Quote:


After seeing this pic I think I would avoid using the factory (powdered metal) rods.


I have a set of rods out of a Drag Pack motor. I also see a lot of guys on the internet having reasonable life out of their motors after being hot rodded some, so I have to ask about the rod failure, how much rpm, any boost involved, timing, fuel, rpm, etc to find out what is the danger zone?
On the block, I beleive the 5.7 has a fair amount of meat in it, but needs to be sonic checked to go beyond the minimum anyway. This may not be true on the 6.1 or 6.4. I talked to Chuck Lofgren about it, but only remember what was needed with my build, the 5.7 block.
It is too bad they limited this motor to four bolts per cylinder. That is a big obstacle to overcome (if it can be at all) beyond a certain boost level.
One more thing, Anyone with solid evidence that some facts presented hear are wrong, please say so. A lot of what I have written here is second hand info, not hands on experience.

8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky