So I'm going for an all motor ls vtec build and I'm starting to realize I don't have as much money as I originally thought.. bummer. My goal is 210 whp (eventually) and I want to know if the eagles are necessary. Definitely wouldn't be revved past 9k at the most.

original build thread in case more info about the setup is needed to determine. https://honda-tech.com/forums/all-motor-naturally-aspirated-44/ever-re-occuring-ls-vtec-build-thread-2741181/

 

eagle rods are def not worth the money

 

well 210whp is about 230-240hp at the crank. i understand money limits.......but i personally think anything worth doing is worth doing right. the fact that ur asking means ur unsure..........if ur unsure then you are probably best going with the stronger option.

ill put it like this, which would be worse?
A) saving up til you can get the eagle rods and have an engine that lasts you 5 years
B) using the stock rods and one of them breaks on you in 6 months

anything worth doing is also worth waiting for.

im not saying either will happen........you could break an eagle rod in 6 months and have the stock rods last 10 years..........because the most important part of engine building is proper precision assembly, after that quality parts are a big factor.

if it were me, id get the eagle rods.

 

are there any rods not as expensive as the eagles that anyone recommends?

 

Good quality, hold tons of power, aren't cheap chinese junk and are the cheapest of the "good" rods.

 

Eagle Rods expensive? Are you using the same dictionary as the rest of the English Speaking world?

 

I said as expensive, not expensive. As in I'm on a tight budget and was wondering if there was anything that costs less thats better than stock ones.

 

Eagle rods ARE definitely from China. They're the original Chinese rod, my last set needed some machine work before install but not much. Probably the same amount of work a cheaper Tuner Toy rod would need.

Eagle rods are also heavier than stock LS rods by about 40 grams per rod.

You won't break OEM rods w/ARP bolts even in a properly tuned and built 300whp turbo setup, let alone a 210whp all motor setup, so my vote definitely goes to OEM rods w/ARP bolts.

Plus the work involved to fit Eagle rods to a cast piston with no provisions for circlips, designed for a press fit rod is such a pain in the ***, it makes the OEM rods all too easy of a choice.

 

ARP rod bolts - $50-70
Have a machinist press them in + line hone - $40-60
Recondition all 4 rods - $60-80
shotpeening - $80-120

Brand new eagle rods cost you only $300 or may be cheaper buying off from sponsor promotion on here, instead of having old rods which have seen million of stress cycle (fatigue). When it comes to the bottom end, buy as much new parts as you can to save some headaches and hassle in the future.

 

OEM with Cast pistons
Eagle with Forged pistons

 

99% of the builds on here would benefit from a the cost conscience eagle rod - wiseco piston combination.

Also props to humble performance and Natural Aspirations for two of the most powerful all 1.8l builds ever witnessed on HT.

 

like i said...........weigh what would be worse.......saving so you can afford new rods..........or being impatient and putting it together with the stock rods and one breaking?

i completely understand the NOW factor with these things, but try and imagine how pissed off youll be if something goes wrong with the stock rods.

 

I paid $40 for my Arp Rod Bolts, and $40 to be installed on the rods. That's it.

 

i agree. that is my setup as of right now. nothing against ls rods with arp's but the heavier rod from eagle is much more stout.

 

I went with the stock rods for the simple fact is I'm using Rs Machines pistons, and I don't plan on revving higher than 8600 which I did on the old setup without ARP bolts.

 

Revving up to or past 9k revolutions puts a lot of strain on the rod base which creates Fatigue, I would recommend using the H Beams because the materials used are forged which can handle higher revs than the factory cast material. Just a Peace of Mind thing though because I have an LS Motor that runs up to 9200 daily no problems. But its your choice.

 

i'm sure stock rods and arp bolts will be fine, i've seen plenty of stock bottom ends hold atleast 300 whp for a long time, daily driven and beaten.

210 whp shouldn't be a problem. just make sure the motor is tuned well

 

new to honda-tech just tryin to get my posts to start a thread!

 

new to honda-tech just tryin to get my posts to start a thread!1

 

you're going about it the wrong way by doing it like this. if you plan on using this forum habitually you should only be posting things that are related to the topic at hand or relevant to the OP's thread

 

First off, it's called resizing. Line honing refers to honing the main caps in a block. Second, shot-peening the stock rods is totally unnecessary.

I don't know where you pulled those costs from, but I'm speaking from first hand experience as someone who had Eagle rods in a prior build and stock rods in a current build.

Here's the real costs (for me at least):

ARP rod bolts: $45 (just bought some the other day)
Resizing the BE will cost about $40 and in my experience with Eagle Rods and their quality control, this should be done to them as well!!!

So the stock rods w/ARP bolts will end up costing you $85, Where the Eagles are what? $300? Plus shipping and resizing/honing the BE and possibly the small end so they end up costing what? $380? And they're 40 grams heavier per pop, for a total of 160 grams more reciprocating mass.

You guys can believe whatever you want, but I've built motors with both and in my firm opinion, if you're running OEM style pistons like NPR/YCP/RS Machines it's a simple decision to stay with OEM rods.

Actually, OEM rods are forged. It's pretty obvious when you look at the parting lines on them.

 

ls rods suck due to the fact that they are narrower then other b series rods. they weren't meant for high reving. but eagle rods suck. they snap on all motor cars all the time. then i again my friend made 600hp with them. i wouldn't trust them. if your on a budget, oem with rs machine pistons

 

B18b and B18C are cast.

 

600 HP all-motor 4, Ahh yeah.

 

i dont believe eagle rods suck, not at all. for $300 you get what you pay for. not a bad deal. you could spend twice as much on some carillo, pauter, or crower maxi light rods but in my eyes its not necessary for an engine under 300hp. if your goal is 210whp, then yeah i would stick with a ls rod/arp bolt combo. you dont need the eagles. and you really cant get any cheaper than that for a h beam rod. between scat, eagle and k1 i think you get the same quality all around the same price depending on who you know. no reason though to go to the extreme if you are using cast pistons. and btw in my experience, the heavier rod is not really going to make a significant difference if this is a street car. a stronger rod is just more insurance. how long do you plan on using this engine?