Name these Con-rods please

speed185187

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Location
Hartland, MI
TDI
Case 580 Super M,
Hello everyone,
I picked up these new in the box connecting rods from another member on here almost a year ago however they couldn't remember where they came from. I've tried searching and have come up empty handed.
They are an H-beam design with a set of matching numbers on the rod and cap.
PL280
PL201
PL238
PL318


No idea what these mean? If anyone can find info on them, would they work in a 2.0L ALH with BHW pistons?
Any ideas of where they came from and how durable would be appreciated.
Thanks




 
Last edited:

jptbay

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2007
Location
Thunder Bay
TDI
2003 Beetle, 2006 Jetta Wagon
Maxspeeding, or other eBay rods that are a Rosten rip off.

Many have had good luck with them but it is recommended to have them checked at a reputable machine shop as they have been found to be out of spec for roundness and pin distance, and need work.
 

Macradiators.com

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2015
Location
Romania
TDI
2.0 CR 360hp
I personally know the owner of a 425hp PD engine using maxspeeding rods on his 2.0 engine and lots of people here in romania using them on turbo petrol 4-500hp , no issues.
They are not bad. That said, i went Rostens way
 

mk1-83

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2010
Location
Holland
TDI
LUPO 1.9 tdi 300+ hp
These rods are not taperd small end so only good for the old ve pistons pd rods and piston have taperd small ends
 

speed185187

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Location
Hartland, MI
TDI
Case 580 Super M,
Thank you. Never dealt with a machine shop before. Do they already know the correct specs or should I draw something out? What should they be?

Thanks again.
 

mk1-83

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2010
Location
Holland
TDI
LUPO 1.9 tdi 300+ hp
Small end worn out Yucca ?
Mine ebay rods drove 50.000km till a valve broke they all fine
 

Yucca

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Location
Finland
TDI
ALH 388bhp, Polo 6R 2.0TDI CR GTC1752VZ
Spinned, not worn out. Now oil holes does not match.
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
The problem with the Maxspeeding rods (why don't we just call them Chinese...)and the other similar companies, is quality control. We have seen several sets of those Chinese rods over years since the fiasco with Rosten. Just like Yucca's rods prove, they aren't all good. Usually, the big end is a bit loose. Balance is the other issue. Holding less than +/- 1 gram does not always happen.

A shop with a Sunnen rod hone and cap dressing machine and the tooling to measure centers is a good thing to figure for. Better to spend the money to make sure they are right.

As for the bushings, the Fleabay Chinese rods are usually thicker than they need to be. They will pound out under severe loading.

The square wrist pin end does limit the piston selection. However, we have modded the square wrist pin ends to accept a beveled piston. The problem is balancing and peening after machining. We have done mods to stock rods, but will not take the risk with the 4140 rods.

In my opinion, the business with these rods is they raise too many questions for something that should be made with hair-splitting accuracy. For example, the big end of the rods we have manufactured maintain less than .0002" tolerance, no taper. The closer to the minimum spec, the better we like it. The worst rod big end we have seen on Chinese rods, the tolerance was -.001 - +.002, one was .009" taper. If you don't check, you can't know.

I would never just install them without careful inspection and fixing any inaccuracy. Any shop capable of repairing the rods should have the specs.



Good luck.
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
Yucca,

The rod is repairable, but the new bushing cannot be honed. It must be bored. The taper would make the bore egg-shaped if honed.
 
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