440cid LA

I think you're only partially right. The causes of the forces are rod length and stroke. The effects are side loading of the piston (wear and horsepower loss), pisaton speed, and dwell and stability of the piston at TDC. Piston design is set by rod length and deck height. A long rod leaves the piston at TDC slightly longer, and a faster piston speed at 1/2 stroke, but down sides are shorter skirt, less ring stability, more piston rock at TDC, and heavier bobweight. A short rod gives a taller, more stable piston (les rock, better ring stability), less mass (the shorter rod, steel vs. aluminum of a piston skirt), less side loading(less wear and parasitic loss) and faster overall piston speed. This is how I understand it. My books are at home, so I cant say that's gospel. I do know, the only factors I really concern myself with (for street/strip engines) are bobweight (less is always better for durablility and power), side loading (you can wear a short piston/long rod out in a year, and if the block is special, that's a lot of repairs) that causes wear, heat, and takes power away from the crank. I also like tight quench if I can get it, so I dont like short pistons for that. I also think to say "it means nothing" is not really right. The size of the bore spreads out the forces of side loading, therefore making it less of an impact. I aslo think W5s will not be enough unless they really move some air. I am defiantely NOT the guy to preach about the W series heads tho. I've never used them personally. I think to make the levels you're tyalking about, you'll need 300+ cfm on the intake side. I dont hink the W5s can do that, but I may be mistaken there. Cool idea tho..The "auto math handbook" is a great explainer of this stuff.