1973 318 connecting rods strength?

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joshua dewitt

joshua dewitt

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building a healthy hot street motor 318, cam heads, exhaust etc... 3:55 gear... is the 318 1973 rod strognengough for playing, even a 100 shot of nos? or should i pop for some better rods? either way will have arp bolts on them. any experiances? on these?
 
'73 up 318 rods should be pressed...as long as they're prepped correctly with some good hardware, and you're not spinning it to the moon, a mild nitrous app should be OK. But as mentioned, it really matters how much money you feel like liberating from your bank account.
 
As a base answer, yes, there plenty strong enough.
However! Once you get a set of strong quality rod hardware to keep the caps from going places, you'll need to debone the big end for roundness and proper fit. Then straightened out. These costs add up very quickly. Never mind the shot peen and polish work.
This will all add up to a very good rod and a very pricey rod.

Your much better off purchasing a new set of high strength rods for less money.

The stock as is rod can hold a 100 shot without issue. I have no idea where the guys think differently. Also note that if you hit the gas a lot and beat on the car, something will give out and the rods would be my puck since there under the most stress.

Since your building a engine up, tell your machinist that it is going to be a NO2 engine that will see frequent hits. Then, at the very least, the engine will be prep'd for it.
 
joshua dewitt said:
building a healthy hot street motor 318, cam heads, exhaust etc... 3:55 gear... is the 318 1973 rod strognengough for playing, even a 100 shot of nos? or should i pop for some better rods? either way will have arp bolts on them. any experiances? on these?
Click to expand...

Yes, they are strong enough, they are probably the same forgings as 340/ 360. Use good cap bolts and have the big ends sized and length equalized. You should be good to go.
 
Read rumblefish's response. Then read it again. That's the only response you really need.
 
Food for thought................

Probably 10 years ago or so Freiburger, in "Car Craft" took a sick, tired, weeezzzing 318, put what I seem to recollect was a 250hp shot to it with the intent to blow it up and it didn't!!


Stock rod is pretty tuff.............proper clearances, I think are far more critical. To be sure, mag them, check big end, rebuild as needed, use good bolts.....or not. I'm pretty unconventional in this regard; any rod I've seen that lead to an oil pan failure has never broken a bolt; not saying it can't happen, I just think it's something else that broke and by the time pieces stop flying, the bolt gets blamed.

Question is what kind of rpm are you gonna turn this? What is your piston? If you go to an after market rod; what are/would you use?

As I said, just food for thought.
Good luck with what ever you do.
 
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