I just had the oil pan off of my new motor and I was checking out the internals. The rods have a lot of play in them on the crankshaft. I can move them side to side pretty far (like 1/8" total MAYBE) I just want to make sur this is normal before I drop it in the car. BTW they are Pauter rods and Wiseco pistons. TIA

Pauter rods? That's some serious shit.

I thing they're supposed to have SOME play. Every built bottom end i've played with, my own inclided, there is a little thrust (side-to-side) play on all the rods. 1/8" is WAY excessive though. maybe .5mm.

how much HP will those rods hold?

There is a little play. 1/8" was a number off the top off my head. I'm not real good at judging by looking. It doesn't slide around or anything just a little wobble. But by what you say it sounds fine. Thanks!!!

I think the rods are like 600HP or something like that. The pistons will definately break first ;)

The one you should be most worried about is side to side movement on the thrust bearing. Just stick a feeler blade in there.

I don't know what the thrust bearing is but they move side to side as in towards the T-belt and the tranny.

The thrust bearing is a bearing that sets side-to-side gap for the crank on the main journals. There's usually just one, and I don't remember which one it is for our cars (been awhile since I built a Neon motor). Just to get a decent measurement, just get a cheap set of Feeler blades. Push the rods to one side and measure the gap with the blades. Put as many blades together that will fit in there snuggly, then add the numbers and check them to a Chilton's spec sheet. Badda Bing!

Cool thanks Erik and Dino.

If the whole crank is moving, it's thrust play. if the rods are moving a little in thier journals they have "thrust play" but it's not the same as crank thrust play ;-)