My new question is where exactly do you find the factory specs and/or the club established acceptable dimensions for rods?
Factory Service Manual. That's what Tech will use to verify compliance. If it's not specified in the FSM, then the Club may choose to accept a known factory part for direct comparison.
I would think the following excerpts would be applicable to rods since I find no specific mention of them elsewhere:
Within Improved Touring, this is your overall guiding principle:
GCR 9.1.3.D: "Modifications shall not be made unless authorized herein."
You'll read folks on this board abbreviating it as IIDSYCTYC: "If It Doesn't Say You Can, Then You Can't". That means all parts must be completely stock, as delivered from the manufacturer, unless subsequent regs allow you to change it.
Said differently, the regs do not have to detail what you cannot do; IIDSYCTYC does that, IIDSYCTYC says you can't do it. From there you can read the regs to see what you CAN do.
So, bottom line, all parts must be stock parts unless otherwise allowed. It is your responsibility as the competitor to prove your parts comply with factory specs if challenged.
If there are no specs for rods, then I would think you could use aftermarket rods...
The factory provides specs for rods; it's your responsibility to discover and comply with them. And, given the over-arching IIDSYCTYC, you cannot change rods from factory specs, given there's nothing in the ITCS that allows it.
And many a person has tried the "but it's only for reliability/safety/the children" defense, and have been bounced from competition.
Remember: IIDSYCTYC.
- GA