronger..Honesty all the extra work and money to make this stuff work for my needs most likely is not worth the trouble, plenty of people are using stock rods with ARP bolts and forged Buick pistons and making plenty of reliable power. F these rods
I had Howards al. rods in Thumper for years, over 900 runs on them plus my son had some street miles for a while too. I used 7", with 7.25 you may be getting into the oil ring and will need a extra rail. The rods you have are excellent quality and will last a long time. I checked length on mine a couple times and there wasn't any appreciable stretch so I stopped. Then again spinning to only 6200rpm may have something to do with it too.Right now I have a motor with BME billet al. and many runs without issue.
its cool that we can all get advice from many different people, plenty of people do out of the box combinations, pontiac rods, chevy rods, BBC pistons (etc) its cool to hear it all, my rods are 2.20 .990 I have I have a new set of .40 Wiseco Forged Buick pistons I can use, keep it simple the billet aluminum rods I have look like artwork, but my pocket is telling me to think logical. I also have a 70 stage 1 engine I found by mistake and paid $600 for original heads, a B4B and a carter 1000 cfm thermoquad, I really regret selling the manifold and carb, after talking to several people this was an original option combo used. its been freshened up and new cam still has the assembly lube on it never ran yet BUT it sat in the guys basement for years with the break in oil, no rust but I need to figure out if I can, re-install the heads and safely get it running, really cool find
You see another experienced individual saying the same exact thing, 6200 is plenty its obvious you know what your talking about, explain to me the extra rail, if you do not mind sharing, you decked the block and what did it take to get it square, what C/D piston did you use, I know someone using the 7in rod but its steel and an off the shelf chevy BB piston and hes ran this for years and all he said he did was search around for the C/D he needed, beautiful car, wheels up really cool.
2.10 to get 4.050 stk I guess what is the first thing that needs to be figure out is what you want to do with your motor, and your budget, then work to get best you can in that Race motors and street motor even though they share some things but some things not. Aluminum rods are great for race motors, light weight, motor spins up faster, less stress at rpm. But the do have a shorter life. But most ppl using them in race motors are willing to trade this for the benefits that comes with them. The require more clearancing around rails, cam, piston walls etc, they expand when warm more than steel rods so this has to be figured in as well. My combo now is a steel molnar rod 464, lives every shift above 6000. Most 6500, I would not fear in twisting it north of 7000 any time I wanted/needed. But i try not to run my stuff that far........i know the life expectancy will go down if it starts living at 7000. After talking with bobb from finishline when we were building this motor, I didnt want to have to buy 12-15 dollar a gallon fuel knowing it was using around s gallon per pass. So with that in mind we didnt go fir 14:1, even though my heads flow great to over 700 lift, the cam he had made goes a little over 600, it's a solid tappet, I didnt have the funds to do a major solid roller set, and what it would take to make the block keep all that in place.........so there for sure is room to get more power out of my motor, but I didnt want a motor that required major overhauls every 300 or so passes......I only had so much funds and he did an amazing job working within my budget.
I'm super happy with it, I need to get my car dialed in to put all to where it needs to go, we went 6.72 at little over 100mph with very little tuning time and only a 1.48 60ft time. That was still with the 4 wheel manual drum brakes too. So it should had been about mid 10.60s near 125mph. We never even made a jet adjustment yet. Hoping to get the 60 times closer to very low 1.40s, mid 6.30s in the 1/8th. Close to low 10s, maybe upper 9s?????? I know the cars rolls easier with 4wheel disc brakes. I have another car I would like to get around........a true real but racecar, no carpet, no wipers, no radios, no bench seats, no rear seats, no door panels, no column shift. Figure it will be a decent amount under 3000 lbs and it will hopefully be getting a hig inch motor
