Skunk 2 Forged Rods?
 

Does anybody have any experience with the Skunk2 Alpha Series Rods for our cars? At $379.99 they are priced great but I would like to know whether or not I can trust them before putting them in my car. Planning to boost 18psi on pump

http://cms.skunk2.com/id/1095/BRZFRS-Alpha-Series-Rods/

I asked the same question here .... http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78643 ... and have decided to give them a go.

Great, please let me know how it goes! Power goals?

Capable of holding 900hp, just by changing the rods? what about cam, stroke and bore?

Reading comprehension not your strong point? :bonk:
Rods are capable of dealing, holding, supporting etc 900hp. they don't add power, they don't take into consideration anything else other than force placed on the rod, so cam, stroke, bore is n/a.

I'd be interested to hear how anyone gets on with them. I'm currently trying to find some decent forged con rods that I can buy in the UK, but struggling...

Silly french canadian.

Oops ;)


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What would it be the best benefit of the rods?

I'm going to assume that when you say "Engineering Student" that you are a freshman and don't know much about how the internals of an engine work. I won't blame you, but I will tell you to find your nearest formula student team and join them... NOW! :D

It's typical for the rod to break when you make a bigger boom in the combustion chamber. The rod is the narrowest/weakest part of the piston/rod/crank and will bend and break before the other parts. Upgrading them means you can make bigger boom and be "safer".

^ This.. Mike join a student auto team/club. Trust, they'll benefit from your growing perspective and you'll equally, if not more, benefit from their mechanical applications and insights

I'm in software =p, but thanks.


Usually it bends if the compression goes wrong? Like water getting in..?

I will on my 3rd year :D, thanks

Wouldn't you technically be in CS, then?

And are you trolling us with these questions?

Off-topic: I will create a introduction thread very soon about me and my car =p..


No, Software Engineering and Computer Science have the same classes, but SE are thought by a certified engineer =p and we have few extra classes. However, I am in the faculty of Engineering and Computer Science :)




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I am not trolling, I am just curious.. I ask a question and search it that way I get people's perspective and articles on the web!

Sorry I assumed since you are on a car forum and you put Engineer that you are either Mechanical or Automotive.. Are you going to school at ETS? I've been to Montreal once and we were there visiting ETS and their formula student team and facilities (which was amazing!). They definitely had a great robotics/computer science/engineering setup!

Horsepower is created by an explosion that takes place in the combustion chamber, watch this and you will understand the explosion I'm talking about. When you up horsepower you make this explosion stronger. Visually seeing this you will understand why you want the connecting rod stronger too..

Short answer: No


Long Answer: We recently had a car show in Montreal, the ETS student had their work there haha. I wish I could join their group to learn more about cars.. it is why I have so many question that may sound like I am trolling, however I am not. I am still learning about cars, taking few classes on the sides =p. The only reason I am on this forum, is because I have an FRS =p. I will send you witch University I'm in by PM.


Thank you so much for the input :), I will check the link. Sorry for the whole confusion.

The stuff I have from Group A is top quality stuff. I'd buy them if I were building an engine.

Anyone else decide to give these a shot? Feedback? HP Levels?

Not worth testing and finding out the hard way. Although anything seems better than factory toilet paper rods. Im going Pauter personally.

Carrillo or bust.

No pun intended.

we have a supercharged car on a set. no installation issues and zero problems so far. the car is not making a ton of power though

Roughly what kind of power are we talking?
Saving 1k just on the rods could be the difference between an engine build being good value for money or not.

I want to say around 350whp. I don't remember exactly we have done a bunch of cars since then. Stock motor randomly let go so he decided to build the next with Pistons/Rods/kings bearings/valve springs/head studs

Thanks for your feedback. They looked to be the same alloy as all the other rods on the market, and h-beams will be more than suitable for my horsepower levels. So actual installation feedback is what I was looking for, thank you.

I would have used them about a year ago but coulnt get my hands on them and went with BC I beam extremes. i dont see an issue with them at all...

Isnt safe to say that *any* forged rod will be better than oem by far? Why all the worry?

Sorry I know this thread is old but if you did go with them how did they turn out? Would they be worth buying for someone looking at the 350- 400 whp range? Thanks.

Yep built the motor with them but unfortunately it's still not running :sigh:

The wifey reckons after 3 years I need to get it happening but seems I'm building a custom laminova core for the Sprintex charger I only work on it when I get time or the inclination :lol:

Worth noting that up to some level of boost, the greatest stresses on the rods are due to snap-through acceleration at top dead center between exhaust and intake strokes, not from power stroke. Increasing revs is way harder on rods than adding FI up to maybe 10 psi or so.

Water is not compressible, so if water gets in the chamber then you are screwed. Hydrolock is a catastrophic event. A small amount of water vapor isn't an issue, as it is used in a water injection system to cool and avoid knock.


The stronger rods can support more horsepower/torque, and sometimes if they aren't heavier, they can support higher reciprocating forces from higher revving. They will also be stronger to survive against knock or detonation, and perhaps even against pre-ignition, but that would depend on the event. With pre-ignition, perhaps a rod doesn't go through the cylinder wall, and there is just ring failure or something. I don't know.


The FA20 has been shown to support over 450whp (associated torque) with stock internals, but it is generally agreed that about 350whp, and more importantly, around 300wtq is about max for reliability. Anything higher and the car is a ticking time bomb if you plan to actually use that power.


A built engine can exceed 700whp, but there aren't too many examples out there to really understand how reliable these engines are. Piston and rods would get someone into the 450whp range with optional/suggested supporting mods of ARP head bolts and King bearings. Higher than that, and a closed deck, sleeves, engine girdle, etc become more of a requirement.

I'll be way more than 10 psi more like 20+ so will be interesting to see how it goes but from all the research I did it should be fine :popcorn:

anyone who is replacing just the rods..
 

You should be fine, but make damn sure that you gap your rings according to the expected power level. That's the main reason that rods fail is probably the reason that some cars rods' fail stock and others handle 475+whp without issue.

Ring gap can vary from engine to engine and when they get hot and touch, the weakest thing is going to give and that in the fa20 is the rod. So, if you're going for high power and don't wanna blow a ringland, GAP YOUR RINGS....

Jaden