I was asked several times if chevys SBC (PINK RODS) were the HOT TICKET?? in building a performance sbc, well let me say that there decent STOCK CONNECTING RODS, but they are not now nearly the (HOT TICKET)
THIS INFO WAS FOUND HERE
http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/performanc ... D=847.html
(so theres no sense in my repeating what these guys posted)
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=150031
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJJI9bml ... re=related
"Original late version 1968 and 1969 Pink Rods #3973386 are shot peened select forgings that are Full Floating on the wrist pin and the small ends are lead babbit ed, they have a "O" on the cap. The small ends have no oiling hole. They are easily identified by the pink paint that was on the beams, after years of use it also appears like dull white? The caps of original 69/70/71/72 pink rods are a different color as the rod is shot peened and the cap is not. This is easily seen on known original pink rods. By the way 1970 and up rods are pressed pin.
"O" rods that came in trucks and passenger car engines have the same "O" designator but are not shot peened and have pressed pins and no pink paint.
The Original "O" pink rods were discontinued from GM circa 1973/74 and the part number was superseded to the 72/73/74 version Z28 rod, which has a "B" on the cap and is a pressed pin rod, they also appear with the Pink paint. I have taken apart many Z28 302/350 and Corvette LT1 & L82 Engines over the last 40 years and this was always found.
I personally believe that "X" rods did not appear from GM until around late 74, early 1975, and this comes from working at a performance machine shop for 10 years in the 70,s, ( 1972-1982) and a Corvette Shop for 20 years ( 1985-2005) and the first time I saw "X" rods was around the mid 70,s in truck and passenger car engines. There is also a version of a pink "X" rod and it was installed in L82 Corvette engines from 75-79 and it also had the pink paint as well as brown ( or tan ) and orange from time to time.
A performance rod was offered out of the GM power book in the 70, and 80,s and these rods had the pink designator paint, I believe GM did that to identify the shotpeend surfaces. These are usually "X" rods.
I constantly see so called pink rods on ebay and just laugh when they have the applied pink paint and "X" on the caps."
"Mike, 70 LT1 engines DEFIANTLY do not use "X" rods. I have a 6,000 mile 1970 Z28 LT1 that has been discussed heavily a few years back on the Yenko site ( pictures are there also) and it has "O" pink rods. The engine was out of a rolled over Z28 that was scrapped 38 years ago. The fellow I got it from seperated the pan from the block because it got dented when the car crashed. The pan was repaired and is just bolted back on the engine assembly. The rest of the engine has never been apart. This is the reason I know it has "O" Pink rods.
Anyway someone must have been in your LT1 before if it has "X" rods. IMO. It is a well known fact that a lot of unscrupulous people robbed desirable high performance parts out of High Perf engines either intentionally or by ignorance if the engine was rebuilt.
As I stated the original "O" pink rods where select forgings. GM looked over all the rods for core shift, casting slag etc., then I have heard they magna flux particle inspected and shot peened the rod and also machined it and lead babbitted the small end for the full floating wrist pin ( in 69 engines only ) It was then finished machined and given the "pink" color on the beam of the rod.
I would use the "O" rods you have and have them magna fluxed particle inspected for any cracks etc, then have them shot peened and re sized with the ARP bolts. Some guys will grind the casting flash off the beams, but if you are concerned about originality then leave them stock. A word of caution, whoever shot peens them must protect the bores and the machined sides of the rods as the shot peening will rough these areas up excessively. There is also a Almen Specification for the rod surfaces to achieve the correct surface finish. It is checked with a Almen Strip to measure Arch height (the amount of upward deflection of an Almen strip after it has been submitted to a shot peen blast) Check with your local machine shops regarding shot peening etc.
Hope this helps. "
btw I would NEVER reuse the 400 sbc 5.565 rods, they are at least 40 years old,
have been through unknown millions of stress cycles,
and are well known to be a rather weak design,
that was originally designed for a lower to mid rpm torque engine,
intended mostly for pick-up trucks and luxury cars with automatic transmissions.
while I really appreciate the time, effort and knowledge posted above ,and the research it took. if your rebuilding a high performance sbc in todays world its a bit, of nearly useless, INFO, if your main goal is only building a strong yet cost effective rotating assembly, simply because theres forged 4340 steel rods with 7/16" ARP cap screw rods available at very competitive pricing, that are far stronger than the chevy "pink" rods
example
read
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=253
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=141
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=510
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=341
http://www.adperformance.com/index.php? ... ath=71_233
http://www.adperformance.com/index.php? ... x&cPath=67
http://www.adperformance.com/index.php? ... b4029cea6a
THIS INFO WAS FOUND HERE
http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/performanc ... D=847.html
(so theres no sense in my repeating what these guys posted)
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=150031
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJJI9bml ... re=related
"Original late version 1968 and 1969 Pink Rods #3973386 are shot peened select forgings that are Full Floating on the wrist pin and the small ends are lead babbit ed, they have a "O" on the cap. The small ends have no oiling hole. They are easily identified by the pink paint that was on the beams, after years of use it also appears like dull white? The caps of original 69/70/71/72 pink rods are a different color as the rod is shot peened and the cap is not. This is easily seen on known original pink rods. By the way 1970 and up rods are pressed pin.
"O" rods that came in trucks and passenger car engines have the same "O" designator but are not shot peened and have pressed pins and no pink paint.
The Original "O" pink rods were discontinued from GM circa 1973/74 and the part number was superseded to the 72/73/74 version Z28 rod, which has a "B" on the cap and is a pressed pin rod, they also appear with the Pink paint. I have taken apart many Z28 302/350 and Corvette LT1 & L82 Engines over the last 40 years and this was always found.
I personally believe that "X" rods did not appear from GM until around late 74, early 1975, and this comes from working at a performance machine shop for 10 years in the 70,s, ( 1972-1982) and a Corvette Shop for 20 years ( 1985-2005) and the first time I saw "X" rods was around the mid 70,s in truck and passenger car engines. There is also a version of a pink "X" rod and it was installed in L82 Corvette engines from 75-79 and it also had the pink paint as well as brown ( or tan ) and orange from time to time.
A performance rod was offered out of the GM power book in the 70, and 80,s and these rods had the pink designator paint, I believe GM did that to identify the shotpeend surfaces. These are usually "X" rods.
I constantly see so called pink rods on ebay and just laugh when they have the applied pink paint and "X" on the caps."
"Mike, 70 LT1 engines DEFIANTLY do not use "X" rods. I have a 6,000 mile 1970 Z28 LT1 that has been discussed heavily a few years back on the Yenko site ( pictures are there also) and it has "O" pink rods. The engine was out of a rolled over Z28 that was scrapped 38 years ago. The fellow I got it from seperated the pan from the block because it got dented when the car crashed. The pan was repaired and is just bolted back on the engine assembly. The rest of the engine has never been apart. This is the reason I know it has "O" Pink rods.
Anyway someone must have been in your LT1 before if it has "X" rods. IMO. It is a well known fact that a lot of unscrupulous people robbed desirable high performance parts out of High Perf engines either intentionally or by ignorance if the engine was rebuilt.
As I stated the original "O" pink rods where select forgings. GM looked over all the rods for core shift, casting slag etc., then I have heard they magna flux particle inspected and shot peened the rod and also machined it and lead babbitted the small end for the full floating wrist pin ( in 69 engines only ) It was then finished machined and given the "pink" color on the beam of the rod.
I would use the "O" rods you have and have them magna fluxed particle inspected for any cracks etc, then have them shot peened and re sized with the ARP bolts. Some guys will grind the casting flash off the beams, but if you are concerned about originality then leave them stock. A word of caution, whoever shot peens them must protect the bores and the machined sides of the rods as the shot peening will rough these areas up excessively. There is also a Almen Specification for the rod surfaces to achieve the correct surface finish. It is checked with a Almen Strip to measure Arch height (the amount of upward deflection of an Almen strip after it has been submitted to a shot peen blast) Check with your local machine shops regarding shot peening etc.
Hope this helps. "
btw I would NEVER reuse the 400 sbc 5.565 rods, they are at least 40 years old,
have been through unknown millions of stress cycles,
and are well known to be a rather weak design,
that was originally designed for a lower to mid rpm torque engine,
intended mostly for pick-up trucks and luxury cars with automatic transmissions.
while I really appreciate the time, effort and knowledge posted above ,and the research it took. if your rebuilding a high performance sbc in todays world its a bit, of nearly useless, INFO, if your main goal is only building a strong yet cost effective rotating assembly, simply because theres forged 4340 steel rods with 7/16" ARP cap screw rods available at very competitive pricing, that are far stronger than the chevy "pink" rods
example
read
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=253
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=141
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=510
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=341
http://www.adperformance.com/index.php? ... ath=71_233
http://www.adperformance.com/index.php? ... x&cPath=67
http://www.adperformance.com/index.php? ... b4029cea6a
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