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Highest reasonably safe HP on forged rods?

18K views 142 replies 41 participants last post by  John_DeereGreen 
#1 ·
Like it says, what do you guys think is the highest reasonably safe HP for a daily driven motor with forged rods that would be used occasionally as a pulling truck? this would be in a truck with a manual tranny. Would balancing the rotating assembly make a significant difference?
 
#2 ·
Anything over stock will brake some time. Dont ask me how i know.

But i would say 400HP is about the max i would go with forged rods
 
#4 ·
swamps says 500-550 with their tuning. I asked dave and he said he felt comfortable with that range. They typically do 600-650 on stock forged rods and have not lost one yet. When it step it up this year, i'll be switching to all their products: fuel, turbo, BO, tuning.

PM powersmoker and strokin style they have been at 650 for a while. Especially strokin. I think at least 2 years of SEVERAL hard track passes. 100% stock bottom end.

PM golfer on here or call swamps.
 
#6 ·
I did talk with Dave the other day about building me an engine for a pulling truck and it is something I am seriously considering in the next year for my OBS.

However I am also planning on securing an extra engine/block to keep in the glovebox of the SD with the spare CPS for that "just in case" issue that seems to pop up with these trucks. If that "JIC" thing happens, I'm sure I will up the ante a bit in the HP dept.

Actually, I was thinking of just finding a spare truck to tow around, and I could fill it with spare parts too.
 
#12 ·
The same strength as stock forged rods, but, with the polish, shot peen and re-heat treat (if heat treat is done properly and then cryo treated after) they should last longer because, the generation of surface cracks will be reduced, and the fatigue life will increase.
 
#9 ·
Someone should at least say that HP is not what kills these engine blocks, it is high cylinder pressures. The peak pressure, the size and shape of the pressure curve before and after TDC, etc...

You can have a 400hp engine with a peak cylinder pressure that is the same as a 600hp engine.... obviously one of these engines has a better combination of parts and tuning than the other.
 
#15 ·
depends on the tuning and the abuse they took earlier in its life. They could last just as long as the treated ones if they have been taken care of IMO

Swamps have done cylinder pressure testing during their tuning and have significantly reduced the pressures compared to other tuners at higher hp levels.

Give them a call, or better yet, PM golfer on here and ask him about it.
 
#16 ·
According to ford it's the stock hp the stock motor makes ;) With all the blown blocks last year it's a craps shoot with the 7.3L's rods. There were blown blocks that were under 400hp.
 
#20 ·
true...but many guys understand & accept the risk with doing it on a stock engine, and will build an engine IF the need arises...and simply swap their go-fast parts over to a fully built engine...

I would never suggest someone tear down, fill, machine, clean, and rebuild a perfectly good "stock" engine...just to make 5 or even 600hp.

Acceptable risk is very different from one customer to another.

With that said, I don't, nor would I ever "guarantee" that a stock engine will handle 5 or 600+hp...but it sure is fun when they do, year after year!

JMHO~

Dave
 
#24 ·
if your gonna have to pull your stock rods to polish, shot peen and re-heat treat and then cryo treat stock rods then you might as well put in billets unless you really are strapped for cash .
but good tuning from any of the big 4~5 guys will prob handle 450~500. depending on what day your block was made and such . but all and all a crap shoot ....
some handle way more even shots of nitrous ,some way less.

but be sure you can afford the $$ for all the mods for 500 plus motor calls for.
though looks like you have a good start , and having a hand shaker may make it easier.

you have trucks on either end of the spectrum
you have clam's billet motor letting go at 400 sumtn, then you have freako pmr trucks rollin 500+
 
#25 ·
This is actually not for the OBS pulling truck I'm planning to build, it's for a spare block assy for the SD. Dave at Swamps is supposed to be sending me a cost breakdown on a serious motor. It will be financed by a trip to the sandbox.


I was thinking if circumstances force me to tear one down and start fresh I'd see if it was worth it for rods. The SD is pushing 400 right now, so if I have to pull the motor I may as well push for 500+. However I about choked last night when I started looking at prices for rods. I do know that I would never re-use the original rods from a donor block, but buy a set of new factory and have them magna fluxed etc. If shot peening and cryo is not overly expensive I might go that way, but only with new rods. I just dont trust a used rod.

I'm also wondering how one goes about verifying the condition of a used block once it's apart. One concern I have is cylinder wall thickness/integrity. I know it is common for these blocks to get pinholes from poor cooling system maintenance.
 
#34 ·
I wouldn't want to push more than 500-550 on stock rods with a good tuner...there are tuners that are highly recommended that I would NOT want tuning a truck that has 500-550 RWHP on ANY rods.
Outlaw diesel
:pointlaugh::pointlaugh:

He's not exactly the brightest bulb in the chandelier...
 
#31 ·
http://www.diperformance.com/dip.php?page=products&product=46

Late model 7.3L Power Strokes (2001 - 2003) came from the factory with what are commonly called Powdered Metal connecting rods. These rods are manufactured using a different process than traditional forged rods, and are not as strong. The factory PM rods have been known to break with over 400 rear wheel horsepower. If you want to safely go above this power level, you need to upgrade to forged rods. Forged connecting rods will allow you to go over 600hp without breaking parts.

These rods are reconditioned factory rods that are ready to bolt in to your short block.
 
#38 ·
#36 ·
I ain't skeert of no Forged rods breaking :gun: :evil

-Michael
 
#48 ·
Not like you make/use 500+ hp the whole time while rolling down the highway.

-Michael
 
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