Ballpark price?

[loud2004marquis]

Whats a ballpark price of getting forged pistons and connecting rods installed in a Marauder engine?

What HP level would a stock block handle with the rods and pistons upgraded?

[DOOM]

Would probably be cheaper just to get a cobra short block.

I picked up mine for $1,200 bucks!

Some people here have gotten them for even cheaper than that!

[Blk04MM]

There is a cobra short block on eBay
44k miles
ARP Studs
Manely rods
Kellogg crank
Etc... $1,750

Seen it yesterday

[Billy]

You can get very high quality brand name forged rods and pistons and associated hardware for somewhere around $1,000 if you shop around. If they're not pre-balanced, you can either weigh the components and maybe balance them yourself, or you can have a machine shop do it. Then do all the installation yourself. Get some good books on it and take your time. When you're done, you'll have a bulletproof shortblock for like 1/3rd of what it would cost for somebody else to build one.

[Vortech347]

Only thing is Cobra short blocks are iron where the block we have now is a lighter aluminum. If the block ever comes out of my 03 i already have an aluminum one to go in its place.

[DOOM]

Only thing is Cobra short blocks are iron where the block we have now is a lighter aluminum. If the block ever comes out of my 03 i already have an aluminum one to go in its place.

The difference in weight is 80 pounds. No big deal.

[Curless]

You can get very high quality brand name forged rods and pistons and associated hardware for somewhere around $1,000 if you shop around. If they're not pre-balanced, you can either weigh the components and maybe balance them yourself, or you can have a machine shop do it. Then do all the installation yourself. Get some good books on it and take your time. When you're done, you'll have a bulletproof shortblock for like 1/3rd of what it would cost for somebody else to build one.


You are not going to balance a rotating assembly yourself...not unless you have a very big garage with a crank balancer in it along with the ability to add or subtract weight from the crank. You will also need a very accurate gram scale and a rod weighing fixture....

I'm not trying to be an azz or anything just don't want someone to think they can weigh a piston and call it good.

[Bluerauder]

What HP level would a stock block handle with the rods and pistons upgraded?

I think about 500 HP was generally accepted here as the upper limit for the stock aluminum block. A couple members went "boom" around that level. MarauderMark comes to mind.

[DOOM]

What HP level would a stock block handle with the rods and pistons upgraded?

Stay under 460RWHP and you should be fine.

As long as you have a good tune!

[Spectragod]

I think about 500 HP was generally accepted here as the upper limit for the stock aluminum block. A couple members went "boom" around that level. MarauderMark comes to mind.

I don't think the block is the weakest link, I'm north of 500 @ the wheels with a stock block, guts are forged and balanced, but it's a stock Marauder block.

[Blk04MM]

Stay under 460RWHP and you should be fine.

As long as you have a good tune!

459? :D


But seriously that's good to know for future reference.

[Blk04MM]

I don't think the block is the weakest link, I'm north of 500 @ the wheels with a stock block, guts are forged and balanced, but it's a stock Marauder block.

Well :censor: who isn't north of 500. :bows:

[Spectragod]

Well :censor: who isn't north of 500. :bows:

I thought everyone was.....:P

[SC Cheesehead]

I don't think the block is the weakest link, I'm north of 500 @ the wheels with a stock block, guts are forged and balanced, but it's a stock Marauder block.


^^^^^^ What he said. Rods and pistons are the weak link, block can handle 750+ with forged internals.