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Old 01-12-2014, 05:05 PM   #1
4tford
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Default 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

building a 304 using the speedway rotating assy. When using the scat H beam rods will I need to relieve for rod clearance or do they normally clear?
Thanks Bill
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Old 01-12-2014, 05:32 PM   #2
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

Be sure to check rod to cam clearance !!! This can be tight .
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Old 01-12-2014, 05:37 PM   #3
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

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building a 304 using the speedway rotating assy. When using the scat H beam rods will I need to relieve for rod clearance or do they normally clear?
Thanks Bill
One engine I built had a 4.430 stroke SCAT crank with Scat rods.
They cleared by about 1/16 in.
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Old 01-12-2014, 05:48 PM   #4
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

thanks guys Pete do you foresee any clearance problems with the 425 cam??
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Old 01-12-2014, 05:57 PM   #5
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

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thanks guys Pete do you foresee any clearance problems with the 425 cam??
No. The cam in that engine had .460 lift and was ok.
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Old 01-12-2014, 06:02 PM   #6
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

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Thanks sounds like I am on a roll
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Old 01-12-2014, 06:15 PM   #7
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

Pete please correct me if I am wrong , but it is more the size bass circle the cam has been ground down to than the lift .
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Old 01-12-2014, 06:23 PM   #8
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

KiWinUS I just had a good chuckle when I looked at your avatar. Trying to imagine the accent of Kiwi and North Carolina mix.
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Old 01-12-2014, 06:29 PM   #9
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

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Pete please correct me if I am wrong , but it is more the size bass circle the cam has been ground down to than the lift .
It is more the duration of the cam that causes problems sometimes. The long duration cams sometimes are close but I have never had to do anything to get more clearance.
Even with .500 lift and a 4 1/8 stroke everything cleared. (Jazzy)
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Old 01-12-2014, 06:44 PM   #10
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

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It is more the duration of the cam that causes problems sometimes. The long duration cams sometimes are close but I have never had to do anything to get more clearance.
Even with .500 lift and a 4 1/8 stroke everything cleared. (Jazzy)
Thanks Pete !!! Much help as always !!
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Old 01-12-2014, 06:48 PM   #11
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

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KiWinUS I just had a good chuckle when I looked at your avatar. Trying to imagine the accent of Kiwi and North Carolina mix.
4T your not the only one that has commented on my messed up mixed up "accent" ! 30years here in the south has rubbed off ! But I love this place !!!
Thats Edsel Ford in the back of my avatar pic , he could understand me ok , probably from all his years of living in Australia.
Cheers
Tony
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Old 01-12-2014, 06:51 PM   #12
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

4tford , keep us well informed & updated on your build please !!!
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Old 01-12-2014, 07:12 PM   #13
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

will do, never having a lot of trust in suppliers I took the balanced rotating assembly my buddy purchased on line to my local guy who does a lot of high end racing motors of various breeds. He did the balance all over again. I said Speedway in my original post but only as a reference to what we have. The crank was out a fair bit. He said the rods were bad but the Ross pistons were perfect. This is the block I am using. I am starting to get a routine that works for me. After the block is back from hot tank and magnaflux I do any porting, drill for the adj. lifters and another real good cleaning inside and out. I have a scope to look at the inside of the block. Wash down with "Goof Off" and then Acetone, mask and paint. When the paint is dry I then do another good cleaning and wash with soap and water and then rinse. Blow dry and wipe oil over everything that is not painted. I will spend all the next two days finishing the cleaning and making sure guides and lifters fit as they should and check to make sure all is as it should be and then mask for painting. The future owner is a body man and is mixing his own paint and will spray it himself on Wednesday. I think it will be yellow but not sure.

Last edited by 4tford; 08-05-2020 at 08:02 AM.
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Old 01-12-2014, 08:13 PM   #14
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

By jove myte, don't swim in the billabongs while drinking plonk.
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Old 01-12-2014, 09:25 PM   #15
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

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will do, never having a lot of trust in suppliers I took the balanced rotating assembly my buddy purchased on line to my local guy who does a lot of high end racing motors of various breeds. He did the balance all over again. I said Speedway in my original post but only as a reference to what we have. The crank was out a fair bit. He said the rods were bad but the Ross pistons were perfect. This is the block I am using. I am starting to get a routine that works for me. After the block is back from hot tank and magnaflux I do any porting, drill for the adj. lifters and another real good cleaning inside and out. I have a scope to look at the inside of the block. Wash down with "Goof Off" and then Acetone, mask and paint. When the paint is dry I then do another good cleaning and wash with soap and water and then rinse. Blow dry and wipe oil over everything that is not painted. I will spend all the next two days finishing the cleaning and making sure guides and lifters fit as they should and check to make sure all is as it should be and then mask for painting. The future owner is a body man and is mixing his own paint and will spray it himself on Wednesday. I think it will be yellow but not sure.
This is indicative of why we don't buy pre-balanced strokers but choose to put together our own combinations and balance them in-house!

The part about Ross pistons is correct, they are normally the only ones we use, along with the "metric" ring packs.

We use the Eagle shafts because they are easier to balance and we use the Scat rods because they fit the best, least labor intensive, even on the 4.250" strokes!

(Add) I would strongly recommend pressure testing the block, "magging" alone is not a very reliable procedure. There have been issues up here recently that never would have been detected by magnafluxing!!

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. It's kind of ironic but I had a long conversation with my friends down at Eagle just 2 days ago, suppied them a photo similar to one below here, and actually (finally) MAY see some design changes to their connecting rods. We shall see in the near future! Explained (again) why we don't use their rods on any builds, they DO NOT fit (without major labor), even on the 4.000" strokes.
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File Type: jpg Flathead Rods ESP-Scat Dim-A.JPG (70.2 KB, 138 views)
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Old 01-12-2014, 09:31 PM   #16
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

pete a billabong is Australian plonk is a cheap wine mate is aus and kiwi and yes ive had problems while in your great country with people not understanding me plus telling me to slow the speech down so I don't know how any of you guys can understand kiwi in us with a mix of 2 brouges tony is that what you find? trev
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Old 01-12-2014, 09:36 PM   #17
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

bill how does scat balance there rotating assemblys without the front pully flywheel and clutch cover???? it must be a rough balance
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Old 01-12-2014, 10:15 PM   #18
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

Trev, 2 out of 3 isn't bad for having never been there....lol
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Old 01-12-2014, 10:25 PM   #19
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

ha ha way to go pete
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Old 01-12-2014, 10:28 PM   #20
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Default Re: 304 cu in conn rods and block clearance

Gary,
This an "H" rod just roughed out but you get the idea.
The SCAT's are slightly heavier than the old CAT's as they come but no problem getting them down. The basic quality of the various brands seems to be good.
We have never had one break (knock on wood) and we have several 100% nitro burners using them.
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