I will be...................... Why do you ask? I spoke to Mike at TA and he said that the quality and material used now to manufacture alloy rods is much improved and running them on the street doesnt pose a problem like they used too. Mike will be putting alloy rods into my alloy block along with a crower crank. Cheers Royden
The car in my avatar, which now has a new owner, has had aluminum rods in it for about 6 years of street and track driving. Probably between 500 and 1000 miles per year. Last time I took it to the track it ran 11.81 @ 112mph in stock appearing form. The rpm's were kept under 6K. No problems....but built by two good engine builders!
Mike is right the material that aluminum rods are made out of today and the rpm we turn make tham a good choice on the street we have built several engines that are street driven with them with no issues as of yet. the most miles that I know of from one of them is a 650 HP pump gas engine we did two years ago and he has over 4000 miles on it so far it will be 6000+ by the end of the summer. he runs well into the tens at over 126MPH and shifts it at 6600. I would think you should be fine as long as you don't plan on reving it to 10 grand
I was cautioned by a well known Buick engine builder not to start an aluminum rod motor in cold temps (<50 F). I wonder if someone could mic an AL rod at room temperature, then soak at 50F overnite and see what the change in diameter is. ray:
:3gears: I've run the same Howard aluminum rods in the GSX in the avitar since 1983. My brother and I drove the snot out it on the street, racking up at least 30,000 miles over seven years. We also bracket raced it in the 8th mile at Brainard Optimist Drag Strip for a couple of summers. It was turning about 5,900 rpm through the lights. We also ran a few tanks of nitrous through the engine at a 150 HP setting. Pistons are forged TRWs machined for floating pins. I bought the rods at the very first GS Nats from John Chamberlin. He told me they came from Richard Lasseter, who got them from somewhere else. I wonder just how old and used those rods are. We took the GSX out of service in 1990. The engine did not run from mid 1990 until July 2009, when I rebuilt it for the GSX reunion. Although the rod bearings were significantly worn at the time of the rebuild, the rods still look good. I've only put another 50 miles on the car in the last year. I will use these rods until they fail. Have no fear!
I own a few old mid 1960's thru 1970's British motorcycles, Norton, BSA, Triumph and others. ALL the Triumph and BSA engines run aluminum rods, with steel caps, and I have never had a problem with any of them. Those engines are all push rod types, and spin to 8,500/9,000 rpms easily. I have one flat track Triumph engine that spins well past 11,000 rpms, and it uses stock street bike engine aluminum/steel rods. Regards, Milton
I plan on running them If and when I go big block. I was just wondering what people are getting away with.
I had GRP's in my motor with the 7/16 cap screws over the 3/8. The more thread contact the better I was told. I will use them again on my next 464. I always warmed the motor up and drove it real easy until I seen the oil temp come up. Jamie
