# VRT question: How much can stock internals handle?



## Autounion_77 (May 8, 2008)

A friend of mine is in the beginning stages of building a MkII VRT. He got ahold of an OBD-I VR engine and a full ARP fastener set and we brought the engine to my dads engine shop and took it all apart and have run into some questions. Now my father has built too many big power NA racing engines of all different sorts to count, but he has not built any turbo engines and only a handful of VW engines (none of which were VRs). Now in his land of short track racing and drag racing V8 engines (SBC, BBC, Ford and Chrysler Etc. engines) the stock internals cant handle doubling their power output so he has absolutely made up his mind that to have a VRT that puts out between 350 to 400 WHP it needs a new performance crank, new performance rods, and new performance pistons. Now I know that's simply not true their all forged internals right off the bat. A properly reconditioned OE crank, shot peened (stress relieved) rods, and new, quality forged OE replacement pistons (and balance the whole bottom end) should handle 350 to 400 right? I know of some cars in my area who make that power on stock internals, but I need some concrete evidence, not just what a couple of people say they cars do or are.. Help?


----------



## zwogti (Jan 11, 2004)

yes, you will be fine with 400hp on stock motor with a 9:1 lower compression head gasket and ARP studs/bolts with a good tune.


----------



## Bx V-dubber (Dec 17, 2010)

^x2:thumbup:

I've known 2.0 aba to handle 300 hp turbo'd (especially my old car).
I've also seen vr6's take up to 430-450 hp. All these were on stock internals:beer:


----------



## the mad conductor (Nov 12, 2009)

depends on the tune.


----------



## pubahs (Apr 2, 2002)

*FV-QR*

Stock rods can handle 7-800whp - ha


----------



## 98rzvr6 (Nov 12, 2005)

Its totally up to you of course but I run Lugtronic and E85 and Im over 500 to the wheels and its held up without a single problem. With a good tune and some ARP Head bolts and rod bolts, it can easily take 400 to 500 all day long


----------



## Nevaeh_Speed (Jul 9, 2004)

Had 350whp all day at 17psi. Drove fine for 2 years no issues. Beat on it like a stepchild, rings slowly went, but motor had 120k when i boosted it.


----------



## VWallin (May 17, 2010)

Running 30psi with a holset hx52, e85 and link g4 standalone. It has arp headstuds, 9:1 spacer with mls gasket. Holding up just fine so far!


----------



## Bx V-dubber (Dec 17, 2010)

> VWallin
> 
> Running 30psi with a holset hx52, e85 and link g4 standalone. It has arp headstuds, 9:1 spacer with mls gasket. Holding up just fine so far!


there's a lonely cummins diesel somewhere. I imagine when boost kicks in ...it really screams & pushes you back.


----------



## 24vGTiVR6 (Sep 14, 2010)

yeah I ran 500 to the wheels for 2-3 years without issue (mainly hard track driving).

My head cracked eventually, but the bottom end was flawless when I tore it apart. The bearings and everything were in such good shape that I kicked myself for taking it all apart. This motor had roughly 270,000 km's on it too, and I bought it from a salvage yard after the car had been written off.

we've got real tough bottom ends in these VR6's....


----------



## VWallin (May 17, 2010)

Bx V-dubber said:


> there's a lonely cummins diesel somewhere. I imagine when boost kicks in ...it really screams & pushes you back.


Haha no it's a lonely Volvo truck  Cummins diesels are hard to find here in Sweden! 
Gears 1-3rd are quite useless but it starts to hook in 4th and when you shift to 5th it'll
probably kill the transmission


----------

