It doesn't seem to be popular with Ford guys, but in Pontiac circles I see a lot of guys running aluminum rods on street/strip motors. I think this is mainly due to a company called Rock & Roll Engineering, which builds some really sweet Poncho engines. Here is a link to there website where they have a short opinion written about aluminum rods.
http://www.pontiacpower.com/faqs2.htm
Personally, I am building a hot street motor that will get some track time, if rare, as I do not live near a track. The engine is a 540, .030 over with a 4.5 Scat crank in a 71 two bolt block. The pistons are custom Ross flat tops that weigh right at 625, which I feel is light. The combo needs a 6.8 BBC style rod and I am mighty tempted to buy a set of aluminum rods due to huge weight savings. Anyone have experience doing this?
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RJP
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198.81.16.54 Boat engines.
No score for this post September 26 2001, 1:11 PM
I have a couple of friends that run aluminum rods in their boat engines, I know, not exactly street enviroment but boats seem to really thrash an engine. One guy has been running his alum. rods since 1988 [514] with no problems.
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boatracer036
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4.54.83.101 Alum rods on street? noway!
No score for this post October 2 2001, 12:46 AM
Aluminum rods are only slightlt lighter than the same steel h-beam rod and will not last as long. Aluminum rods are meant to be cycled out ofter so many passes and checked often for stretch. Steel, while a little heavier, will last much longer and wont rob much power or cost as much. Talk to a HI Perf engine builder, he'll say no way, if he's honest.
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RJP
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198.81.17.57 Not anymore....
No score for this post October 2 2001, 8:11 PM
The new generation aluminum rods made from 7075 material are far superior to the old 6061 stuff of the past. I personally have seen aluminum rods run for years in all types of applications and no problems. Granted, they wouldn't be my first choice in a RV, work truck or something that I wanted to get 200K miles from it but a good alternative to the junk rods the 460 uses.
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Bob M
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63.25.252.73 Who makes the best for the buck ?...
No score for this post October 3 2001, 12:11 AM
In a stock dimension aluminum rod with the 7075 Alloy?
Bob
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RJP
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198.81.16.158 Heres a few....
No score for this post October 3 2001, 1:44 PM
Try BME, Childs & Albert, R&R, Brooks and Manley.
