454 Stock Rods

[shaun]

About how much hp/torque can i get away with on stock rods on a NA setup? These rods where on a mark IV 454 4bolt and the block came out of a 70's dulley if that helps.

[Moneypitt]

The stock 454 rods will hold up under most of the demands you will put on them in a jet. That said, even the high dollar aftermarket rods can fail if they are not "as new". Meaning the big ends are round, have the proper bearing crush, the small ends are also round and the proper distance,(6.135") from the center of the big end....There are no twists, bends, welds, whacks from prior other components failures, etc. Are they 3/8ths bolts, or 7/16ths, are the rod bolts new? Are any of them blued? A good machine shop can check all this out for you, just beware you can get some aftermarket pieces very reasonable, new. Also understand the stock units are gonna be heavier than the hotsy totsy rods available. $ for $, IMO, go aftermarket..........Moneypitt
PS also IMO, the cranks and mains are the weak link in any MK IV BBC.....

[Fiat48]

Moneypitt
PS also IMO, the cranks and mains are the weak link in any MK IV BBC.....
Amen to that!

[shaun]

I'll have to check the rods for bolt size when i get them back but they are used. I just had the whole assembly balanced. The bolts will be replaced with new rod bolts, probably ARP.
I guess a better question is how much hp/torque can i expect the stock bottom end (pistons are not stock) to hold. The crank has casting number 235026 on it.

[Moneypitt]

too late, In the future, make the balance shop the LAST stop...MP

[GofastRacer]

Back in the 80's when I ran brackets, I used the 3/8's bolt truck rods with ARP bolts, beems polished, small end bushed to correct lenght and center hole. I used a 2 bolt block(with studs) steel factory crank. I changed the rods every hundred passes automaticly, never blew a motor and I ran 7500 max with it!..