What is a good light piston and a matching rod that will be good for hi rpm and not break the bank?

I'm just curious what most people like.....

 

For an NA motor?

 

Scat has some decent cap screw type rods that seem to be working well and it is hard to go wrong with a Mahle piston. Neither of these is stunningly light but both offer a good value.

 

Yes. Hi compression NA.

 

how high are you thinking about revving

i didn't think the rods and pistons were the weak point in high rpm application

 

7500 or so

 

I use Manley rods in pretty much everything. What is the expected hp number?

 

Rods: Manley, Lunati, Oliver, Dyers. Or if you are willing to buy an import the only one I would buy are the Compstar from Callies. Pistons: JE/SRP, Mahle, Ross, Diamond, Wiseco.

Rich

 

For an LT1 the pistons and rods most definetely are the rpm weak points. From what I have seen and read I would trust the stock crank much further than either other piece.

 

The difference I have found in a offshore rod and a USA rod is the quality of the finishing. Just opened up the small end of a set of Eagles .0004" to get the pin fit correct for the application, but you have to chamfer the pin ends before you even get to checking the clearance to start. I also like to surface plate sand the flats on the big ends where the 2 rods touch. Things that you get on a Carrillo rod for 5 times the money, that take a few hours to do. A Eagle, Scat can take a good amount of power but like anything you need to make sure your ducks are in a row. "Big Daddy" Dwane Guthridge is running 7's in a Turbo SBF Drag Radial Car with Eagle Parts in it, and BES ran a lightweight SBC rod in a BBC with a pretty long stroke and 800+hp in the Engine Masters and normally does run them in all his entries.

Talk to any good engine builder who is old, say someone like Joe Sherman and he'll tell you about the good old days of stock rods that they prepped correctly and stood up to 8000+rpm and 600+hp levels. Parts that by comparison have a weaker design than the Carrillo H-Beam offshoots. Most times I see people spend WAY too much money on connecting rods that they just never need. I hate seeing a motor with not enough money in the valvetrain, intake or heads running a set of $1200 Olivers in it, especially in OEM blocks that are weaker than the rods.

I will say that Callies new Compstar Rods and Cranks are super nices pieces, they are a little more costly than a Eagle, but their is a reason. A Compstar crank needs less prep than a Eagle crank to get it where you need it.

99.5% of the time a rod failure is the builders fault, because he didn't check and set clearances or install them properly.

As for pistons, this is where you really find power and the difference between good any bad. Right now I have to say that for shelf parts a Mahle Pro Pack is nice for a street/strip cost effective engine build. For custom stuff I really like Wiesco, mainly because I get the service I need and parts built exactly how I need them to very good tolerances. If you are building a custom motor then they are a great choice. I've also used Diamond and JE in the past and Diamond is still a good choice, they seem to work well for Greg Anderson and Jason Line. I just don't like to work with the California companies because they are farther away, and have higher prices for the same level of quality.

Bret

 

Bret you bring up a point I was interested in but have found little info on.

I have 2 people that have done my maching work in the past....Both praise the stock LT1 rod up and down. One does 90% circle track stuff, he checked and preeped my rods last time I freshened my motr and I was shifting@ 7,000

The other guy does alot of stock class motors and he said there is no need for another rod and the stock pistons are pretty tuff as well. His latest car was sporting stock rods the he prepped and they are shifting the car at 8k and its held together all season so far. So I take it prep is the key to making the stock rods work in a race engine?

I agree with you on the valve train, people skimp....I have done it myself in the past.....never again will I try to save one cent on anything valvetrain related

 

Yes, prep is most of what matters on rods. As for pistons, accuracy in manufacturing is what matters. Most of it a engine builder can't measure but he can once he puts it on the dyno.

Bret

 

i'm with you on this one too...

my valvetrain failed because my engien builder skimped my parts off and re-used stock hardware. i put on 1.6 rockers and 2k miles later i'm dropping a valve. now, not only did i lose the rockers i had just installed and paid 300 bucks for, but i also lost my head and the engine due to his laziness and his theft.

any way. comp cams sells COMPLETE kits including springs, cam, lifters, rockers, guides, seals, retainers, and timing chain/gears all in a package. and you'll get it cheaper than if you ordered everything seperately. plus, if you use the whole package they can warrant the product.