I'm a Australian newb here so go easy!

I'm currently running a 383 holden (for all intents & purposes think 383 sbc) with a pair of hi-flowed VG30 nissan T3's.

The oportunity has come up to possibly score a pair of garret GT35's dirt cheap - which is all well & good & will make a bunch more power than I've got now, but strength of the conrods may become an issue.

Rods are Scat I beam 5.7" with 3/8 arp capscrews & bushed small ends - just you're basic budget steel rods.
Rev's will be kept under 6500rpm.
I'm looking to make around the 800hp mark with the new turbos - after that the integrity of the mains & crank may become an issue, so I'll leave it at that for a while.

Has anyone used the basic scat rods in a similar application?
If so, any failures?

I wouldn't even think about using these rods in a high rpm NA application, but with conservative revs I think they'd stand a better chance - but I'd rather know someone else has been there & proven their strength before I risk my motor with them.

Cheers for any input guys, I gained a lot of insight into twin turbo setups from here while I was doing the original build.

TK

 

you'll rip the main caps out before you will hurt those rods

 

I can keep the mains in the block - the ol holdens are a bit tougher than a 2-bolt chev in the mains department.

Have you used those rods in a turbo motor? - shoulda mentioned, they are chev rods.

Looking good so far, thanks.

 

your fine, of the power adders the turbo's put less stress on parts. i have put 300hp nos through those rods before with a good bolt. l-19 or 2000 arp's will get it done. the block should be fine but with all that said the tune is were you live or dye.

 

Cheers guys, I'll bung them back in & call it good.

Tune is no prob, it's injected & a good mate of mine is a well respected efi tuner + I know about 3 guys with dyno's.
I prefer to run a conservative tune anyway - potentially grenading an engine for a few hp doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

It's a Chevy not a Phord. With a little prep 900 is just fine in a SBC.


The difference in most rods are the rod bolt. I am not a fan of the I-beam.

 

Nah, it's not a chev, it's a holden - you guys wouldn't have ever seen one, australia only, never made anywhere else.
They are similar in layout to a sbc & we often stick chev bits in them but they are a completely different motor.
Actually, this one even has a cut & shut 400 chev crank, chev type rods & chev type pistons to take it out to 383 - they start out life with 308 cubes.
Guys over here have pushed factory blocks up to 1500HP - but they don't last real long at that sort of output.

I'm not really a fan of I-beams either - but I've got them, so they are infinitely cheaper than a set of H-beams so long as they stay the correct shape.

 

You are very correct about the Holden. I think you have about the same limit.
1000 hp and it should last forever (with a good tune).

IT is easier & cheaper to do it right once than twice............

 

I've already done it twice!
I used cheaper pistons than I should have first up - only because I had a break in my customer workload & wanted to get the donk built in that time, good slugs were nil stock for the whole country, so I would have had to wait 2 weeks for them to arrive, by which time I'd have lost the oportunity to get it done quickly - so I used cheaper, more readily available pistons & promptly smashed some ring lands & trashed a bore.
I hindsight I should have waited for decent slugs, but thems the breaks.

I don't want to break it again, but I'm financially tapped out & getting real sick of riding my bike (the TT is my daily work truck) - if I can be convinced 95% that they'll be fine for 800hp & 6500rpm then I'll use them, if not I'll wait & fork out for H-beams, or bung it back together with the I-beams & stick with the smaller turbs for a while.

 

RPM is fine I might worry about hp...