Rods & Pistons install cost
 

Anyone had forged rods and Pistons installed? Boosting soon and am considering getting them at some point for more boost action. How much did it cost to get them installed?

@smudge

It depends, could range from $1500-2500 It will be cheaper if you have access to a engine hoist and can take out and install the motor yourself. But it varies from build to build, and whats needed/ what you want.

I know a guy who does them for 300 installed. He's the best bro, Street tuned my CX racing turbo kit and it rips.

If that were the case, and he did great work, it would be totally worth it to drive to Ohio just to build an engine. haha

If just have the shop pull and install the engine

In case OP isn't aware of your sarcasm, you are just confusing the op. And, my CX Racing oil cooler works well once you Teflon tape each and every threaded part.

From what I have read, once the engine is removed you are at least $1500 labor plus plus. Pistons and connecting rods apparently can be swapped from the bottomm after removing oil pan. Apparently the Subaru piston and crank can be pulled out with the head intact?? Parts probably $1500. thereabouts. Not sure but if this can be done without removing engine,but if nothing needs to be done with valves or valve springs, there could be a ton of savings on billable labor.
You need to replace rods if doing pistons. The rods incidentally appear to be the weak link under high torque.

For your own good remove the engine, it will look harder but it's not, having oil leaks or poor torque screws ain't nice...

470whp on the CX kit with a 5558. :burnrubber:

The fa20 engines need the heads removed because there is no wristpin access hole to swap rods. So of you want pistons and rods you're looking at pulling the motor.


I'd do valve springs at the same time. If low enough miles and you don't mix up the valves. Valve reseating is cake.

The heads must be removed... there's no way to remove the rods and pistons without removing the heads...

Every shop is different, but we generally do 3k flat rate for R&R of the motor and building the motor. If the car is not here, then it is 2k for long block assembly, 1500 for short block assembly. We're one of the very few shops that will do an actual FA20 long block and not just a short block.

Either way there's no "easy" or cheap way to do it. You have to pull the motor, tear everything apart, and then reassemble the right way. The best thing to do is to do all this before the motor blows. If it is low mileage, we usually do a quick hone for a new ring sealing surface, deck the heads and engine cases, and that is enough for 99% of people up to 600 whp or so. Probably more, but that's as far as we have gone without closing the deck. Given that the cylinder wall thickness is pretty robust for an open deck motor, you may be able to get away higher without closing it...but that's a whole other conversation.

Most builds we see range from 5k in and out with a simple rebuild of a non-damaged motor, up to 11k if the cases are shot and heads are damaged. The price difference is pretty staggering, so the earlier you build it the cheaper it is in the long run. The only caveat is that if you're running under 275 whp, you'd be very unlucky to have the motor go. Even at low to mid 300's it is pretty rare.

Well I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. :(

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Does that hold true for 91 octane?