Make sure you take your time breaking it in!! Don't try to get too much power out of it for the first gallon of fuel. Also try to make sure you heat the engine up every time you start it for as long as possible. If you pre heat the engine to around 200 degrees all the time you shouldn't need to change the rod till 4-5 gallons. When you do change the rod get a new wrist pin and clips. As long as no dirt gets in the engine the bearings should be fine for just as long or longer. If you have any other questions just come post in here.