Rick,
28 grams per rod is nothing to sneeze at, as that is about one ounce.
Someone more familiar with the math can tell you how much force that is at
4500 RPM (force = mass x acceleration) but it can reduce internal engine
stresses considerably. While lightening the mass of the rotating assembly
in any manner is a good thing, especially in a racecar that lives constantly
at high RPMs, for a street motor the more important aspect is balancing.
Max'ing out any mod in a street engine as one would do in a race engine is
not the way to go. There is a sacrifice in reliability and longevity.
Remember, race motors get rebuilt regularly with extensive replacement of
expensive components. Not something I think you want to deal with, nor
anyone for that matter!
Have a competent machine shop/engine builder balance the crankshaft,
flywheel, damper, pistons and rods. Some may argue that the clutch and fan
extension must be included in this process. Each needs to be balanced
separate from the others so any change in the flywheel, clutch, etc. does
not throw the entire assembly out of balance. You will definitely want to
lighten your flywheel, (it cost me $60) or buy an aluminum flywheel for
$300-$400. That choice has its own set of pros and cons. Also avoid any
inclination or recommendation to lighten the crankshaft. That might work
for some motors but not TR six cylinders.
Both ends of the rods need to be balanced and is not something that one can
do with a single scale nor without the knowledge of how to go about doing
it. Because it is an inline six the use of bobweights in dynamic balancing
is not needed as is the case of 'V' configuration engines. Just make sure
the weight difference from the heaviest to the lightest piston/conrod is as
close to zero as possible. One half gram is the number I recall being the
ideal max difference although with some persistence and diligence it can be
brought down to a tenth of a gram.
No matter what you decide to do, THE most important decision is choosing a
competent shop. PERIOD!
Good luck!
Greg Dito
CD6250L
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