01 connecting rods

[Martin Benade]

I bought six 01 rods a couple of years ago but just discovered they must be made by two different suppliers. Before the part number they have a symbol or letter, not all the same. Two weigh about the same, a third one is fairly close, and the next closest one is about 16 grams heavier, which is about 2 cc of steel, too much to remove. And this is all just total weight, not even looking at the weights of each end. Is there any known amount of weight that can reasonably be removed from a rod? Is it that tricky to get a set that can be balanced? I may have to go with 00 rods, I have a couple of sets that I hope are matched. What’s the consensus on 00 rods in a 86mm SC that will be driven moderately hard but not raced and not usually at redline.

[Ron LaDow]

I bought six 01 rods a couple of years ago but just discovered they must be made by two different suppliers. Before the part number they have a symbol or letter, not all the same. Two weigh about the same, a third one is fairly close, and the next closest one is about 16 grams heavier, which is about 2 cc of steel, too much to remove. And this is all just total weight, not even looking at the weights of each end. Is there any known amount of weight that can reasonably be removed from a rod? Is it that tricky to get a set that can be balanced? I may have to go with 00 rods, I have a couple of sets that I hope are matched. What’s the consensus on 00 rods in a 86mm SC that will be driven moderately hard but not raced and not usually at redline.

Martin, you can get the 01 rod to balance, even at a 16G difference; it just takes a lot of time to take it off in areas where you can keep the end/end numbers good. Patience, my friend, like getting chamber volumes to match.

[Tim Berardelli]

Martin,

Porsche had at least 7 different vendors providing 01 rods. No two were exactly the same, some had minor cosmetic differences in the style and size of the P/N's other's were wildly different in the size, depth and shape of reinforcements primarily in the "big ends" in the area around the rod nuts. About half of the providers were proud enough of their product to put their logo on the rods-that's right you can win a bet in any Porsche Bar by telling folks you have Fuch's on your steel wheeled 356 when you show them a picture of the Fox head logo on your rods. Be prepared to run. These differences resulted, as you found, in extreme weight ranges in the big ends. Pin end oil holes are another example of the different styles. These odd ball rod sets , I believe, did not leave the factory together as the total weights did not agree to the Factory's final published weight group spec. of 15 grams. I have a shelf at the shop containing these "orphans" that could not be safely balanced.

[Don Gale]

Have you considered buying 1 more -01 rod close to the 3 matching ones? Aase Sales (no affiliation) has a few good used ones in stock at 488g and 516g.

[Martin Benade]

Thanks Don, that was what I was hoping to do, and you have pointed me in a good direction. Removing 2 CC s of steel doesn't sound that appealing.

[Don Gale]

I remember grinding 15 grams off of a VW rod per John Muir's "VW Repair for the Complete Idiot" recommended locations. It took quite a while to get it within 1 gram of the rest, keeping the big end/small end weights matched. I worried about taking off that much metal but it was a stock 1500cc single port and was never run hard.