so I purchased a set of arp rod bolts to put in my stock block so I can rev the engine out a little higher on my FP3065 kit. I planned on installing them tonight or tomorrow.... and now I have a dilema.
I was told by a well known shop here on EvoM that I should not upgrade the rod bolts unless the rod caps are honed or something along those lines. Is this true that I shouldn't upgrade my rod bolts unless this is done? I was told this was a fairly simple procedure and I would be a good safty precaution for my motor.
I do plan on upgrading the piston/rod combo soon, but I wanted to do that on a seperate block so I can have everything completed at once.
if anyone has any info or advise I would greatly appreciate it.

ps. I have the valve train already upgraded to handle the higher rpms.

 

+1 for the answer.

 

I think you maybe should have them line honed ect... cause it is a stud and not a bolt. However this has been done many times on our cars, and if the bolt is stretched properly (with a stretch gauge) you should be OK . Those are my thoughts, and if I were to do bolts, I would just stretch them with a gauge and rock out.

Here is what they look like......... http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...62354_-1_10783

 

I replaced my stock rod bolts with ARP. I don't see any reason to need a hone job. I can tell you that they are a PITA to torque, even with a nice stretch gauge. Also, I wouldn't recommend replacing them without taking the piston and rods out. Both the stock bolts and ARP are press fit in, and first, it is difficult to tap them out, then near impossible to press the new ARPs in with the rods in the car. You may think you've got them all the way down, but you can never be too sure. And it would suck to not have the proper flange compression and then throw a rod. On my stock rods/ARP bolts, I had to put the rod/stud in a press to get them all the way down.

The ones that come with aftermarket rods may not be studs, but bolts. I know my Eagle ESP rods are ARP2000 bolts which make installation easier.

The problem in doing the stretch gauge, is it is hard to get an accurate reading. I would spend the $ and get a good one, like the one from ARP. With my stretch gauge, you have to physically compress the gauge, move it around to find the sweet spot, zero it out, then remove it - start torquing the nut or bolt, then put it back in and do the whole compress, find the sweet spot, take a reading thing. I know on each bolt/stud, I went back and forth taking readings, turning a bit maybe 8 times on each bolt till I was comfortable that I had a good reading on the proper stretch.

The topic on honing is misleading I think - because what matters, is that the head of the bolt/stud is flat with the rod. Honing may make it easier to get this set, but I don't think it is necessary in my opinion. Plus, I don't see any reason this should be done on the cap. That caps don't have a tight clearance with the studs, but the rod side itself does.

 

some good info. thanks alot, I think I might hold off and just get the rods and pistons then do the whole block at once. hope for the next month I dont throw a rod/bearing or something....

 

Just do them now, you will regret it if you dont and are running higher boost. Its just a fail safe and I am going to do them, and I am running a smaller turbo w/ about 24psi. Anything over 20 psi you should do these as a fail safe IMHO...!

 

I wouldnt say the power is the limiting factor since I have been making 400 plus for years, the problem I see is the rpm's going over 7800-8k +

 

what i tell ya, just build the bottom end cheap ***!

 

Some eagle rods and pistons

 

I will be going with either manley,scat, or crower rods, with most likely wiseco pistons

 

the reason to change rod bolts with the rod out of the engine is so you can get the rod's "big end" checked for roundness after changing bolts. This is because the shank of the bolt locates the cap and if the new bolts shift the cap even .001" you can decrease your bearing clearance. I don't know what stock brg clearance is offhand, but probably about .002", so there is not a lot of room for error- which is why rods are machined assembled. So, if the cap gets shifted with the new bolts, you can then resize the big end by honing it.