Sorry 440, I've been away for a few days... I got your PM, but I'll answer here if that's ok... Yes, this is a longgg one...lol.
The 'Source parts are great value. That means for the dollar spent, you get a lot. Brandon stepped up where no one else would and did a lot of research to figure out what mopar guys needed, then how he could make money filling those needs. I have personally assembled 4 kits, and been paid for machining another 2. There are issues in most cases, if the person measuring is picky enough. I'm careful here, becasue there is no real right or wrong once you are inside the factory specs, it's subjective by the builder. So, with that.. Here's what I found. (I also will say, the last kit I used was last summer)
The rods... They are not pin honed to fit the piston pin in the bushing properly. Instructions are included that say to use emery cloth or snadpaper to lightly buff off enough material so the pin slides in. liken that to using a wood rasp as the last surface finishing tool on a counter top. If you stand back enough, it will look flat enough. If the pin fits thru, there must be the right amount of oil clearance. The proper method is to use the right type of hone to size the entire bore correctly and leave the correct finish for the oil to do it's job. The big ends of the rods come finished. My issue was the oil used on the ARP bolts/capscrews...It is standard oil. I think 30wt. But they are torqued to a lower spec than ARP literature says to for 30wt oil. Also, they are not cycled when the bolts are installed. Cycling stretches the fastener a few times, and distorts the rod and cap a few times, and then after this process they will always return to the same shape when retorqued to that figure. Then the big end should be honed to the proper size. 'Source rods when you get them and cycle them, then torque them to ARP spec with the ARP lube provided, the big ends go out of round. For some builders, that is not a big deal. For me, it is.
Balancing... The technique that was described by randon to me is not good enough for me. Equalizing weights in sets of rods means very little, unless you equalize the weights of the ends seperately. He doesnt, and they are not good enough to be that way strictly by production. So I don't let them balance the kits.
Cranks... I have seen them measure perfect, and I've foudn tem to be off (too large). And that's using a micrometer to measure. The radii are too large IMO, and the way the cranks are polished is wrong. It removes too much material and the surface gets wavey. This may not be seen with a micrometer.. but take it to a crank grinder and have him measure it with his Arnold gage. I can also see the issue when looking at the way light reflects accross the journal. Again, some guys find them fine, some find the ok, some demand they be fixed or replaced. I have yet to have one turned. but that has meant I have not had the clearances I wanted in every case either.
I do believe Brandon does take an active role in quality control. He has offered to exchange parts before. But he's in CA and I'm in CT. It has been a year, so hopefully some has been addressed. From what I saw with the heads, I would say he's getting better, but still doesnt go to the lengths I'd want to see before I say use them without very close inspection. I budget an extra $150 for the rod work, and even with the grinding if needed, the cranks are still cheaper than the next step up. Also, Ohio Crank, Scat, Eagle, all have the same issues to differing extents.
. If you are going with a cam of that design anf that size, bush the lifter bores and I would not go MW size, I would have the std port window CNC ported by Jeff at Modern Cylinder Head in MI. He has a killer program for them, and the intake choices are much better. Also, make sure the rods are correctly cycled and then checked for roundness, and the crank is inspected carefully for taper. The rods will need work, and they will need the pin bores honed for the pins to fit properly. (no, dont use emery like Brandon says) and have your shop balance the assembly properly.
