Them ole boys back in the day were pretty slick. People today have no idea how smart Them old timers really were. Except they weren't old timers back then. Those guys were the inventors and pioneer's to all the shit we use today. Times were different for sure.

Yep, be cool to have a clear block to show off the goodies. I've always wanted a pair of clear valvecovers, seen them years ago, but they were real expensive for the day. Back in the mid 80s or so. They costed 2-3 hundred bucks a pair. Haven't seen a pair of them since the 80s.

@@lewis730 Big ole forged chunk of history. Almost hate to use it. Prepped by Joe Reath himself. Damn near belongs in a museum. But it'll make a killer high revving 600+hp SBC. Might as well use it in its intended environment. It's lightweight too as far as forged steel crankshafts go. 42lbs. Uses 2 inch rod journals. It'll live at 8000-9000rpm no problem.

@@lewis730 I'm aiming for around 630+hp NA with 355ci. DART Heads came off a 630+hp Dirt Modified 358ci. Basically gonna build that engine, but with a lighter bottom end and a bigger cam. Go drag racing with it.

Yep, good source for killer parts is the oval track world. High end shit for a fraction of the price.

Probably T400 with 8in converter. Unless I can find a good deal on a Jericho or Doug Nash 5spd.

Them bastards are massive. Definitely don't have to worry about any power limitation with them. These fuckers can handle thousands of hp. In a 600+hp SBC, they won't even be stressed. I've used them in a few builds and ya just can't break them. Had a 302 with BME rods in it, seen 10,000rpm more than a few times, took it apart and still looked new. Couldn't blow that engine up. I ran a 7000 stall and 6-17 gear behind it, so it stayed tached up. Shifted at 9500-9800 usually tho. It was a old C/Modified Production class engine from the late 70s.

Yep, I'd like to get it on the dyno within the next year. The heads came off a 630+hp 9000+rpm 358 Dirt Modified engine, so im aiming to match that anyway if not exceed it. That engine was built about 10yrs ago. I'm gonna use it in a drag car tho.

@@thereluctantgearhead4544 great

Back in the day, assent many choices. So if take a set of 66/67 425 rods and polish the beams, shotpeen them, resize with ARP bolts and hone for a floating pin. Did the same with 455 rods. They held up just fine. But in the modern era, Eagle rods are affordable and are much stronger. Used CAT H-beam rods in one 455 build I'd turn 6800+rpm. Probably 20yrs ago. The stock rods in them 60s era engines are pretty stout. Olds always used forged rods, So they were better than the Pontiac and Buick rods.

Best way to go is turn down the crank to a bigblock Chevy journal size and use aftermarket Big Chevy 7 inch long rods. Can offset grind the crank to 4.000 inch and all the 425s have forged cranks that will take a whole lot of power.

@@thereluctantgearhead4544 Thanks, the big block chevy rods and possibly offset grind the 425 crank are exactly I was thinking of, but finding the right pistons is an issue. And I cant seem to find that info yet.

1.2K 7/13/24

1.3K 7/14/24

1.4K 7/19/24

1423 7/22/24

1425 7/23/24

I'll leave no stone unturned. Built a bunch of these.

@@inscoredbz Be pretty damn difficult to get these in a 3.75 stroke SBC. Probably a half fill with Hard Blok and a bunch of grinding, a broomstick for a cam core and grinding on the rods, but I wouldn't do it. Some blocks need clearance to run these with a 3.48 stroke. Definitely work better in 3 inch stroke and 3.250 engines. Most 383s won't turn high enough RPMs to even need them. H-beam steel rods work a lot better in stroker builds. I got a 4 inch stroke crank in a 350 block back in the 90s. Used small journal H-beams. Took a shitload of grinding and a .990 cam core. Generally when I want a bigger engine, I just start with a bigblock. I like small cube SBCs that rev to the moon. High RPMs can make up for cubes if ya got the shit to do it, to a point anyway. High revving bigblocks are even better. But I'll always have a soft spot for SBCs that turn 8000+rpm. Built more than a few 283s, 302s and 327s back in the day. Had to rev the shit out of them to make any real power. But a 288ci engine that makes peak power at 10,000 rpm is gonna make way more hp than a 350 that peaks at 5000 rpm. But it's gonna need a stick or a lot of stall and a 6-17 gear or more. I ran a 302 with a 7000 stall and 6-17 gear, ran 6.20s in the 8th NA decades ago.

That was my thought, look like stock dimesions 5.7 rod w/ 1.56 CH piston, dont rock/slap as much but over time we've learned longer rod shorter piston is an advantage.

These pistons are over 35+yrs old. Been on a shelf for decades. Shit has changed over the years. But they obviously worked. They are pretty light tho. My more modern high end pistons all have short skirts.

Old Arias pistons I used to run were also made like this. Went into some high rpm units.

@@thereluctantgearhead4544 yea that was about as good as it got at that time and i wouldnt hesitate to run it now. I had a 496 that used the stock 6.135" rod and the domed slugs was so heavy one would anker a boat, but it worked. The weight on those pistons was so off center or lope sided from the dome side being so much heavier i was hesitant to run them.

@@stevenbelue5496 I have a set of them going in a 454. 50cc domes, old school late 70s TRW Powerforged race pistons. When I got the shit balanced tho, I was surprised to find those old school TRWs were 10 grams lighter than a brand new set of ICONS I have for a 427 bigblock Chevy. Shocked the shit out of me. Been many 8000+rpm bigblocks built with those old slugs back in the day. Built a few myself. I'm also building a 496, using new WISECO. pistons in it, they are way lighter than both the TRWs & ICONS.