[MoJo]

I need some feedback on the older stock forged rods. Not the SD rods. Are they worth reusing with a resize and good bolts. Most of the feedback to date has been negative. Are there any success stories from "realtime" users.

[MoJo]

I need some feedback on the older stock forged rods. Not the SD rods. Are they worth reusing with a resize and good bolts. Most of the feedback to date has been negative. Are there any success stories from "realtime" users.

[Wade Congdon]

It depends which rods your using. The old H-O Racing blueprint guide is a great way to identify them. The 58-62 forged rods worked well if they were heat treated and rebuilt and were lighter than the cast rods. The cost is prohibitive however considering you can buy a new set of Eagles for $600. If you just used new rod bolts and resized the rods, as should be done with any used rod prep, I would trust them further than a stock rod.

Wade

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Wade Congdon - BOP Engineering
www.bopengineering.com

[MoJo]

Thanks Wade, your input is appreciated. I have not seen the rods yet. They are in the mail from a friend out of state. I have the HO book and will find the match. Eagles are just out of reach today. My project is a '72 400 that will make around 350 hp. My plan was to reuse the cast rods after a resize but the forged stocks became an option. My thinking is that forged would be better than cast in any application. I have gotton mostly negative feedback with claims that the older forgings, coined as "rubber rods" due to their elasticity, would not be a wise choice over cast rods.
BTW, great website!

[Will]

Mojo, the '58-'62 Forged rods are not a good choice for a high-performance buildup because they were not heat-treated from the factory. Therefore they are very soft and may bend. If you have them heat treated to harden them up then they will have to be completely rebuilt as they will likely warp slightly. After all that expense, you could buy a set of Eagles. For your buildup, any of the factory cast rods will do just fine. Debur them, have them shot-peened and install ARP bolts and they'll hold up fine in a 400 engine to 6000 RPM. Any reason you can't use the original rods that came in your '72 400?

[PONTIAC DUDE]

The rubber rods are not worth the trouble. There is a new off shore rod (Eagle look-a-like)that I'm going to test that is in the $400 range that should be OK for 400/450 hp applications. I think this rod will be a good alternative for the street 455 deal. But need to do some road test firsts. Later. http://Pontiacperformanceparts.cc

[MoJo]

I will probably use my cast '72 rods for my build up or go aftermarket. I'll put the old boys in my garage hall of fame next to my other collectables.(like toasted rear sail panels and rusty ashtrays ) There's a swap meet coming up in July that may display some of my oddball parts. Thanks for the info guys. Dude, Let me know how the $400 look-a- likes perform.
I guess I could melt them and fill my cross-overs? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[LarryF]

Dude, are those off shore rods the same as the ones that KRE calls Pro-Torque?

Larry

[PONTIAC DUDE]

I don't know, but there's only so many manufactures out there. And everyboby just puts their sticker on them. These come in a plain brown wrapper like XXX movies and probibility the same one that a place in New England was taking bids on E-Bay. Later. http://PontiacPerformanceparts.cc

[Big Injun]

BEWARE... My machine shop has tested several sets of these "plain wrap" rods only to find out that the off-shore machining was not up to par. Centerline measurements and big end measurements were off requiring the need to resize the rods.

Remember that the word cheap is not a part of the "Value Equation" when building your motor.

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Dave "Big Injun" Anderson
www.PontiacDragDays.com
www.PontiacEnthusiast.com


[This message has been edited by Big Injun (edited 06-29-2000).]

[Guy Mazza]

Dude, Are those the same rods as a certain B.S. Co. In N.H. is selling??? (FOR 375.00)Say it aint so!. Seriously I have also heard from a reputable engine builder, that the new "off-shore" rods were machined poorly, EVERYTHING was out-of-spec. 400.00 for rods, 200.00 machine work???....NO BUENO. My old cast,polished, ARP'd rods took me to 11.79 @ 112.00! Pro-torque, Pro-line, Pro-Whatever....not for me. Later, Guy O.P.R.A.

[Tom Cheatwood]

Trust me don't waist your time or money. I did and lost 500.00. I sent a set off to heat treat only to have them come back warped. Not knowing this I built my mtr. With nothing but trouble.I found out what the trouble was. And threw the rods in the trash can. 500.00 bucks in the trash!

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Tom Cheatwood
62 tempest 455
68 GTO 400

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Guy, I think so, but I returned there rods. I'm in the process of torqueing & retorquing these rods then measuring them and Rockwelling them, Get back with you. Later, http://Pontiacpower.cc I don't suffer from stress; I'm a carrier.

[This message has been edited by PONTIAC DUDE (edited 06-30-2000).]