weakest link
- Thread starter goinbigger
- Start date
super302
I'd do anything for free Bapples
t-5 (the 5spd transmission) is known to go south real quick when adding power...not always, but usually
glenn95gt
Founding Member
Right now I'm just going to do suspension, no use making gobs of power when you can't use it. Learned that lesson before. But eventually I want it to run 10's. Anything quicker than that and I'm going to start with a different car. That and gas prices are too damn high to start adding gears and such.
I guess what I'm asking is what inside the motor tends to be weak. From what I understand the pistons are already forged correct? So I'm guessing the rods would normally be pretty weak in comparison? Can you get away with throwing on a set of ARP rod bolts and outlast the limitations of the block or will they snap well before that? I know a local guy was running 10.40's on a farily stock motor with suspension and spraying it. Which would probably be right about where I would be happy with it. I was in the middle of building an LS1 camaro when it got totaled and now I have to start the research all over again.
Thanks for the help.
I guess what I'm asking is what inside the motor tends to be weak. From what I understand the pistons are already forged correct? So I'm guessing the rods would normally be pretty weak in comparison? Can you get away with throwing on a set of ARP rod bolts and outlast the limitations of the block or will they snap well before that? I know a local guy was running 10.40's on a farily stock motor with suspension and spraying it. Which would probably be right about where I would be happy with it. I was in the middle of building an LS1 camaro when it got totaled and now I have to start the research all over again.
Thanks for the help.
Gears are one of the best ways to improve times and dont affect gas milage that much. It sounds like you are planning on adding enough power to make use of numerically lower ratios than what a lot of street driven stangs run, but I am not sure if you are gonna do mods as you go, or all at once (with consideration to having to change gear ratios later). you WILL want gears of some sort practically no matter how fast you plan on going, IMHO.goinbigger said:
good luck.
speedtrip
Member
My 87 coupe had no issues until i added 125 hp nitrous. Not long after install i had one wheel peel and a broken valve spring retainer had to replace head. Thats it nothing else has broken super reliable bought it in 1994. Im only running 12.4 at 113 on nittos. So you may have more issues running 10 something. Im sure someone in the 10's will have some more input.
Oh yes, gears will eventually go in, just not right now. I'm going to be driving it for a while and the way gas prices are they are going to stay for a bit. This will all be over a period of time. I Have 4 vehicles I'm working on now. This one, a toyota pickup with a 355/th-350/np205 t-case/38's, yada yada, and a 93 z71 on 38.5" boggers I'm building a 383 stroker for right now. The otehr one is a 96 GMC but I'm selling that one in a few weeks. So I don't have the time or the money to do it all at once. Having mud toys things break all the time so I spend a lot of money and time on those also.
So does everyone think the rods will hold up with some good bolts or are those going to need a change also?
Thanks for the inputs so far guys I appreciate it.
So does everyone think the rods will hold up with some good bolts or are those going to need a change also?
Thanks for the inputs so far guys I appreciate it.
Stang8URMPRT
Active Member
The pistons, rods, and crank will handle more power then the block will. Don't worry about the rotating assembly. Forged anything inside a stock block is wasting your money. People that have forged rods or crank in their car will say otherwise, but they are just upset they spent WAY too much money on a 5.0 with a stock block. 
