I saw a video somebody posted on here of it happening and I'm pretty sure I don't want it to happen to me. I'm doing a head/cam package this spring and want to make sure I prevent any problems before they arise. Would hardened push rods help prevent this? What all forged/hardened components should I get?

 

well if you got forged titanium pushrods you might be ok j/k man, when you "throw a rod" it is refering to breaking a connecting rod in the block.

 

some say its when you actually see the rod come through your hood along with other parts usually

 

Typically it gets thrown through the block or the oil pan. I dont think too many manage to escape through the hood!

 

Ya its not a good thing when you throw a rod. Makes for really bad day.

But on a cool note. I would love to see a rod escape through the hood.. That would be quite a sight.

 

as long as its not yours right. lol.

 

I asked the same question and ARP rod bolts were suggested to me, as I guess it's the bolt that usually stresses and lets go first, not the rod itself. Assuming your valvetrain is up to speck, the stock crank, rods & pistons are good to at least 6.5k (some push it to almost 7k) before you risk engine carnage.

When I do my heads & cam in the spring/summer, I'll be replacing the rod bolts, along with the cam bearings. I haven't really decided on the rod/main bearings yet. Guess it depends on if I have the time...

FYI your whole valvetrain should basically be replaced if you're going to go past 6k. The pushrods and valvesprings especially.

 

this is throwing a rod....

old school ls6 block 'throwing a rod'

the arp bolt snapped....

whoever built this guy's motor musta been a moron, he painted the block, withthe rods and crank and everything assembled, and he got it all over the other parts lol

but this is throwing a rod....
http://img189.exs.cx/img189/1694/hpim03388ri.jpg
http://img189.exs.cx/img189/9671/hpim03392nc.jpg

yes the rod is there, but its bottom part flew off when the ARP bolt snapped...

 

I had an engine meltdown where something went through the side of the block, and I ended up with a dent in the hood. I think a piece of the block is what put the dent there. If I recall correctly the rods were all still inside the block. It was about 20 years ago so the memory is vague.

Where the block shattered, the heat was great enough that it then welded itself back together in the new configuration.

 

Ya pretty much.

 

The only hood carnage I have seen personally was after a nitrous backfire... intakes will bust a newly painted fiberglass hood. OUCH!!!

 

That would be awsome but yet bad sight to see.

 

I've seen a video of a white Blazer a while back... supposedly they put a buncha everclear mixed with gasoline in the tank, and floored it up and down a street, and after a minute you hear an explosion and part of a rod and part of a piston flew straight up through the hood and landed like 50 feet away. Crazy stuff

 

Generaly when the rod breaks, that could entail sending it through the sode of the block. Its generaly not comming through the hood as it would have to clear the head, valve cover then the hood.

 

Been there, done that...