Connecting rod question
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 32,519
Likes: 1
From: central America
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Connecting rod question
Since I'm in the middle of an engine rebuild (dropped off at the machine shop today!), I'm still trying to decide what kind of rods I should use. Car is being set up as street/autocross, 355 with 280 duration cam and keeping the revs below 6000 rpm. Is it worth the investment for brushed scat 4130 rods, or am I just throwing my money away? Durability is the idea here. So what do you all think?
trw
trw
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Probably not but it is insurance against breakage. I run the Chevy "Pink" rods which are fairly good for a stock rod and take mine to 6500 to 7000 rpm quite frequently. It has about 6K miles on the motor and never misses a beat. So far so good.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,172
Likes: 86
From: State of Confusion
I agree with Gordonm:
not-necessary, but nice insurance if you can afford them.
I, too, have the 'pink' rods in my 355", and when I began racing it, I took to 6200-6400 regularly, but I shortly realized it went just as fast shifting at5800.
not-necessary, but nice insurance if you can afford them.
I, too, have the 'pink' rods in my 355", and when I began racing it, I took to 6200-6400 regularly, but I shortly realized it went just as fast shifting at5800.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 32,519
Likes: 1
From: central America
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Is there a modern day equivalent to the "pink" rods? Would a scat 4130 brushed rod similar, or does it have to be a specific forged rod? Does H-beam or I-beam make a difference?
thanks for answering my questions. Everytime i do a google search, all i seem to get is where to buy, not the info I need. I appreciate the posts from those who have "been there, done that".
trw
thanks for answering my questions. Everytime i do a google search, all i seem to get is where to buy, not the info I need. I appreciate the posts from those who have "been there, done that".
trw
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 1
In the early 70's ( yes I'm now 59) I had a 68 Chevelle that I built a 355 for. It had 12.5 comp, steel crank GM slant plug 202 heads and blue printed "pink rods", along with a lot of other goodies. Car was a 4 spd with a chevy 12 bolt with 5.13 gears it ran a best of 12.22 at 121 mph in the 1/4 . Went thru the lights at 9300 rpm never a problem with the lower end. All this with a GM Power solid flat tappet cam, Edelbrock Scorpion manifold and a Holley 850. The answer was attention to details and carefull assembly of "blueprinted" parts.
P.S. the car was stock bodied and was street registered(gas ,
Sunoco 260 and 34 cents a gallon)
PPS Moral to story, PINK RODS.
P.S. the car was stock bodied and was street registered(gas ,
Sunoco 260 and 34 cents a gallon)
PPS Moral to story, PINK RODS.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 32,519
Likes: 1
From: central America
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
here is some info I found on the "pink" rods.
Man, they built things tough back then.
302 (Z/28>
* small journal, 11/32 rod bolts in 1967
* large journal, 3/8 rod bolts 1968, 1969
* forged steel
* shot peened
* heat treated
* magnafluxed (known as "pink rods" due to the pink residue)
* babbit dipped
* 1967 - early 1968 pressed pin
* late 1968 - 1969 floating pin
No wonder they're such a hot commodity. thanks for the info everyone.
trw
Man, they built things tough back then.
302 (Z/28>
* small journal, 11/32 rod bolts in 1967
* large journal, 3/8 rod bolts 1968, 1969
* forged steel
* shot peened
* heat treated
* magnafluxed (known as "pink rods" due to the pink residue)
* babbit dipped
* 1967 - early 1968 pressed pin
* late 1968 - 1969 floating pin
No wonder they're such a hot commodity. thanks for the info everyone.
trw
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,443
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
I ran some bushed 6.125 oliver lightweight 585 grams 4340 forged I beams.
They could feasably be the last rods you would ever need. You can reuse them in all future projects. I imagine mine are still out there probably still running around some circle track somewhere.
I keep reusing my 6 inch bushed Manley H beams.
If your going to do something - Do it right and then you don't even have to think about it down the road when you decide to turn the wick up to 7500 rpm or install a blower or N2O.
Same thing with good forged cranks and pistons. I just keep using them over and over. It doesn't cost anymore to do 6 inch over 5.7 rods so why short yourself.
They could feasably be the last rods you would ever need. You can reuse them in all future projects. I imagine mine are still out there probably still running around some circle track somewhere.
I keep reusing my 6 inch bushed Manley H beams.
If your going to do something - Do it right and then you don't even have to think about it down the road when you decide to turn the wick up to 7500 rpm or install a blower or N2O.
Same thing with good forged cranks and pistons. I just keep using them over and over. It doesn't cost anymore to do 6 inch over 5.7 rods so why short yourself.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by 72 stingray owner
here is some info I found on the "pink" rods.
Man, they built things tough back then.
302 (Z/28>
* small journal, 11/32 rod bolts in 1967
* large journal, 3/8 rod bolts 1968, 1969
* forged steel
* shot peened
* heat treated
* magnafluxed (known as "pink rods" due to the pink residue)
* babbit dipped
* 1967 - early 1968 pressed pin
* late 1968 - 1969 floating pin
No wonder they're such a hot commodity. thanks for the info everyone.
trw
Man, they built things tough back then.
302 (Z/28>
* small journal, 11/32 rod bolts in 1967
* large journal, 3/8 rod bolts 1968, 1969
* forged steel
* shot peened
* heat treated
* magnafluxed (known as "pink rods" due to the pink residue)
* babbit dipped
* 1967 - early 1968 pressed pin
* late 1968 - 1969 floating pin
No wonder they're such a hot commodity. thanks for the info everyone.
trw
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,443
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
In all fairness to GM rods. I need to state that my 1979 L-82 vette bottom end (Forged Crank and rods) never failed me.
One of the first things I did was yank the motor to get the compression up. The motor was nearly brand new and I put on some forged flat tops on the stock rods. New cam and head work and headers with true duals. It was allso balanced. 6000 rpm every day. Then I got better heads and 64 cc chambers, bigger cam, and single plane intake. That stock 4 bolt bottom end saw 7000+ rpm for every day till it got about 100,000 miles on it.
Those rods & crank withstood abuse of every kind in a low 400 hp 355 ci motor with several variations and sizes of pistons attached.
The L-82 engine plant was worth ever extra penny.
One of the first things I did was yank the motor to get the compression up. The motor was nearly brand new and I put on some forged flat tops on the stock rods. New cam and head work and headers with true duals. It was allso balanced. 6000 rpm every day. Then I got better heads and 64 cc chambers, bigger cam, and single plane intake. That stock 4 bolt bottom end saw 7000+ rpm for every day till it got about 100,000 miles on it.
Those rods & crank withstood abuse of every kind in a low 400 hp 355 ci motor with several variations and sizes of pistons attached.
The L-82 engine plant was worth ever extra penny.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 984
Likes: 23
From: Florence SC
I've never seen a broken chevy x-rod, I've seen them bend but never a broken one. I would use new ARP rod bolts resize the big end and wouldn't think twice spinning them to 7000 Rpm. I ran a set in my automatic drag car for 3 years, 355 ci, 7000 to 7400 rpm shift every pass. The steel chevy crank broke coming out of the water box. The rods were unusable (bent) but never failed. Just My .02 worth 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 914
Likes: 14
From: Aberdeen, Scotland
Scat rods?
Aren't the scat rods made in China now? I know the cranks are. At the very least they might be forged in China and finished here. That's made in China in my book and it will not be used on my vette! 
I like the pink rods, ditto on length!
carbster
I like the pink rods, ditto on length!
carbster
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,423
Likes: 1,458
From: Little Rock AR
Originally Posted by bracketshark
I've never seen a broken chevy x-rod, I've seen them bend but never a broken one. I would use new ARP rod bolts resize the big end and wouldn't think twice spinning them to 7000 Rpm. I ran a set in my automatic drag car for 3 years, 355 ci, 7000 to 7400 rpm shift every pass. The steel chevy crank broke coming out of the water box. The rods were unusable (bent) but never failed. Just My .02 worth
Fine for pressed pins but if you need bushed floating rods you should just get some Eagle SIR's. The cost from an Eagle dealer is about the same by the time you are done. Eagle is a better piece for floaters. -Mark.
