Up rating rods?

[Zman6000]

hey guys how we all doing?
Spent thousands on my tt now, (2001-2002 bam engine 225 roadster) and was wondering whether or not you can update the rods without removing the head? It’s been a while since I’ve stripped and engine last one was a rover 25 and I’m pretty sure I changed 1 piston from the sump with the head on but I can’t be sure? I bet compressing the rings and refitting them would be a pain? Any ideas or info would be great.
Cheers all

 

[Zman6000]

Anyone know anything at all? Or am I posting in the wrong section? Cheers

 

[desertstorm]

It's pretty quiet in the TT section. A3 8L is a lot busier and it's the same engine. AFAIK it's best to remove the head. If the car has some mileage on it there is usually wear in the exhaust valve guides and you may want to replace the exhaust valves them selves.
Running a glaze buster down the bores and some new rings will help to restore any lost compression.
I will move this thread to the A3 8L section.

 

[Stuart B]

Welcome to the forum dude - we all have TT's now anyway

all the videos I have watched of rod's being replaced are with no sump or head, if you are spending that much you may as well check the head over, this is what was on the inside of my S3 head when I replaced the head gasket.

 

[<tuffty/>]

You need to remove the head to do a rod swap..

<tuffty/>

 

[Zman6000]

Hey thanks for all the replies cars only done 76k but t I guess I’ll have to do the lot if I want some power?
I went to buy an s3 8p the other day meant to be 360bhp doubt it was even 265 and every panel had been changed :/ so I guess I’ll just stick with the tt for a while. How come your head was like that?

 

[Alex C]

previous owner ripped out the boost control solenoid and replaced it with a manual boost controller, wound the boost up to 30psi and ignored the fueling

 

[Zman6000]

previous owner ripped out the boost control solenoid and replaced it with a manual boost controller, wound the boost up to 30psi and ignored the fueling

30psi on a ko4? Jeez did it explode?

 

[Stuart B]

that's a good memory Alex - no didn't explode but when I bought the car, like a newbie I put normal unleaded fuel in the car and am blaming that for the broken ceramic as my avatar shows on the second day of ownership. or it happened before and they only put on a coil and it arc'd for one day of running.

to be fair it reminded me of driving my dads cavalier 2.0 when I was young and was able to wheel spin in gears other than 1st or reverse to first

I reckon the hotside's crack because people use the standard downpipe on a map so the exhaust cant expel the 940 degree C gases fast enough. it's a common thing

 

[Zman6000]

that's a good memory Alex - no didn't explode but when I bought the car, like a newbie I put normal unleaded fuel in the car and am blaming that for the broken ceramic as my avatar shows on the second day of ownership. or it happened before and they only put on a coil and it arc'd for one day of running.

to be fair it reminded me of driving my dads cavalier 2.0 when I was young and was able to wheel spin in gears other than 1st or reverse to first

I reckon the hotside's crack because people use the standard downpipe on a map so the exhaust cant expel the 940 degree C gases fast enough. it's a common thing

Any recommendations for a downpipe? Am still running the crappy stock one......

 

[Stuart B]

I only bought a cheap one from turbo2fast or whoever on ebay, they are much more expensive now they realised they created ones that actually fit. the keen hobbiest buys pipewerx ones.

 

[Zman6000]

I only bought a cheap one from turbo2fast or whoever on ebay, they are much more expensive now they realised they created ones that actually fit. the keen hobbiest buys pipewerx ones.

Thanks buddy, I’ve found one on eBay with decat pipe £125 should do the job!

 

[Alex C]

I reckon the hotside's crack because people use the standard downpipe on a map so the exhaust cant expel the 940 degree C gases fast enough. it's a common thing

that or running fooking hot due to 30psi boost with subpar fueling tables - mega lean -> mega hot

 

[Stuart B]

I couldn't imagine running 30psi on a stock 1.8, it feels like it will break at 20psi. But it feels pointless at 12psi.

 

[badger5]

that heads had det...

 

[JonnyDerv]

30 psi

 

[Stuart B]

The physical damage is from the half of ceramic missing from the spark plug in my avatar. The first thing I had to do on the 2nd day of ownership is change the plugs and coil pack. I took the head off the following year and noticed that, put the same head back on. Are the signs of detenation on the valves?