I've read a few places where people mention certain rods having clearance issues with stroker motors. Is there a good forged rod to use on a 383 that will not make clearance issues? I was looking at Eagle 4340 Forged I-beams. Any clearance problems going to come out of that?

Wayne

 

The 383 only requires very minor grinding for clearence at the bottoms of the cylinders. This in no way "hurts" anything. It's not necessary to buy special rods.

 

The amount of clearancing need will vary with the profile of the big end of the rod. Eagle H-beams are notable for having clearance issues. We hit water on one 383 we did with those rods due to the amount of clearancing required. I think the I-beams will be ok though. FWIW, of the mid-price rods the best I have seen for stroker clearance are the Lunati "Pro-Mod" which are an I-beam design. The H-beams in the mid-range that are decent for clearance are the Crower and Manley. The Oliver billet rods are fantastic for clearance and an excellent rod. Unfortunately, they cost ~$1,200 set depending on the bolts used.

Rich

 

I ran the Lunati Pro mods @ 5.850" with a Lunati 3.750" stroker for years and never had to clearance the block.

When I switched Callies 3.875" stroker...I had to clearance the block big time...oil rails, bottom of the cylinders. I was not happy about that.

 

Okay. So the I-beams will clear just fine. I guess this could be another thread, but let's discuss I-beam vs. H-beam. I plan on going with either the LE-2 or LE-3 package and making the ~420 RWHP. Might also later add a 150 shot. With that in mind, would I be better off getting the H-beam and dealing with the clearance issues or would the I-beam hold up just fine for this application? This will be a drag/daily driver car.

Wayne

 

I-beams will work fine for you.

 

I vs. H-beam at the level we are talking is marketing, not engineering. IOW, a $500 H-beam is going to be better than a $300 I-beam set of rods and not as good as a $1,200 set of I-beams. A $500 set of I-beams are going to be about as good as a $500 set of H-beams. IOW, don't pick your rods based on I v. H-beam.

I am no engineer. But looking at the two designs I'd be surprised of there is any inherent difference in tension, which is usually where rods usually have problems (big end distortion as the piston goes over the top). In extremely high power applications, rods can fail under compression. I have thought about it and can't come to any firm conclusion about the relative strength of the two designs in compression. But that assumes all else is equal - weight, material, manufacturing process, inspection, finishing, etc. and this is not likely to ever be the case. So, I would not chose rods on that basis. Best place for info might be a company that manfactures both I and H-beam high-end rods. But does anyone do that? The high end Crower, Manley, Oliver, and Lunati rods are I-beam, but the Carillo and Dyers are H's. So, it seems that the manufacturers have their preferences and I am sure can each justify their different choices.

I use I-beams because I am familiar with them. But I can't way they are better (or worse, or the same).

Rich

 

I've only seen a few 383's, but none of them came anyware near the water jacket. Was there anything unusual about this setup? Are the LT-1 blocks "tighter" in this area then the old SBC's?
The Eagle H-beam rods don't look like they would be a problem.