98RedBird

iTrader: (77)

Alright well I just talked to Katech and it's going to be at least the end of February til they can get their rod bolts back in stock again and I'm in the process of doing my H/C install with my motor all torn apart at the moment. I'm not sure I want to wait until "at least the end of February" to do rod bolts.

What do you guys suggest? I could do ARP but then I worry about having bearing problems...

Or I could just swap them out with 01'-02' rod bolts.....

The car will probably not see more than 6600-6700 rpm in it's lifetime, what do you guys think I should do?

I just don't feel comfortable seeing as how it's a 98' with stock rod bolts and 60 miles on them.

Black02SLPSS

iTrader: (5)

What kind of bearing problems could arp bolts give you?

s346k

iTrader: (4)

rod resizing is required with arp bolts.

think about getting some 02 replacement bolts? they're definately stronger than the 98s you've got and surely they aren't too expensive from gmpartsdirect.

98RedBird

iTrader: (77)

Well I'm pretty sure you need to resize the rod end when you go with the arp bolts if not the bore could be out of round and cause a knock or cause you to spin a bearing. This is just what I've read but am starting to believe it's internet misinformation and it's being made into a problem much bigger than what it really is. I mean I see warnings all the time but see very few actually problems popping up....

Black_Bird

iTrader: (6)

Didn't change rod bolts on my '98, after talking with some friends, reading alot, and with the shop that tuned my car. Put down 420+rwhp through a 3800 stall auto with no problems. Not too worried about it, pretty high mileage car too.

98RedBird

iTrader: (77)

I'm actually maybe just leaning towards 01+ rod bolts

405HP_Z06

iTrader: (11)

If you can install a Katech bolt without resizing the rod than you should be able to do the same with the ARP. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if the Katech bolts we made by ARP.

That being said, the GENERAL recommendation when installing new rod bolts is to have the big ends resized. Does that mean that you have to....no. I would recommend measuring big end concentricity when installing any new rod bolt.

No. 1 rule of thumb when dealing with engines....measure, measure, measure, and measure.

98RedBird

iTrader: (77)

Well if I go with the ARP should I get the pros or the high performance?

bigchuck34

iTrader: (14)

i'm putting ARP's in mine when doing my h/c this winter and i'm not worried about it at all. ARP is very well know company and i think they make a great product i don't think they would put out a bad product. i have the "cracked rod" bolts. i think it's all hype like was said i've heard of people saying to go with the katech's instead but i've never acctually heard of any problems with the arp's.

quiet_storm98

iTrader: (48)

they definately aren't the same..the arp ones are larger then stock while the katechs are the same size. People who have installed both always say the the katechs are much easier to install as well since they bolt right in

405HP_Z06

iTrader: (11)

ARP's are 'da bomb', absolutely nothing bad about ARP bolts. If I were in there, I would go with the Pro series.

405HP_Z06

iTrader: (11)

Larger in what respect? Longer, wider, fatter, taller? I didn't say they were the same, just that they COULD be made by ARP. ARP makes many private labeled bolts and studs. If not ARP than probably SPS.

quiet_storm98

iTrader: (48)

they are wider..that is why you are supposed to resize the rod ends with them, with the katechs you bolt them right in. I have also heard that the arp are heavier as well, that doesn't really make much of a difference but i have been told by many people to just spend the extra money on katechs. Mind you these are people that have installed both brands in numerous cars

bigchuck34

iTrader: (14)

anybody have any experiance installing arp's on here that can comment?

405HP_Z06

iTrader: (11)

So, doing a little bit of research.....the Katech bolts are H11 tool steel which has a higher tensile strength than ARP 8740 but is about the same as ARP2000.

Comparing the Hi-Perf and Katech > advantage Katech
Comparing the Pro Series and Katech > toss up

I don't know about the weight of each, so I can't comment.

98RedBird

iTrader: (77)

So by being wider how do they still thread in the same? Am I missing something? Do they not both just screw in as a replacement?

405HP_Z06

iTrader: (11)

quiet_storm98

iTrader: (48)

interesting find..the guy doing my rod bolt install said he has had a few cases where the arp bolts stretched over a period of time but he has never had that problem with the katechs. As for the size and weight i will ask him exactly what the difference is but i have heard from many people that the arps aren't the same size as stock rod bolts..i believe they said they were a lil wider and thats why they are harder to install. However i think either one will work fine but he highly recommended that i just wait for the katechs and pay the extra money because that is what he said he would do if he were in my shoes

WS6NIGHTMARE

iTrader: (7)

Ive only heard of this being a problem on the 98 models. It didnt make a whole lot of sense to me. Mine is a 99 and I just had the ARP's installed about a month ago in preparation for the nitrous. No problems here. The work was done by Bryan Pavlock of Pavlock Performance, a sponsor thats has quite a reputation down in the Texas section.

patriotformula

iTrader: (28)

I didn't resize my rods when I did my ARP rodbolts... Works great, beaten the **** outta the motor ever since for like 3000 miles. The instructions didn't say anything about resizing the rods. In fact, I dont know why you would need to? The rods used in an LS1 are a cracked rod unlike SBC rods and so forth which need to be resized every time you take em apart and put new rodbolts in em.