ground rods

[bb429power]

I ground the extra casting off the rods to strengthen them. For a 429.

[70shortwide]

looks like you removed a lot of meat. looks like the beginning stages of shrapnel to me.
what process did you use to take the material off?

[OldRedFord]

Yea, what he said. I would have left them alone. What is the casting # on the rods?

I would have replaced the rod bolts with ARP studs but that would be about it.

[hazelnut]

hope your going to have your motor balanced. just wondering, why did you grind down the rods?

[OldRedFord]

I see in your sig that your wanting 550 hp, stock rods wont cut it.

[BobbyFord]

Shot-peened truck 460 "football" rods will handle 500+ HP.
Those "ground" rods are going to laying on the ground after they exit the bottom of the pan.

[OldRedFord]

What was the reasoning for grinding the sides of the rods? Ive never seen that before.

[BobbyFord]

I'm not exactly sure the reasoning but I do have a set of 460 truck rods somewhere that have been "massaged" in a similar manner.

*Edit*

Here's the extra ones that I have. These have been ground and shot-peened. These are the strongest stock 385 series rods...


"Football" style bolts (the weaker rods have rectangular bolts ). These style rods were used in 429CJ and SCJ, Police 429's and 460's as well as 460 truck motors.

These stock "football" bolts can be replaced with ARP rod bolts for added strength. I would not use the rectangular broached bolt type rods in a high performance application, although they would be o.k. in a mild, cast piston build.

D6VE-AA

[70shortwide]

the way I understand it, by the time you "work over" a set of rods to do the job your pretty near the cost of aftermarket rods. IMO rods are not a good place to try to penny-pinch. breaking a rod costs more than a new set of rods!

FWIW, Ill be going with scat or eagle H-beams with a similar hp goal. I do not intend to have the same problem twice.

[BobbyFord]

Scat H-beam rods for a 460 are $600

[OldRedFord]

I had forgotten about the two different style factory rods.

I have the car type. I guess I should be ok tho, not going to spin it too far and Im only looking at 350ish hp.

[70shortwide]

Scat H-beam rods for a 460 are $600

If your patient and shop around I beleive scats can be had in the 4-500 range. eagles are often advertised at 399. Like I mentioned I do not intend to have the same problem twice. breaking a stock rod has cost me WAY more than the cost of good rods. Not saying that everyone should over build their bottom end, but I am. also, Someday I may put more power to it, the cost differnce right now is less than a couple hundred bucks.

when I was talking about the cost of cleaning up and "massaging" stock rods I was referring to using an aftermarket
I-Beam, sorry for any confusion. I beleive eagle sir I-beam rods are about half the price of H-beams. I know ive seen the advertised new-in-the-box from people that bought and couldnt use them for 200, maybe less

[bb429power]

Okay, I'm going to clear all of this up. I know it kind of seems like an oxymoron that it does this, but when you grind the extra casting off of the rods it actually strengthens them. My machinist was telling me how one of his customers did the same thing running a 700+ hp engine that he has had for 8 years since he had it rebuilt. Its perfectly fine and very healthy. You can run a lot of stock stuff to high hp applications. 550 isn't pushing it at all.

They are DOOE A rods with the rectangular bolts which are being replaced with ARP bolts.

To grind them down (and I didn't take as much off as you think) I took the small 90 degree grinder to them to get the worst of it. Then I took my dremel (can't remember the correct spelling) to it with a 120 grit. Its the end that looks like this from the top

I know that isn't it but thats the best picture I can find to describe it. Its like a fan from the top.

If you want any more info then just let me know. I was a little late on posting this, I forgot I posted this though.

So, I am benefiting from this, not the other way around.

*EDIT* And yes I'm going to have it balanced. By the way, the two pictures are of the opposite sides so the balancing pads add to the effect of it being ground down too much. It isn't.

[BobbyFord]

It's not the bolt that breaks on the broached rods, it's the rod, in the area of the bolt. Save yourself some later money and headache and toss those rods.
Cast pistons? Sure.
Forged?
http://www.460ford.com/forum/showthread ... light=rods

[convincor]

Scat H-beam rods for a 460 are $600

Eagle I-beams only $365- http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ESP-6605FB/
I'd also toss that ground set in the scrap pile.