SBC Pink Rods

[Dan Fahey]

How good are the GM SBC Pink Rods?
Seems everyone used them through the 90's successfully.

Have a set in the 350/255 Stocker Engine.
Are they good above 7000 rpm?
Getting different feedback.

Is there a preferred Piston Rod Combination?

[Rich Biebel]

That was about the best you could do 20-30 years ago.....but I'd never use them today with aftermarket rods legal and available at reasonable prices.

By the time you fully prepped a stock rod for race use you would spend a fair amount of $$ and would be far better off buying aftermarkets...

Manley rods would be preferred....

Eagles also have worked in a number of engines I built or raced myself and never had one fail...

Stock GM rods will fail way easier than aftermarket...

[richie 2]

and try to put togeather a set of eight that clean up size/length/weight/centered pin bore wise...quite a difficult job.

[Tim H]

As with any used rods, unless you have owned them since new, its unknown how many cycles they may have been previously subjected to. Not worth risking "catastrophic failure" when so many decent alternatives exist. Sell them to a Corvette or Camaro purist and move on IMHO.

[Alan Nyhus]

Well, you've got them already so that's a plus, provided you don't go upside down getting them in shape.

If your goal is for something modest, that's one thing.

If you're going have the intake/heads/cam combo that gets you north of 7,000 regularly, that's another thing.

The Manley Sportsmaster rods are a great value:
http://www.manleyperformance.com/dl/cat/rods.pdf

[Mike Pearson]

Properly rebuilt with some good bolts and resized they will hold up just fine. I ran stock rods in my super stock engines for years with no failures. When I had a stick in the car I left the line above 9000 rpm and crossed over 8000. Now it’s not worth spending the money on an old rod Whalen a new set is not much more. The Manley sportsmaster is a good rod for the cost.

[carl hinkson]

The older version was not as good as the later ones after 1979 more material around the rod bolts and they changed the beam as well. They were only a 1038 steel same as the steel cranks were made out of.

[HP HUNTER]

Originally Posted by richie 2

and try to put togeather a set of eight that clean up size/length/weight/centered pin bore wise...quite a difficult job.

Yes.....this will be your problem

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by HP HUNTER

Yes.....this will be your problem

They are already in the engine.
Budd Rowe fitted the Pink Rods with Forged pistons, about 8 years ago.
Engine has been in storage and Rockville Ring and Bearing just went through the block with fresh bearings.

If i kept them what RPM range would be safe?
One racer posted he used them in a SS engine at much higher rpm than 7000 rpm.

Only have so much tine and money..

D

[1347]

Originally Posted by Dan Fahey

They are already in the engine.
Budd Rowe fitted the Pink Rods with Forged pistons, about 8 years ago.
Engine has been in storage and Rockville Ring and Bearing just went through the block with fresh bearings.

If i kept them what RPM range would be safe?
One racer posted he used them in a SS engine at much higher rpm than 7000 rpm.

Only have so much tine and money..

D

What rpm will your combo see? Some combos will never see 7000 rpm, some will go over 8000 as you noted.

If you are second guessing yourself and want to upgrade, get the Eagles. I run them in my Boss 302, making 540hp shifting at 8700 and going thru at 8900 in good air with no problems. Just make sure you get them with the arp2000 bolts, and check the big ends and small ends.
For 500.00 you can't go wrong.