[Gach]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

For some reason my experience has been the opposite on the Chinese stuff. The first set of Eagle rods we had in the shop were 100% failure. Couldn't use any of them. Sent them back, no issue. The next set had 2 in spec. 6 out of spec. Called and asked for a supply of dowels so we could take them apart, cut them, hone them and use them. Good experience for the students. They were pissed on the phone but after calming them down they sent a little cloth bag of dowels. This was 10-12 years ago. As time has gone along, the rods have been better and better but we check every one for size, out of round and taper. About 5% or so now still need some touch-up in the hone to really be right. They almost always measure small when there is an issue so very easy to fix. Haven't had to cut an eagle rod in several years because it was too big. Press fit small ends are particularly tight. There is just no way to install them as delivered. Often have .003"-.004" press fit. That's just too darn tight. You would have to heat the small end to bright blue to get a pin in. That;s not the right way to do it. We hone them to .0016-.0018 press. That works great. Different shops have different methods. Some even press in at room temp. I don't want to move any metal installing wrist pins. Been using Molnar products for 3 years now. Have not had to machine anything. Still check every part though.

Whats the hp range of the majority of engines you build in school shop with students.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

For some reason my experience has been the opposite on the Chinese stuff. The first set of Eagle rods we had in the shop were 100% failure. Couldn't use any of them. Sent them back, no issue. The next set had 2 in spec. 6 out of spec. Called and asked for a supply of dowels so we could take them apart, cut them, hone them and use them. Good experience for the students. They were pissed on the phone but after calming them down they sent a little cloth bag of dowels. This was 10-12 years ago. As time has gone along, the rods have been better and better but we check every one for size, out of round and taper. About 5% or so now still need some touch-up in the hone to really be right. They almost always measure small when there is an issue so very easy to fix. Haven't had to cut an eagle rod in several years because it was too big. Press fit small ends are particularly tight. There is just no way to install them as delivered. Often have .003"-.004" press fit. That's just too darn tight. You would have to heat the small end to bright blue to get a pin in. That;s not the right way to do it. We hone them to .0016-.0018 press. That works great. Different shops have different methods. Some even press in at room temp. I don't want to move any metal installing wrist pins. Been using Molnar products for 3 years now. Have not had to machine anything. Still check every part though.

Mike, Bud used to tell me “New does not mean good”. Just because a part or component is new doesn’t mean it complies to the desired specs. This is WHY I mic every part before it is installed in an engine. In the long run, it is cheap insurance.

[Dragncar]

Whitmore told me the Eagle cranks were just good cores, Jim Butler said the same thing. I had a cast Eagle crank that had to be completely reground .010-.010 and be straightened. Rods had .001 tapper, stroke was off and it was bent. Thrust was very rough and needed polished.
I had 800+ dollars in that thing. Gave it to my brother WITH a matched BHJ bamancer.
I told him I would find a good 455 block and crank and run that before I trusted it. If he chunked it I would feel terrible. It was fixed right though. Its a gamble IMO.
My Scat 4340 did not need a thing done to it. Have less into it than the cast Eagle.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Gach

Whats the hp range of the majority of engines you build in school shop with students.

This is an estimate. The majority of engines built are in the 450-500 HP range peak. But the variety is really interesting to me. We had a Model A Ford engine that made almost 50 HP! Stock was 24. We had a 289 Studebaker engine make 503 HP with stock iron heads and a tiny Vortech supercharger. We had an accurate replica of the Wright Brothers first engine, built from the original blueprints with original style aluminum block make 12.8 HP peak and scared us to death. Highest HP was a BBC 535 CU in twin turbo. At the time, our Dyno would only absorb 1000 ft. lbs. of torque. It overran our dyno at 3000 RPM's. So we don't know what kind of HP it really made. We have since upgraded to a 1500 ft. lb. absorber and software. Average student spends around 2K on parts for their build. We had a student build a 450 HP SBC with mostly used parts for $750.00. had a student build a 735 HP Kasse Boss 9 engine. He had around 20K in parts for that one. It's fun and challenging and all over the board. My co-teacher and I do feel a great responsibility making sure they do everything right because it's their money they are spending and we don't want any failures. Despite our best efforts, we have had a few in 20 years of doing this.

Back to Molnar, we have built about 8 engines with Molnar crankshafts and rods so far. SBF, SBC, 440 MOPAR, 2 Pontiacs. So a decent sample size. More to come I imagine. No failures at this point.

[Gach]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

This is an estimate. The majority of engines built are in the 450-500 HP range peak. But the variety is really interesting to me. We had a Model A Ford engine that made almost 50 HP! Stock was 24. We had a 289 Studebaker engine make 503 HP with stock iron heads and a tiny Vortech supercharger. We had an accurate replica of the Wright Brothers first engine, built from the original blueprints with original style aluminum block make 12.8 HP peak and scared us to death. Highest HP was a BBC 535 CU in twin turbo. At the time, our Dyno would only absorb 1000 ft. lbs. of torque. It overran our dyno at 3000 RPM's. So we don't know what kind of HP it really made. We have since upgraded to a 1500 ft. lb. absorber and software. Average student spends around 2K on parts for their build. We had a student build a 450 HP SBC with mostly used parts for $750.00. had a student build a 735 HP Kasse Boss 9 engine. He had around 20K in parts for that one. It's fun and challenging and all over the board. My co-teacher and I do feel a great responsibility making sure they do everything right because it's their money they are spending and we don't want any failures. Despite our best efforts, we have had a few in 20 years of doing this.

Back to Molnar, we have built about 8 engines with Molnar crankshafts and rods so far. SBF, SBC, 440 MOPAR, 2 Pontiacs. So a decent sample size. More to come I imagine. No failures at this point.

Coming from you someone who’s had real experience with Molnar products and not someone beating his chest, feeding his ego..because he bought a set of their rods, just gives me so much more faith in their products. God teaching this for a living must be awful rewarding. Although I’m sure there’s trying times. Thanks

[racerboy]

My Molnar 4.00” stroker crank for my 400 will be here tomorrow. I’ll post some photos once I unbox it.


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[mgarblik]

2 things I really love about these classes. 1. The variety of engines and projects. 2 The age ranges of the students. Last year 16 students, ages 17-82. Thank you for the kind comments.

[Dragncar]

A teacher along with my father being a mechanic who always had a Pontiac in the driveway is responsible for me being into Pontiacs.
That teacher was only 24-25 when I and other kids other were in his 2 period auto class in High School, so he was kind of one of us. We are still friends to this day. We think a lot alike because he helped me so much and I am forever grateful.
I graduated in 83, my 455 HO was assembled the first time under his supervision in the late 80s. It was done after work during his night class at that same High School shop as a favor. I was not in his night class but he let me show up with the paying students like I was one of them.
One of the smartest people I know and has saved me countless times over the phone with car problems. Got me home in the middle of nowhere with no parts stores around.
In fact, this one teacher made such a impact on his students that 5-6 auto repair businesses were started from kids in my class. In class we worked on customers cars, broke collage kids and single mothers for the most part as our labor was inexpensive. Lots of oil changes, water pumps, timing chains ect, those sort of things were done by students. We had to write the work orders and then do the work, all in 2 hours or less.
So my classmates started 3 oil change shops from scratch and a couple of full auto repair shops locally with most still in business to this day.

Talk about a positive impact on the community ! A good teacher is worth so much to young people, all positive.
It did not end well as school politics closed that wonderful class, jealousy I think . The engine stand I use today comes from that closing.

[Elarson]

I've been a student of Mike's for about 43 years so far.

Eric

[Gach]

Originally Posted by racerboy

My Molnar 4.00” stroker crank for my 400 will be here tomorrow. I’ll post some photos once I unbox it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How much did it cost ?

[tom s]

Lou,covered in the first post of this thread.Tom

[Gach]

Thanks Tom….$1063.5…. Really if so thats a good price.

[BILL BOWMAN1]

Originally Posted by hurryinhoosier62

Mike, Bud used to tell me “New does not mean good”. Just because a part or component is new doesn’t mean it complies to the desired specs. This is WHY I mic every part before it is installed in an engine. In the long run, it is cheap insurance.

I had a friend with a 540 Chevy, kept eating main bearings. Come to find out the brand new Eagle crank was bent.
CHECK EVERYTHING!! Especially brand new stuff!

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by BILL BOWMAN1

I had a friend with a 540 Chevy, kept eating main bearings. Come to find out the brand new Eagle crank was bent.
CHECK EVERYTHING!! Especially brand new stuff!

Precisely WHY you check every component
BEFORE assembling the engine.

[Gach]

Originally Posted by BILL BOWMAN1

I had a friend with a 540 Chevy, kept eating main bearings. Come to find out the brand new Eagle crank was bent.
CHECK EVERYTHING!! Especially brand new stuff!

Definitely the most critical check to Crank for straightness. Make sure machine shop asked to check.

[adamo]

Received my crank yesterday. Didn’t really have the time to take it out of the plastic so I couldn’t get any good pics. I’ll try to send some tonight after work. She’s a heavy girl though.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by Gach

Definitely the most critical check to Crank for straightness. Make sure machine shop asked to check.

Gach, straightness, taper of the journals and journal finish are all equally important. We wouldn’t attempt to grind a crank that wasn’t straight.

[Gach]

Originally Posted by hurryinhoosier62

Gach, straightness, taper of the journals and journal finish are all equally important. We wouldn’t attempt to grind a crank that wasn’t straight.

Yes and a really good shop that knows to check it all.

[Gach]

This is crazy don’t laugh, had someone who bought a set of Crower billet Rods, packs everything up and off to be balanced. $350.00 for balancing. You ready gets everything back from balance shop. Then looks at the rods and noticed 2 of them are physically bigger, so obvious that he picks up on it right away. You mean you never noticed it before you sent them out…LOL then goes back to balancing guy and he says oh yeah your right. LOL then confronts guy he bought them off and he says oh I don’t know my mechanic package them up.. to funny. Then I say dude why don’t you get your money back, he says oh but he give me a great deal..LOL. Ok Mamaluke. Toooo funny.

Some times we think we are being helpful, in these post, but a Mamaluke just don’t get it and gets all offended.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by Gach

Yes and a really good shop that knows to check it all.

ABSOLUTELY!!