Crank for SBC Rods???

[91z24build]

So what if someone wanted to install a set of forged aluminum sbc rods, and they didn't want to mill the rods.(Hence aluminum... weaker than steel) Would it not be possible to turn the crank (widen the journals) so that the sbc rods would fit? That would also leave a wider range of possibilities later...

[geoffinbc]

No. You would thin out the crank so bad the throws would have no strength left. If your building a street engine do not use aluminum rods.

[kwhauck]

exactly, not to mention you have to allow more quench area, which unless you get a copper or multi layered steel gasket, not sure it's possible on the 3400 with a stock gasket....

[Joseph Upson]

The forged steel rods are your best bet and has been done in the past before the debut of the aluminum heads. The 283 rods with the 2.00" crank pins are the ones I believe you would be looking for. The big end needs to be narrowed and that's about it. They'll probably turn out to weigh less than the stock rods and probably about the same as an equivalent aluminum rod after its beefed up to the same strength.

Ebay has some excellent deals and were it not for such a tight budget and time constraints I would have sent my extra 3900 crank off for an offset grind and used a set of chevy rods instead of having the stockers rebushed for the Forged LS1 pistons with the .927 wristpin.

So far I have calculated a 50+ gram reduction in weight by switching to forged pistons and had located several forged connecting rods on Ebay with as much as a 60 gram weight savings over my stock connecting rod. 100 grams less weight per cylinder results in a serious performance improvement over stock.

[Nightingale]

I just scored a set of used carillo sbc rods off of ebay and they are in great condition. I am gonna have them mag checked and cryo treated since they were used, but even if they are duds I got them for 150 bucks. If you get a good forged rod and good rod bolts they will more then likely handle whatever you can throw at them. I would look into a set of manley rods with arp bolts and having them modified. Summit racing sells single rods if you don't want a full set.

[Joseph Upson]

One of the reasons our stock rods have not been a problem spot is that our piston weight to stroke, which determines the total rod stress has probably always averaged a good bit less than the sbc. So if it's a good rod for the V8, it should be even better for the V6