was just wondering how much they could take.

Cast cranks can take a lot. Many of the people I race with use them and have not had any problems with their high hp engines. The bottom end in my Monza drag car consist of the following:

-cast crank(turned .010 & .010, chamfered oil holes, micro polished)
-Stock Rods (magnafluxed, beams polished, shot peened, rod & cap cut square, big end resized, ARP 190,000 psi bolts installed, weight matched, checked for alignment, and
checked for proper piston to pin clearance)
-Forged Manley Flat-top pistons

This motor makes 481 hp. I also shoot a 200hp shot of nitrous into all the time. The only part that could be considered exotic or expensive are the Manley pistons. I haven't had any problems to date and really don't think I will. Besides, I would much rather drop a valve or brake something with my low dollar cast setup than to have it happen to a high dollar forged setup.



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Chris Hill

-79 Malibu (Soon to have a fog fed 454 Big Block)

-Alston Backhalfed 76 Monza
[email protected] w/1.48 60 ft (Motor Only)
[email protected] w/1.40 60 ft (with nitrous, turning it off 3/4 way down the track) Should have high 9s with full nitrous run!

alright thanks man just wondering brother kept telling me to put a steel crank he thinks it will warp or break or something hopefully not , o yeh i have another question how long should i expect to get out of my 400 small block it doesnt smoke has 20,000 miles on it but i think it was built good i drive it on the street sometimes but how long should i expect it to last running 13s as far as rings and pistons and stuff like that, {it smokes a little out of right pipe but not rings its valve seals or somthing but wont have to worry about that with different heads , The pistons still looks pretty good i can see this on top of it 00.30 or something like that cant remember later man.

Its really hard to tell how a motor will last without seeing and hearing it. This is something that you really can't predict. It may run for another 100 thousand miles, or spin a bearing tomorrow, you really can't tell. However, if it was rebuild good and all clearences checked, it will probley run good for many thousand more miles. Just don't spin that thing to crazy RPM's and it should be fine.

------------------
Chris Hill

-79 Malibu (Soon to have a fog fed 454 Big Block)

-Alston Backhalfed 76 Monza
[email protected] w/1.48 60 ft (Motor Only)
[email protected] w/1.40 60 ft (with nitrous, turning it off 3/4 way down the track) Should have high 9s with full nitrous run!

well i hope to get at least another 15,000 out of it then go back in with some flat tops but wait if its a 400 small block bored 30 over there going to want to bore it and it cant be bored again without running hot can it?? could i have it rebuilt agian without boring it over a little bit

It can be bored form .030 to .040. I race with many people who have bored the 400s .040 over and not had any troubles. I wouldn't take a 400 past .040, the cylinders are just to thin and they run hot like you said.

------------------
Chris Hill

-79 Malibu (Soon to have a fog fed 454 Big Block)

-Alston Backhalfed 76 Monza
[email protected] w/1.48 60 ft (Motor Only)
[email protected] w/1.40 60 ft (with nitrous, turning it off 3/4 way down the track) Should have high 9s with full nitrous run!


[This message has been edited by Chris Hill (edited 01-01-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Chris Hill (edited 01-01-2001).]

cat crank's tend to flex more and snap back while steal tend's to snap..or so i have heard.