Man I hate to even post this, but... went to the local dealership today to pick up my '93 after a new clutch install. While taking the mechanic back to the dealership after ferrying my Mustang home he says "I wonder why Ford didn't put the good rods in the HD?".
After my initial shock of this unsolicited question, I asked him what he was talking about. He said he had just gotten back from a mechanic's school for a week and that the instructors (allegedly SVT mechanics) talked about the 'fact' that Lightnings had "Manley forged rods" and that the HD's had regular production cast rods... WTF!
Anyway... I know this has been dicussed here and other places--I just want to know once and for all, does the HD have weaker rods than the L's??? Anyone?

 

Since when do Lightnings have Manley rods?

 

Slingshot

is Manley an OEM for other Ford vehicles? good rods!

 

Manley rods in the L? Heck if I know... the '03 Cobras definitely do have Manley forged H-beam rods--have never heard of the L's having them.

 

it my understanding that stock L don't get manley rods.. only cobras...

 

I didn't know either had Manley Rods. Though those were aftermarket. I checked the SVT site and couldn't find any info. Anyone find any info?

 

And I am getting hard time for asking this very same question

First: Welcome to the club, you can sit right next to me.

Second, who is up for petition demanding an official answer? Stand up and speak up. I am for it.

ZoranC

 

It is not a question are they Manley or not. Question being asked by everyone is are rods and pistons in HD identical to ones in L?

ZoranC

 

Zoran - Everyone knows the question, because you keep hounding it over and over. My point was simple, the mechanic doesn't seem to know jack if he thinks Lightnings have Manley rods. So, I don't trust anything else he said. We all want answers to these questions, but you are taking it just a tad too personal.

-Mark

 

Zoran have you...or anybody else...wrote to anybody specific at FoMoCo?

 

Mark is right. I wouldn't beleive anything the TECH said if he thinks that the L has manley rods. (I wish we all had them) I bet yeah that the new L (2005?) will have the manley rods. But not the current production.

 

HD has Ls engines. Period. New Cobra engines are hand built and do have those goddies. One of this months car/truck magazines (have it at home & don't remember name) has a whole article of that production line. There is a waiting list of over 100 Ford workers waiting for a chance to work there

 

Mark, sorry, I was just having impression we are paying too much attention to him saying "Manley". He was just relaying what he thought SVT guys said. So, we should cut him some slack and find out what SVT guys really said, no matter did he say Manley or not.

Sorry if it looked that way. I was just trying to insert little joking. Looks like my attempt failed. Maybe because I was too tired (take a look at what time it was posted) or maybe because I have weird sense of humor.

ZoranC

 

Not yet. I was first trying to get answer on boards. With that failing to bring result next step is to write. My feeling is with more than one person signing a letter there is a better chance of it getting answered. I was trying to ask day or two ago who is willing to join me but there was no response. Maybe that will happen now. In the meantime letter needs to get crafted and we need to find out to whom it should be sent.

So, does anyone know who is/are right person(s) in FoMoCo to address this letter to?

ZoranC

 

Just because part of what he said is incorrect then everything he says is incorrect? Not a wise way to analyze things. I am sure every single one of us was incorrect at least once in our life yet correct at other times. There is no such thing as 100% correct 100% of the time. It is all about to which end of the scale it is being leaned toward, and even then person that is incorrect all the time can be correct once. I have seen it happen and therefore I keep open mind all of the time.

ZoranC