I recently got a great deal on a set of Manley alum. rods for a big block chevy. They are 6.5" in length. I know that stock rods are 6.135" in length. What i'm wondering is am I going to have problems with the pistons coming to close to the valves. I have not bought the pistons yet. I would like to know what size dome I should go with. I have open chamber heads to go on the engine. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Rick

Rick, the biggest problem you'll encounter is the price of the pistons to run those rods. There are only a few places that make stroker pistons and they don't come cheap.
The piston pin is moved closer to the top of the piston to compensate for the added length as well as certain areas that are also strengthened. You may also need to have the lower skirt section of the cylinder notched to accomodate the wider angle.
As far as what size dome to run depends on the application of the engine and the CR that you want. Check with the piston mfg's and see what they offer, you may not have many choices. If the dome is too tall on the piston you want, you can always have them flycut to reduce dome volume and for added valve clearance.

Good Luck!

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67 Camaro LS6 454/TH400/12bolt 3.73

Rick,
Is this a street motor, or a race motor ??? In race motors, aluminum rods usually go in the scrap bin after about 200 passes, I don't know if I would recommend them at all for the street. The length of the rods is not a problem, you will just have to get pistons made with the pin hole in the correct location. The block will have to be machined to clear the large size of the aluminum rods. If you have any other questions, you can e-mail me and I will try to answer them.

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Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md