forging flash and casting flash. If you look at the crank, it too has a flash edge along it. But it is a very wide flash area. Casting flash is typically much thinner, like what you see in the main coolant galley of the block as you are seeing the material that seeped between the pieces of the mold.. Forging flash is an interesting question though.. It wouldn't seem that it should be as it appears unless it is intentionally formed in the dies to produce the flash edge.. May have something to do with trying to compress the metal in such a way so as to use a tapered die to add a third dimension of compression on the part; as if to squeeze play-doh through a funnel..
It is an interesting question though Ric.. Are the stock rods forged? I'm sure a metalurgist with the appropriate equipment could tell you pretty quickly - x-ray diffraction inspection would reveal the lattice structure as well as any weaker areas of the part.. I'm sure there is a definitive method of determining if it is forged or not, but our machinist was very impressed with the metal - his first statement when he took the rod to the grinder was "this is some awesome metal.." and he proceeded to show me how a cast part grinds.. There was definately a difference in how the metal looked and the speed at which the cast part would grind in comparison to our rods.. He had no contest when I told him afterwards that it is a forged part from the factory, as well as the nitrided forged crank.
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