Lower end(short block)strength

dbeckwith · Post by **dbeckwith** » 22 Jun 2011, 07:45

Can someone please give me an idea of the structural integrity of the lower end on my 5 cyl NA such as forged rods, forged crank, etc

Thanks

Post by **jblackburn** » 22 Jun 2011, 07:51

Not much. Basically, if you put a turbo on it, it'll break the lower end rather quickly.

If you've got 264,000 miles on it, your motor is also tired mechanically and can't handle what a newer engine could.

The turbo motors have reinforced lower ends that can stand up to between 300-400 hp.

dbeckwith · Post by **dbeckwith** » 22 Jun 2011, 10:58

Actually a lot of engine builders would find the high mileage to be advantageous, stressed relieved

Post by **jblackburn** » 22 Jun 2011, 11:03

*shrug* I've had rods let go in 2 "well-built" high-mileage engines - a BMW and Saab, and neither were modified in any way or being pushed anywhere near the limit when it happened.

If you can source parts, you may be able to bore out and forge rods, etc for your motor. But, honestly, no matter how much you spend/work on a little motor like this, you're not going to get as much power from it as you would doing a turbo motor swap or building a turbo motor.

dbeckwith · Post by **dbeckwith** » 22 Jun 2011, 12:27

You're probably right. I guess I am just old school. When everyone else was building Chevys and Mopars(the easy option) I chose Pontiac.

Post by **jblackburn** » 22 Jun 2011, 12:32

That's because Pontiacs are (used to be) awesome! I've always wanted an old GTO (before 1968).

The guy I work with has a 1965 LeMans. It gets all of 8 mpg, but he brought it to work one day and took me for a ride - that thing's sheer acceleration could probably shame my T5 even if I had a rolling start. And big American V8's at wide-open throttle are quite possibly what angels sound like.

The great thing about turbo cars, aside from the stupid lag, is you can just put a big turbo on a tiny engine and up the boost to the limits of what everything can handle without having to do thousands of $'s of modifications to it.

I just don't. But there is that potential there.

dbeckwith · Post by **dbeckwith** » 22 Jun 2011, 13:17

I used to run a 65 GTO!

Post by **jblackburn** » 22 Jun 2011, 13:33

PICTURES?!

dbeckwith · Post by **dbeckwith** » 22 Jun 2011, 13:56

Unfortunately all I have left of those days are my memories

I can tell you that my second 65 GTO was a 470 cube behemoth. When I would get on it ya better hang onto something