Flanders Carnage

[map351]

"I had a severe misfire pop up out of nowhere in the middle of a run. I tore everything apart 10 times, borrowed a spare ignition box, replaced plugs, wires, you name it all with no change.

Funny thing is it wouldn't miss at all until exactly 30psi boost. Drove me crazy! So finally in all the runs down the street trying things it must have cracked the hell out of the crank. I finally sent the box in and Electomotive told me it had some burned up chips, can't fix it, have to buy a new one.

Put the new box in, no more miss but the first time down the street boom.

It appears to have been crossfiring. The top half of the rod bearings were squished .030" wider."

[shawnsvtcobra]

Wow poor mr crank.

[Killercanary]

DAMN! That is some carnage! What are the 2.3L blocks good to normally?

[yeahloh95]

DAMN! That is some carnage! What are the 2.3L blocks good to normally?

almost as much as a dart sportsman that motor has went at least 9.20's i think

[87notch]

Holy shit

[fast4ord]

Wow!

[lib88stang]

2.3 bottom ends are very strong.

[wick]

WOW!!! Thats the worst crank I have ever seen. Good job!

[thelast50ho]

Holy crap

[Martin0660]

If I ever bust a crank....thats how I want it done, easier to carry the bits around ;) lol. It took a lot of malfunction for it to break like that.

The rods (actually bolts) are the first weak point on these shortblocks. Lots of folks have gone a long way on stock blocks and cranks. The speculation is the rods are okay to somewhere north of 300 HP, and a little lress that 400. That seems where stockers have failed. I'm "testing" in the 350 range, and we are going to see how far north of that they can go ;) My biggest concern is that I plan to add more RPM this year with the new cam. I think that what will bust the rods (and make windows in the block).

Bob Myers

[Killercanary]

Can you just install ARP rod bolts?

[Martin0660]

Can you just install ARP rod bolts?

Yes you can. But then by the time you recon the rods, add the bolts, you are a good way toward a set of Crower Sportsmans. The stock long blocks are pretty strong, its just the bolts / rods will be the first thing you run into.

Bob Myers