engine builder question

[FORD428CJ]

Stock rods work good in the arena for which they are designed. Cast can work but I don't want to rebuild the bottom end because the cast crank cracked. Been there and done that. I have had two very expensive cast cranks in two different engine styles in 2 different displacement crack across the main journals. What a mess. Converting a 429 to a 460 is not really making a stroker. It is drop in factory parts.

Cast is fine up to 700-750HP and less then 7,000rpm's. You wont have a problem with it. Anything over that, go with a better crank. Most people on this forum wouldn't need a high dollar crank for what they are building. Check out this forum and do a search on cast stroker cranks. Scat or Eagle cast crank will do the job! JMHO

http://www.460ford.com/forum/index.php

[averagef250]

Put my vote down for cast for the average joe too. My buddies 383 (sbc stroker) is a budget build solid lifter, world products heads, Vicjr, HP850, cast Scat? crank and rods, JE pistons. He races in drive, TH350 just shifts itself at 7200 right into high 11's in an early Nova. He got one of those china made playback tachs awhile back, we took the car out on his street to see how the tach worked. Ran it once up to 120 or so automatically, played back, cool 7200, 7200 like clockwork. The second run he shifted it manually. He played it back 12,500, 11,500.

Yeah, lets just say good quality cast does just fine by me and he's pretty good by it too. Motor's got 4 seasons on it now and won the big local burnout contest last summer. He's happy he went cast crank, he's extra happy he bought good valvesprings!

[bb429power]

Stock rods work good in the arena for which they are designed. Cast can work but I don't want to rebuild the bottom end because the cast crank cracked. Been there and done that. I have had two very expensive cast cranks in two different engine styles in 2 different displacement crack across the main journals. What a mess. Converting a 429 to a 460 is not really making a stroker. It is drop in factory parts.

Cast is fine up to 700-750HP and less then 7,000rpm's. You wont have a problem with it. Anything over that, go with a better crank. Most people on this forum wouldn't need a high dollar crank for what they are building. Check out this forum and do a search on cast stroker cranks. Scat or Eagle cast crank will do the job! JMHO

http://www.460ford.com/forum/index.php

I knew that. But what he said wasn't sounding quite right so I said something. Eagle are crap, they need to be reground out of the box and the OEM crank is stronger by far. for a 429/460 that is.

Not to call you out or anything.

[FORD428CJ]

Stock rods work good in the arena for which they are designed. Cast can work but I don't want to rebuild the bottom end because the cast crank cracked. Been there and done that. I have had two very expensive cast cranks in two different engine styles in 2 different displacement crack across the main journals. What a mess. Converting a 429 to a 460 is not really making a stroker. It is drop in factory parts.

Cast is fine up to 700-750HP and less then 7,000rpm's. You wont have a problem with it. Anything over that, go with a better crank. Most people on this forum wouldn't need a high dollar crank for what they are building. Check out this forum and do a search on cast stroker cranks. Scat or Eagle cast crank will do the job! JMHO

http://www.460ford.com/forum/index.php

I knew that. But what he said wasn't sounding quite right so I said something. Eagle are crap, they need to be reground out of the box and the OEM crank is stronger by far. for a 429/460 that is.

Not to call you out or anything.

Thats o.k. No harm, no foul. We where talking about stroker cranks and more toward Dragon's comment on cast cranks was all. I try to give people the straight skinny. As for 429/460 stuff, I'm more of an FE kind of guy LOL.

[Dragon]

Just curious since I am speaking of many cast cranks and rods that snapped in racing and on the street. How many has anyone actually built or owned that is saying they last. Not your buddies but your own. I am all for strokers if you can afford the gas and higher engine wear. I have built some whoppers for racing and been very fast and happy with stock strokes on the street.

i have been there with cast 13 times, 9 in FEs sorry everyone I don't do small blocks or 385 series. 1 in a hemi and 3 in a BBC. Out of 14 FEs, 3 Hemis and 7 BBCs using cast. My experience say that above a 8 % increase in stroke, failure increases, cast did not last in my days and seems not to now, though I am not around many anymore. Out of Forged 29 FEs, 17 Hemis and 11 BBC Now all strokers in both cast and forged. Of the Forged the BBC was worse, though most went at close to 8500 rpm when they went 3 from bottom end failures. 1 Hemi went from crank failure and 2 FEs one from stress of the large stroke on the main webbing and one when the block warped under power and misaligned the saddle alignment.

Where I see the most failure is not someone that put an aftermarket internally balanced 3.98 crank in a 427 but where they really stroke the motor like a 3.78 to a 4.20. If the factory did not make the engine that size especially in their performance line then they probably figured the motors would not last for long. Ford stopped at 428 then shortened the rods and made the 429 and 460. Chebie already had real short rods and went up to the 454 from the 427 but the rpm of the LS5, 6 and 7 series came way down from the L88 427 with it's shorter stroke.

Not looking for a fight just stating my experience and why I stated what I did. Now days I build my FEs to keep them below 7000 and they live no matter what cast or forged. I just don't race anymore. I own a heavy truck not a light car so I don't want to trash my truck excessively trying to snap the weight of the truck and all my tools and ladders out of the hole.

[FORD428CJ]

Now days I build my FEs to keep them below 7000 and they live no matter what cast or forged. .

Thats my point! I dont care if its a small block or big block, they live without any issues for the most part. long as you used them for there intended purpose. That is below 7,000 rmp's and under a recomened HP limit. Most guys on here can get away with that. Some may not! JMHO