I bought a old Bryant top fuel full counter weighted 4.250 stroke years ago, it had spun the #1 and 2 rod bearings on the original Mopar size rod journals.
I had it magged and then offset ground to 4.375 stroke with 2.200 rod journals, I'm going to use it in my Koleno high nickel iron block to make a 555 C.I. race motor with a set of B1-MC heads, I'm hoping to make right at or above 2.0 HP per C.I.
Gregs Dart convinced me about using full counter weight stroker cranks several years ago so I'm hoping for good results
I wish I had enough extra money for a fully light weight version of that same crank, but I don't

All I will say on the subject is pretty much EVERY high end race motor out(WOO, Nascar F1, SCORE etc etc)out there uses center counter weighted cranks. Must be a reason.

It's possible to cut factory Mopar cranks to 2.200", but not a billet? UHHMMM?
Doug

You may be able to have the rod journals cut to bbc size by another grinder, if you decide you want an Ohio ccw crank

You don't need aluminum rods for a N/A bracket motor. If it were me, I'd be running a good steel rod in that motor. Less maintenance and there's really no benefit as far as weight.
Not to mention you can go w/ more than a 4.5" stroke in a std. cam height block if you want. Just me, but I really wouldn't be concerned w/ a little skirt wear on a motor like this. It isn't gonna be driven 50k miles back and forth to work.

With a.9 mm ring pack and Molnar 7.100"/2.2000"/.990" steel rods my reciprocating weight was actually lighter than with the BME aluminum rods. The rotating weight was so close that we trimmed a little from the journal side to rebalance.
Doug

Wow. That's good to know. I just thought that aluminum rods always weighed significantly less than steel rods.

No need for a CCW crank in a street or drag race piece. It is overkill but couldn't hurt anything other than the wallet. In a endurance type racing as mentioned above NASCAR, F1, Off Shore Boat Racing, Truck & Tracvtor Pulling etc where engines sustain long durations of higher RPM is would be beneficial.

The main benefit of aluminum rods in what we do is to help the bottom end --keeps caps from walking even on Megablocks--they act like a dead blow hammer--it used to be one of the ways we kept stock blocks alive when -1 Indys first started making some real HP--they are all about the main caps not weight--and in a stroker like you plan steel rods are sooo much easier to get in there and not hit the cam etc so if you have an Indy block or KB block then it becomes less critical
Again I say Charlie Buck has built more 1000--3000 Hp engines than all of us on here combined --ask someone that really has the experience and knows

I was very surprised when I read their email and they suggested their forged piece. The price of $3024 from Bryant works but it would be nice if they could be at a $2000 mark.

The problem with aluminum rods for me is that they have a short life span. I can't afford to buy a new set of $1300 rods after 300 passes. At a higher power level of course better parts are required. It's up to each individual as to how much they gamble on a part. That's why I posted here. My experience with the parts I mentioned have been trouble free for the number of passes at the stroke and RPM run in my motor. I've put over 500 runs on the crank. My bet is it had at least 200 on when I received it.
Doug

Due to actual experience, I disagree. That cap walk in my Megablock DID go away when I put the ccw crank in. I cracked a non ccw crank at 100 runs, so the least it cost me to fix that was the crank and balancing. Another reason to run a ccw crank would be to add life to a stock block motor pushing the limits. It will definitely even out the stresses from balance, not force them through the block to other bearings adjacent; adding a lot of extra stress along the way. Save the cost of replacing a cracked and broken block one time and that ccw crank will look cheap.

DVW, what stroke and RPM are you running? Have you seen any advantages to a 9mm ring pack over a standard 1/16" 1/16" 3/32" ring pack?

Kenny...you have a good block that doesn't have problems w/ cap walk. You also are building a naturally aspirated bracket motor that will see a lot of runs. That does not fall into aluminum rod territory IMO, unless you just like wasting money. They will offer you no benefit and won't save any weight, but you'll have to change them out for a new set after 300 or so runs.

Fun Fact
That 300 run zone has been the CW for as long as I can remember
I guess that is what Bill Miller says and he sure is about 100 times smarter than I am but
I used to buy aluminum BME's used from McCandless or wherever I could get them--and run them in bracket 440's that saw 200 plus runs per year sometimes 300 runs a season--I never ever had one fail in that application
Have had some engines run for years with them well into the 700 run zone in a bracket 440
BME says make a few runs--resize them and run until you get enough $$ to buy more--he also says release the TQ on the bolts over the winter--I am SURE he is right about all that but just saying--I think we had nothing at risk but a stock block--If I had a high $$ block etc I would be much more careful
Sort of like Dad told me
You get a Shetland pony you tie him to the swing set and let him eat the onions in the yard--you get a thorough bred and you have to clean his oats, get him a goat for a barn pal, wash him like a new Porsche, etc etc

guess I have always had the ponys

With that long arm and only racing this engine, especially if you plan on racing Super Gas, I would do everything in my power to make the recip as light as possible with a CW for each rod journal. Why not at this point? IF Super Gas is where you will race and of course you want to be competitive, I think it will go past 7,000rpm. Aluminum rods are up to you but at >900hp power levels I would stick to the BME r&r program. Of course this is all money permitting. My worth...

DVW, what stroke and RPM are you running? Have you seen any advantages to a 9mm ring pack over a standard 1/16" 1/16" 3/32" ring pack?
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4.5" stroke, it runs 7000-7200. It had .043" ring pack previously. Not much difference that I see. Still have the 4.500" Wiseco pistons, flat top, big valve reliefs, .043"ring pack as well as the matched BME rods (7.150"x 2.200'x.990"). They are 426 forgings.
Doug

Here is my .02. Buy a center counter weighted crank and aluminum rods but aint my money....

Don't listen to me, I run a 440source 4.5 crank with GRP aluminum rods. Been 150mph in the 1/8

As someone who has been involved in a few hundred motors like the kind in question, simple advise is.....Use the best parts you can afford. Look in the National Dragster or Racing Junk and see what kind of engines are the brand X guys selling and using to go your desired speed. Then build accordingly. Stop driving yourself mental trying to keep up on the latest thought or theory that may or may not have anything to do with building power or longevity. To the OP I have used both kinds of cranks at your power level and honestly do not see a "major"advantage either way. I do know that at that level the better quality cranks do seem to look better on tear down as do the bearings. Just an observation from the cheap seats.
Todd