BRUTALLYHONEST

The SLR supercharger is geared differently and also has top mount coolers in addition to more aggressive cam profile. Those are the main reasons.

AgSilver

You make a very valid point

Havoc

I understand why you would be surprised if someone recommends a Ti con rod in a high-torque application like a supercharged motor. And for the record, no one recommended it, however we have been working very closely with PAUTER for many months now to create a Ti con rod for my application. They're not set against it and I wouldn't say that they don't know what they're doing either.

A blown C6 LS7 Z06 has more torque than our stock 55K's and I have yet to see a failure from their stock Ti con rods...

Havoc

Forgot to mention the all mighty C6 ZR1 uses exotic Pankel titanium connecting rods in it's supercharged LS9 which easily handles 638 hp at 6,500 rpm and 605 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm.

The LS9 successfully completed more than 6,800 hours of dyno testing, including a simulated 24 Hour Le Mans race and was held to passenger-car durability standards test of more than 100,000 miles.

AgSilver

If you want 'em, this is a good source.

http://tricktitanium.net/titanium-connecting-rods

One interesting aspect of titanium is that it virtually never fatigues. Anything which adds lightness helps.

There are really no secrets to building exotic highly reliable engines and the 113 can be taken to any level you choose. It still amazes me what can be accomplished with a GMC motor for so little money (comparatively speaking).

If, in the future, I decide to keep the E55 forever (at my age, forever ain't that long), I would probably go for a complete engine rebuild using the various exotic materials and components just for the satisfaction. I did this with my M100 motor and the funny thing is that I used Chevy valve springs because they turned out to be the best for that motor.

GT-ER

Why is it a problem to use titanium rods? I seen quite a few big power engines use them.

Havoc

Without proper forging, prep, and coating titanium will corrode and scratch which causes cracks and some require maintenance, like replacement, equal to Aluminum rods due to stretching.

GT-ER

True, but we are talking about companies that know all of this building them aren't we? Building Titanium rods is not exactly a back yard project.

Regardless, I really see no point in using them in a 55K engine.

Havoc

Yeah, it really comes down to the specific application since the material alone is extremely expensive minus the extensive machining. For all out racing, there's no need to go the extensive machining route since everything will get replaced regardless, but for street use proper measures should be used to ensure longevity.

For my build, I went with larger forged pistons which are heavier than the stock cast pistons so I decided to go with Ti rods to help reduce the added weight. I believe they will be very beneficial for my particular build.

xpl0sive

a bit off topic, but it seems like you're putting a lot of money into your motor Havoc, what power level are you trying to accomplish? It almost seems that it would have been more cost effective to just source an SLR motor

Havoc

Not going for a specific power number, doing a fully built motor and will see what the end product delivers. Nah, it'll still be cheaper than the SLR engine especially since I would mod the SLR engine anyway!

chawkins2001

Whatever it is made of, it still was no match for the Beast, see vid in my sig from this past weekend

AgSilver

In the early 60's we used cast Hepolites (now known as A E Pistons) which we would apply a Sanford hard coat to (which has since been vastly improved) and I think would be quite beneficial to the 113 cast pistons. The longest we dared go was 6 hours of race conditions at 13,000 RPM with complete disassembly between races and Zygloing each piston. Yes, the Hepolites were light as feathers and in a race engine we didn't care about regular replacement, but we have all seen the vulnerability our 113's cast pistons.

For what you are doing with your 113 and what AMG did with the SLR motor, the forged pistons were the only way to go. However, what you chose to do by compensating for the weight with titanium rods is very clever and should have been implemented by AMG for their $400K+ SLR.

splinter

With all due respect, we’ve always known you as a well-informed and knowledgeable enthusiast.

GM’s supercharged LS9 ZR1 pumps out 605 lb-ft at 3,800 rpm.
Less bottom-end torque, though no slouch in the output and longevity department would be Porsche’s formidable GT3 RSR, 959, 935 and 962.
It’s probably no coincidence they’re all equipped with Pankl titanium connecting rods.

disclaimer: their purported benefits are likely inconsequential to the performance of any M113K. :)

http://www.pankl.com/