Sure, they "egg" and I read this once and tried it myself -- often as not, you can press out the races, clock them 90 degrees and re-install the races - and they are round again!

Granted, it was just to prove a point to myself and I wouldn't do to someone else's engine....

 

Your pump is being turned by another source in essence. The reciprocating action of the rods and pistons are turning the engine. The more air that you get to go through at any give RPM will bring more fuel with it, resulting in more power. You can not get more power without burning efficently more fuel unless you had a significant restriction and were wasting fuel.
Twisted rods: as any competent engine builder power can be obtained by "blueprinting" an engine. The closer you get all dimensions, weights, capacities to being equal the better and longer an engine will perform. The experienced engine builder knows which dimensions, etc. should be at the minimums and which should be larger. Most parts come from the factory close but some are defenitely off. This helps explain why two bikes that are "the same" , one will out perform the other. The bike that runs better has all the parts from the factory that are closer to specs than the other.
Now with all that being said for the street you and your engine builder must determine what suits your needs and pocketbook. As we've always said" speed costs how fast do you want to go??"

 

And I totally agree with those facts as to why engines/bikes each have their own personalities.

I don't wanna go fast, so much as I want to go long. From the crankpin up, I AM my engine builder...

 

Quite often I have found bent rods, they are easy to check with the barrels off and bottom end together. Get yourself a checking pin from Jims, S&S and others. It's just a longer piston pin that extends over top of the cases when installed through the small end of the connecting rod, there are different sizes depending on your motor so make sure you get the right one. You then have 2 pieces of thin paper between the rod and the cases pull them at the same time to make sure the clearance is the same. Jims also has a straightening tool. You can also tell by the wear on the thrust side of the piston. If the rods are bent you will get extra noise and could hammer the wrist pin clip out of the piston.

 

Just wanted to clarify something. Balancing is a necessary part of the "process" when starting from scratch or with stroker flywheels, adding big bore stuff or changing to exotic rods etc. What I meant was that for the typical rebuild, it's probably not worth the time/expense in significantly reducing engine vibration unless you want to do it yourself for the piece of mind.

 

I recently rebuilt a 110 s&s motor and decided to have it ballanced as I have done with most motors I have built over the last 30 years the difference was like night and day especially at normal cruising speeds. I guess if your running a rubber mounted motor or a B motor with counter ballancers then it won't be as big of a deal but with a solid mounted engine and no counter ballancer being in ballance makes a huge difference.

 

I had my original 1990 motor stroked and tuned by a UK builder who did an excellent job balancing it. It really was remarkably smooth and sweet running. I just wish my S&S 107 was as good!