Im trying to do a budget rebuild on my LT1 that either has a rod knock or a broken flywheel (I dont care i want to rebuild it anyways).

Ive dont have HUGE goals for this motor/car because my Camaro is an automatic and i want it wo be my cruiser.

I just need a definate awnser of weather or not to upgrade the connecting rods. I DO NOT plan on reving the motor very high due to the auto. Maybe 6500 at the MAX.

I have a Lunati cam but im not sure the exact specs. On the bottom of the cam it says: "95 up", "N4LP", "113",and "RRA1-224-234". I also have some stainless Undercut stemmed valves and i plan on having some light bowl work and porting done. Probably some crane valve spriings (CRN-10308-1) and some 1.6rr's. I dont plan on doing much else. MAYBE in the future a 4.5lb blower kit or maybe a 75 hit of nitrous.

I was seriously looking at the summit rebuild kit with the speed pro forged pistons due to is relative cheapness and completness.



So my main question is can the stock rods handle this kind of setup?

Should i get some ARP rod bolts?

What about shotpeening the rods?

Ive heard people call them powder rods, what does that mean?

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

 

I have my stock 95 LT1 rods in my 383. I did have them resized and shotpeened as well as new ARP bolts pressed into them. Right now my motor is pushing somewhere in the 360hp? to 400hp? range(haven't got'n it on the dyno yet) if your just wanting to use your car for a cruser and possibly go to the track every once in a great while..i would just suggest reconditioning them and using Keith Black HyperRetecktic(sp) pistons...they will handle around 100shot mine were like 426-428grams each.

I was trying to stay on a budget rebuild...but it will snowball and you will end up spending way more $$ then you had intended.

 

stock rods are rated to handle 450hp, but I have seen more

 

OOh i know im allready planning on putting alot of money into it i just need to stay on goal and not stray too far. I allready have an electric waterpump so im going to swap to a new opti and a cloyes double roller. and since im putting a new opti on it im going to upgrade the ignition and get a LTCC for it since i allready have to coils from an LS1 car. and i have the front calipers and rotors off a 98 F-bod so im gonna get some new spindles and put on the upgrade brakes.

WOW ITS SNOWBALLING ALLREADY!!!!

Not to mention the trans work im going to have to do. because mine is slipping from 2nd to 3rd.

I just figured that since im not going to make HUGE power and spin it to high heaven i can skip the rods and save some cash.

 

In my researches i have found that the stock rods are pretty tough. The rod bolts seem to be the weak link. I would just shot peen them, check for stress cracks and check the length to make sure none of them have stretched from stock length. Since you dont plan on turning the engine up too high i would just consider this with a set of ARP rod bolts and go from there.

Brandon