LUNATI'S NEW SIGNATURE SERIES I-BEAM CONNECTING ROD: HOW IT'S MADE

Last Friday evening the How It’s Made TV program on the Science Channel featured Lunati cams and crankshafts. Four hours earlier a forging plant in Michigan was engaged in the making of Lunati’s new Signature series connecting rods. First they cut lengths of 1-7/8in diameter 4340 round bar and convey them to an induction-heater, which raises their temperature to almost 2,300 degrees F. In a malleable, plastic condition, not a molten state, the material is handled by tongs and drawn through rollers to flatten it. Then it is placed in each of three con rod impressions carved into a die block. As the hammerman runs the hammer, he displaces the soft, white hot metal into each impression, gradually forming the connecting rod. The force of the 4,000lb falling hammer impacts the material one strike per second. Three strikes of the hammer and the connecting rod is forged.