Good exercise Ed...that explains why the budget 1800's don't have rod issues...i may start turning even more revs with them now! lol Tris. .is the late rod 144?...I was led to believe they were something odd like 141. Either why they're made to do a job...lug around low reving road cars...I'd go with the early rod every time...and I do...I've got a couple of budget 8v's running 170hp and turning 8k with no issues. .must change the rod bolts tho. As Hugo mentioned. .I've heard of std (159mm) rods being "buzzed" to 10k+ as later found in the ecu tell tale. .big ends stretched and spun the bearings but rods didn't break. Tony b has used std 159 rods to 8k with 200hp + for a few years now with no issues.
aye , which is the main reason I wouldn't use it. anyway , pics... comparisons. ALT rod , cap and ARP bolts. KR/9a rod cap and bolts and........... for a comparison , a proper all singing and dancing Pankl rod from an out and out factory race car . Very similar dimensions to the VW rod. ALT makes the KR one look heavy!
Any of you good folk used Scat rods? http://scatvw.com/master/connecting_rods/ http://www.bahnbrenner.com/vw_audi/...onnecting_Rods_Billet_4340_1_8L_2_0L_16V_1_8T
Doesn't say the weight Tris does it? Cheap at roughly 250...std o.e rod bolts are around 100...ARP a little more...so only 150 more and no hassle fitting them...ARP's...o.e will be easy. Scat stuff is decent...been around for years...however you really don't need steel rods unless you fancy them...depends on the import tax to you.
I already have a set of ARP bolts , to fit into stock rods.... but just thinking of the weight issue .
In post 1 there is a 180 -190 hp target, there is no need to spin towards 8000 rpm... as 7000 rpm should do the job with ease That said a std rod can cope with these conditions.... 9A or AEB rods ( amongst others ) are strong, even with OEM bolts.... 30 40 years ago everyone raced with oem rods and pistons were quite heavy now pistons weight less and steel spec is better.... but bolt diameter has come down too.... There is One thing i dont understand about ARP rod bolts.. as STD spec for steel aftermarket rods ARP2000 / 3/8`` bolts are used while for OEM rods with smaller diameter bolts they use only ``8740 `` material ? I havent seen UTS figures of OEM and ARP 8740 bolts, BUT i know the OEM bolt is more than decent quality that survives 300,000 km or more, often with all sorts abuse. Dont worry to much about rod weight .unless for a screamer engine
