- Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:18 am
#204235
To everyone telling him to just swap GTFO ... that wasn't the question.
To the OP kudos for doing something unorthodox. My suggestion ... get some new stock rods and have them shot peened and cryo treated. This will boost their strength quite a bit. Find some ARP rod bolts for extra insurance (if they even make them for those rods). Also consider investing in a spare 1.3 bottom end for mocking things up and seeing what fits, and that way you have a spare in case the current one explodes.
Another option which is way more expensive (and it looks like you are already exploring) is to get a stock rod (or at least all the pertinent dimensions) and contact crower, or eagle, or some other company that builds rods and have them make you a custom set (I would get more than one, just in case).
Still another option is to look and see if there are any rods made by another manufacturer that happen to match the specs of the D13 rods (then maybe see if there is a forged version). Look into using motorcycle rods for example.
You are breaking new ground and the sky is the limit. Vitara pistons are still a fairly new thing, and I guess some Supra pistons work in a few honda engines as well. It wasn't all that long ago that an ls/vtec build was really uncommon and people had to get creative to make it work, there weren't kits to make everything easy. You have chosen a new path, and I wish you the best of luck. Remember research is your best friend. Go forth and show these haters that it can be done.
Straight lines are for sissies.