360HP connecting rods

[darktone]

I was just reading my Mopar speed secrets book and they say my 360HP has heavy duty connecting rods. Can anyone tell me about these? If they are anything like a 440 6-pack rod I will be pretty happy- those things are monsters compared to the regular units. What rod bolts fit the 360HP rod? I mean as far as ARP bolts?
Also they say the cast crank is shot peened- what are your thoughts on this?

[DartGT66]

HP rods comapred to old 273 & 318 rods. They are ok rods for moderate perofrmance.

[pcrmike]

For long-term use, don't exceed 400-450 HP. :-)PCRMike

[DartGT66]

Don't have to worry about that. With 450-500 hp and those rods, there will most likely not be any long term use.

[darktone]

I plan on making less than 400HP so I don't think I have to worry about that . I just want to know what the difference is and will standard ARP rod bolts work? thanks!

[Locomotion]

Yes, rod bolts for any 318/340/360 rod will work.
There were some different casting numbers over the years, but all 340 and 360 rods are basically the same. 340's had bushed small ends for floating pins and 360's had unbushed for pressed pins. I "think" all 360's had pressed pins, including the HP 4 barrel versions. But I'm not 100% sure at the moment.

[MrChemist]

Believe it or not, I have been running stock rods with ARP bolts in my 10 second 360 for over 5 years…and if you can find a way to appease the metallurgy gods, you can throw 550+ HP at those rods.…but then again, I am switching to H-beams in the off-season because I think I have pushed my luck about as far as it will go.

[darktone]

anyone got a picture of the HD rod? Just wondering what they look like compared to a normal rod.

[sanborn]

I've used the 340 rod in several race engines in years past. We carefully selected the rods to use. Checked to make sure the big end wasn't egg shaped first, looked at the forging line to see if they are straight, etc. Then we polished, resized them, installed ARP bolts, etc.

They would live in a moderate HP engine(around 550-575HP) for about 300-400 oval track laps. That's equal to a lot of passes down the drag strip. Then the big end would egg shape. Once they egg shape, don't resize and use---dispose of them.

The basic rod is a good rod, just not designed to survive in a higher HP engine. The problem is the rod cap, not the beam of the rod.

[dave571]

Originally Posted by MrChemist

Believe it or not, I have been running stock rods with ARP bolts in my 10 second 360 for over 5 years…and if you can find a way to appease the metallurgy gods, you can throw 550+ HP at those rods.…but then again, I am switching to H-beams in the off-season because I think I have pushed my luck about as far as it will go.

I have no problem believing it.

Stock Mopar rods are pretty tough. GM guys need rods to upgrade any kind of off idle performance. Alot of GM stuff has CAST connecting rod

[dgc333]

Originally Posted by darktone

I plan on making less than 400HP so I don't think I have to worry about that . I just want to know what the difference is and will standard ARP rod bolts work? thanks!

Just a though!

When I did my engine the cost of ARP Bolts plus the cost of having the rod ends resized to use them wound up being more than a set of new Eagle I-beam rods. Eagle recomends these rods for up to 500HP plus they are bushed for floating pins and come with ARP bolts. The machine shop that balanced my rotating assembly recomended them as a way to save a buck and when they checked them they were all matched to less than a gram for weight and were dead nuts on dimensionally. Visually they make the stock rods look like something someone made with a chisel and grinding wheel.

[darktone]

thanks Dave, I thought about the I beam rods but I am kind of nostalgic about the factory HD stuff- I want to use as much of the original hi-po stuff as I can.