Pistons, rods, cam for low RPM mild boost

I've got a buddy with a '96 F-250. It's got a 460 with an E4OD auto behind it. Last year we converted it to Mass-Air, swapped in Deka 80 lb/hr injectors, and installed a remote turbo (located just past the cab). The turbo is a 7.3 PSD Van turbo with the larger turbine housing. It's only running about 5-6 PSI right now. No alcohol/water/meth injection, but it is intercooled. Intake temperatures under boost are usually less then 100*F.

Anyways he decided recently that he wants to turn the wick up a bit, but doesn't want to try doing that with the stock rods and pistons. I don't know what is ultimate power goals will be, but I suspect they would be no greater than ~550HP ~600HP. Mainly to preserve the E4OD behind it. We're currently looking at staying stock stroke with .030" over-bore to clean up the cylinders, max revs will be about 4500-5000 RPM. The heads will be ported, larger valves will probably go in as well. It'll also be getting a mild cam as mentioned in the title.

I was wondering what your suggestions would be for a rod/piston combo that would be appropriate for what he's trying to do. He's necessarily looking for "budget" components, but we're not trying to obliterate the bank either.

Any suggestions for a cam as well? Idle quality and around-town drivability are important. The ultimate goal is here is tons of low end torque, so the cam would have to come in early, and have a max range of 4500-5000 RPM. From what I hear, just about anything is an improvement over stock?

Any other suggestions for what should be done to the engine while it's out of the truck? High volume oil pump? Main bearing girdle?

Thanks in advance.

If it were mine and all I wanted was 550 hp at less than5500 rpm, I would run as is, just don't detonate it, Stock cam will get you there and keep your bottom end torque.

JMHO

Well that's the thing, he want's a bullet proof engine. He wants it to be able to live in case he gets a batch of bad fuel or something and runs into a bit of detonation. I was just talking to him and he said he'd actually prefer closer to like 500 RWHP, which I'd think would be more like 600-650 at the crank.

Well with that being said, a good set of Probe flat top forged pistons and a set of 4340 H beam rods and the stock crank will do your goal and more.

Flat tops won't raise the compression too high for boost?

Probe makes dish tops too, just order them in the cc dish you need.

Yup, just found their 11cc dished pistons. Should make for around 8.9-9:1 compression which should be suitable for running boost on pump gas a non-issue.

Thanks a ton for your input!

And make sure and change the stock rods out as Blake mentioned. They are a the weakest link in the stock stuff.

Yup, we're eying the SCAT 66605 rods. I don't think we'll need the ones with the ARP fasteners for the low revs we'll be running.