[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

From the book; How to build Max-performance Pontiac V8s, authored by Rocky Rotella:



Link to connecting rod article: https://www.pontiacdiy.com/connectin...c-v-8-engines/

Likely all you need to know about Pontiac passenger car connecting rods, (cast, and low heat treat forged) and whether it's practical to use them in a build under 600HP. The author says that it is possible, but taking a large chance to use either in a high performance build taking into consideration that no one has any idea of the history, number of cycles, quality of the original materials, how many times they may have been reconditioned, etc.

The NASCAR 421s were only making about 465 HP back in 62 so they weren't making what a hot street engine is now, they were naturally aspirated. Hot street engines now are subject to NOS, blowers, and turbos and a lot more connecting rod stress. What happened in NASCAR in 1962, and what goes into a 600 HP plus street engine today is apples to oranges.

Rocky Rotella's opinion and yours pretty much align with my experience. IMO, connecting rod preparation and the fasteners are much more important than the material and heat treat up to 450 or so HP and RPM's exceeding 6200. If the big ends are round and straight, to exact size and quality fasteners are used, the "rubber rods" or factory cast rods have a low failure rate. Getting stock rods reconditioned PROPERLY with good fasteners will cost about $300.00 around here. Eagle rods are $400.00. They are far better material than any factory rod but have mediocre machining and tolerances. (China) Molnar rods are $650.00 and are also a Chinese forging, fully machined and inspected in MI, USA. Carillo I beam rods, best IMO, 100% USA forgings, 100% USA machining. $2461.20 at Summit Racing. Pick your poison. We all have our own budgets and limits and political convictions. It's nice to have choices.

[Jay S]

You would think there could be a more reasonable American made option between $650 and $2400.

Jim Bulter told me once how many Eagle cranks he sold, was either a total number or a dollar value for the first year they were out. If I remember correctly he said that number well over 100,000, that was either grand total of cranks sold the first year they were released or a grand total of how many he sold. Either way it was a big number..I if that was the total number of cranks sold and all those received Carrillo connecting rods, that would be over $246 million dollars worth of Pontiac connecting rods. LOL

Jim also mentioned an additional step they did to check to see if the rubber rods were able to be heat treated. It was a selective procedure looking for a particular grain pattern, the guy in Texas apparently didn’t just blindly do heat treating with those rods.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by Jay S

You would think there could be a more reasonable American made option between $650 and $2400.

Jim Bulter told me once how many Eagle cranks he sold, was either a total number or a dollar value for the first year they were out. If I remember correctly he said that number well over 100,000, that was either grand total of cranks sold the first year they were released or a grand total of how many he sold. Either way it was a big number..I if that was the total number of cranks sold and all those received Carrillo connecting rods, that would be over $246 million dollars worth of Pontiac connecting rods. LOL

Jim also mentioned an additional step they did to check to see if the rubber rods were able to be heat treated. It was a selective procedure looking for a particular grain pattern, the guy in Texas apparently didn’t just blindly do heat treating with those rods.

There are Oliver rods, around 1650$ Not sure if the make a true Pontiac rod though. I bet at that price the billet blanks come form China.

[Jay S]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

There are Oliver rods, around 1650$ Not sure if the make a true Pontiac rod though. I bet at that price the billet blanks come form China.

That is a little better, but there should still be a cheaper option.. I have a set of Molnar rods waiting to go in an engine that were still $900 on sale. Not cheap for what I think of as cheap. I looked it up and Oliver and it was $1656 is the base price and $2556 for the Max power set for a 6.8” BBC length, definetly no Pontiac RJ options. Oliver says they are all USA made. None of the USA made steel rods are H beam either, so I guess we are expected to go slower to run USA made products. The H beam is usually recommended for NA race engines for reasons.

I have 1 Molnar crank and 2 cut down 455 Nodular stroker cranks in 400 Pontiacs, then I have three engines with USA Billet cranks. I have another engine that has BME Aluminum rods, they are quite a bit cheaper than those USA made steel rod options. I will never suggest anyone make any kind of effort to reuse those old 58 to 62 Pontiac rods unless the engine is stock. A picture is worth a thousand words.