when swapping out rod bolts from stock to ARP

Michigan Skip · 09-27-2009, 08:44 AM

do you guys do anything to the big end afterwards or just swap them and check with stretch gage?

Chad Rhodes · 09-27-2009, 09:42 AM

they need to be checked for roundness.

alot of the LS1 street car guys swap them in the car, it sometimes leads to failures. Most likely from pulling the cap out of round

Adger Smith · 09-27-2009, 10:38 AM

Swapping rod bolts with out resizing the rods is a sure way to end up with spun bearings.
You can check them for roundness after you put them in, but what you will find is the caps don't align with the rod. It usually moves the caps around a few .0001's (Thats tenths of a thousand or more) because the new bolts don't hold the same center as the old bolts. In the 40 years I've done engines I've seen spun bearings many times when someone does a freshen up themselves and doesn't size the rods after changing the bolts. In some of their instructions ARP does suggest the rods be sized when changing bolts . Have your machinest cut the cap and rod side about 1 1/2 to 2 thousandths each and then put the bolts in and resize. That will give enough to work with and it will only shorten the rod 1 to 2 thousandths. It is my opinion that you might roll the dice and get by without resizing, but that is one of those pay now or pay later things.....

http://www.arp-bolts.com/catalog/Catalog.html
Look at step 4 of the ARP instructions from page 33 of their web site about How To Install OEM-Style Bolts.

kansas stocker · 09-27-2009, 06:40 PM

Adger is 100% correct. We did a little experiment with rod bolts and I think it worked on 1 out of 10 rods. Not the kind of odds I would want to bet against..

Ed Wright · 09-28-2009, 03:41 PM

I can't believe how many LS1 internet kids tell me they swap them out in the car. They tell me "Everybody on (fill-in-the-blank).com does it." Friggin insane.

art leong · 09-28-2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

I can't believe how many LS1 internet kids tell me they swap them out in the car. They tell me "Everybody on (fill-in-the-blank).com does it." Friggin insane.

Do they have a "cracked cap rod" the stock rod neon guys do it to. I'm told you can't resize "cracked cap rods"
One reason I used aluminum rods.

Alan Roehrich · 09-28-2009, 06:59 PM

Clevite makes a special bearing for the "cracked rod" in the LS-1, and the regular small block. It is 0.001" bigger on the OD. Made especially for rods that cannot be cut on the cap or the rod.

09-27-2009, 08:44 AM	#1
Michigan Skip Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Three Oaks MI Posts: 58 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	when swapping out rod bolts from stock to ARP do you guys do anything to the big end afterwards or just swap them and check with stretch gage? __________________ Skip Willis 95 Z28 IHRA ST/666

09-27-2009, 09:42 AM	#2
Chad Rhodes VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Where the Green Grass Grows, AL Posts: 2,375 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: when swapping out rod bolts from stock to ARP they need to be checked for roundness. alot of the LS1 street car guys swap them in the car, it sometimes leads to failures. Most likely from pulling the cap out of round __________________ Chad Rhodes 2113 I/SA

09-27-2009, 10:38 AM	#3
Adger Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Texarkana Ark/TX Posts: 2,349 Likes: 435 Liked 677 Times in 261 Posts	Re: when swapping out rod bolts from stock to ARP Swapping rod bolts with out resizing the rods is a sure way to end up with spun bearings. You can check them for roundness after you put them in, but what you will find is the caps don't align with the rod. It usually moves the caps around a few .0001's (Thats tenths of a thousand or more) because the new bolts don't hold the same center as the old bolts. In the 40 years I've done engines I've seen spun bearings many times when someone does a freshen up themselves and doesn't size the rods after changing the bolts. In some of their instructions ARP does suggest the rods be sized when changing bolts . Have your machinest cut the cap and rod side about 1 1/2 to 2 thousandths each and then put the bolts in and resize. That will give enough to work with and it will only shorten the rod 1 to 2 thousandths. It is my opinion that you might roll the dice and get by without resizing, but that is one of those pay now or pay later things..... http://www.arp-bolts.com/catalog/Catalog.html Look at step 4 of the ARP instructions from page 33 of their web site about How To Install OEM-Style Bolts. __________________ Adger Smith (Former SS) Last edited by Adger Smith; 09-27-2009 at 10:48 AM. Reason: SP and add ARP link

09-27-2009, 06:40 PM	#4
kansas stocker Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: kansas Posts: 230 Likes: 419 Liked 234 Times in 44 Posts	Re: when swapping out rod bolts from stock to ARP Adger is 100% correct. We did a little experiment with rod bolts and I think it worked on 1 out of 10 rods. Not the kind of odds I would want to bet against..

09-28-2009, 03:41 PM	#5
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 389 Times in 168 Posts	Re: when swapping out rod bolts from stock to ARP I can't believe how many LS1 internet kids tell me they swap them out in the car. They tell me "Everybody on (fill-in-the-blank).com does it." Friggin insane. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

09-28-2009, 06:59 PM	#7
Alan Roehrich VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 4,915 Likes: 996 Liked 1,044 Times in 274 Posts	Re: when swapping out rod bolts from stock to ARP Clevite makes a special bearing for the "cracked rod" in the LS-1, and the regular small block. It is 0.001" bigger on the OD. Made especially for rods that cannot be cut on the cap or the rod. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S