PDA

View Full Version : Are SCAT or Eagle forged Connecting Rods good enough?



mx54life
09-28-2015, 05:46 PM
I am rebuilding my NA 1.8 and so I thought of upgrading my connecting rods and pistons to the forged ones. I was told that the weakest link in the NA bottom end are the rods. I don't intend to over build as this is not a race engine just going to be lightly boosted (200-230 HP goal). So I came across this forged SCAT H-beam rods with up to 600 HP rating at about $304 with APR bolts included. Are these good enough for what I am looking for? Other brands like Manley and K1 cost more but seems to have the same spec as the SCAT. Thanks.

RotorNutFD3S
09-28-2015, 05:53 PM
Yup, they're all the same and they will do just fine for you. I've used a couple sets of the SCAT/M-Tuned/etc. rods and all actually came pretty closely weighted out of the box. Of course a machine shop is going to dial that in perfectly during installation.

mx54life
09-28-2015, 06:59 PM
Yup, they're all the same and they will do just fine for you. I've used a couple sets of the SCAT/M-Tuned/etc. rods and all actually came pretty closely weighted out of the box. Of course a machine shop is going to dial that in perfectly during installation.

Thanks. Now would it be a logical savings if I'll just have the machine shop balance everything and I will put them together since they told me that they will not give any warranty as I will be bringing my own parts? Depending on the cylinder's condition I am hoping that all it needs is honing and so I can have the crank and the rods balanced and the pistons matched when they do the honing then I will put them all together at home? I am not sure if this will bring significant savings in my build. Any thoughts? thanks.

RotorNutFD3S
09-28-2015, 09:28 PM
When it comes to an engine build peace of mind is worth quite a bit in the long run IMO. Shop around, get references on different shops, etc. I find it odd that shop won't warranty their work as long as you're using "off the shelf" parts, that might steer me away. Most shops will review what you want to use and let you know their recommendations. But it is difficult to get a warranty on a build at most shops unless they build, install, and break in the whole engine.

Personally I'd at least let your machine shop balance and assemble the bottom end, from the oil pan to the mating surface. Then you can take over and put the head gasket/head on and all the rest of the parts and accessories. Unless you're able to tackle measuring and installing the proper sized bearings, rings and such. If that's the case, go for it! I have the knowledge to do that stuff but when I was working on different builds it was worth it to me to let a shop tackle all that so I can tackle other parts of the projects.

mx54life
09-28-2015, 10:33 PM
Make sense really what you are saying. The savings I would get is around $300 which you are right in the long haul will be worth spending for my peace of mind. Yes my worry is that they would not warranty the engine but they did say they will warranty their craftsmanship. So what am I really looking for here in terms of craftsmanship? As a lay man I am looking at this as engine warranty lol. Also my paranoia is playing my mind that what if they replace my forge parts into regular parts say ones that can be bought cheaply as a set from eBay and since I am mildly boosted for now JRSC M45 and I really just drive this car less than 5K a year so I would not even notice a thing for say a year or two then boom everything falls apart. These are just my stupid fear but can these things happen? I really have no connections with machine shops here in Sacramento. So maybe I should go to well establish shops only.

RotorNutFD3S
09-29-2015, 07:29 AM
Not sure what they're considering craftsmanship, you should definitely ask them to spell out their warranty for you if anything is in question. I'm sure something like that could happen, but that would have to be a really shady shop to do that. If you wanted to be sure, have them do them do the bottom end work minus installing the oil pan. That way you can see everything inside. Then it'll just be up to you to install the front/real oil pan seals, the sealant, and then the pan.

mx54life
09-29-2015, 09:09 AM
Perfect I will do just that. Thank you very much.