Don't let HP scare you, but be smart about it also. It is pretty well documented that random rod failure on 4.6 3v starts around 450 rwhp. As the poster stated above, getting the proper tune is critical. Detonation is your enemy...know your setup is right...no guessing allowed. Socking a little money in the engine rebuild fund is always a good idea when you start modifying. Good luck with your build!

 

No offense, but that is only well documented in internet lore. I can think of a couple dozen guys (including myself) on this forum alone that are running far more rwhp than that on stock internals. Keep a safe tune with a reasonable amount of boost and 500+ rwhp is safely attainable.

 

Your right, guys have failed the stock rods with less than 450 RWHP. Although, to be fair, it almost always involved having a improper tune. Are there guys with a good tune running big power...yes. Yet, looking around the different forums I read about way to many guys who put just a blower on and popped their motor shortly thereafter. Not having a plan if that happens to your daily driver is silly. If it is your weekend fun car you can afford to leave it sit. But, I think we do agree that getting a proper tune is a absolute must, dyno derived from a quality shop is best.

 

I definitely agree with you there. I always tell people if they're gonna mod these cars heavily, they better be prepared to spend a lot of money if something goes wrong.