Do I need rod bolts?
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Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Hurley, VA
Do I need rod bolts? Ok I've got 2 ls1s ( 2000, 2002) the 00 i'll be spinning to around 6300ish and the 02 to 6800. The 00 has 117,000 and the 02 has 75,000. Do you think that arp bolts would be necessary or a good investment in both of them. Thanks
No you'll be fine spinning both those to that rpm. I wouldn't rev the 01 any harder then that though just to be safe. A lot of people rev the 01 and newer bolts to 7k though without problems. I myself like to stay on the safe side so I set my rev limit on my 01 to 6800 also.
if your going to do ARP bolts, the rods need resized, this requires pulling the engine totally and disassembling it. to do it in the car, you should use Katech bolts, however, i wouldnt do any bolts personally without resizing the rods.
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GM set the rev limiter on 01+ Z06's to 6600 so you can be sure they can handle that all day everyday. Thats why I feel fine shifting at 6600 and setting my rev limiter at 6800.
This guy really doesn't need to bother with them for what he wants to do. My cousins weaker stock 98 ls1 rod bolts lived several years shifting at 7200 rpms before they stretched and spun a bearing there really not that weak im sure they will be fine shifting at 6300 on his 2000.
Last edited by mtuggle86; May 3, 2011 at 08:44 PM.
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TECH Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: osawatomie ks
Ive been tryn to figure out the whole rod bolt situation too. Resize, dont resize im not sure i checked on katech bolts today and they are on back order. And i was told that if I go with ARP i have to resize them
MPFD were in KS are you?
MPFD were in KS are you?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 392
Likes: 0
From: osawatomie ks
good to know ill have to get a set ordered, im gettn read to drop the motor out and thorw a LS6 intake torquer3 cam kooks headers and a 3600 stall on my TA. sense i have to send the heads in to get done for the cam ill put some arp bolts in the bottom end
The rod bolts are always blamed when somebody spins a rod bearing that doesn't mean they where the real cause. It could be as simple oil starvation or dirty oil.
GM set the rev limiter on 01+ Z06's to 6600 so you can be sure they can handle that all day everyday. Thats why I feel fine shifting at 6600 and setting my rev limiter at 6800.
This guy really doesn't need to bother with them for what he wants to do. My cousins weaker stock 98 ls1 rod bolts lived several years shifting at 7200 rpms before they stretched and spun a bearing there really not that weak im sure they will be fine shifting at 6300 on his 2000.
GM set the rev limiter on 01+ Z06's to 6600 so you can be sure they can handle that all day everyday. Thats why I feel fine shifting at 6600 and setting my rev limiter at 6800.
This guy really doesn't need to bother with them for what he wants to do. My cousins weaker stock 98 ls1 rod bolts lived several years shifting at 7200 rpms before they stretched and spun a bearing there really not that weak im sure they will be fine shifting at 6300 on his 2000.
GM sets the rev limiter at 6600 on LS6 engines, because they have different rod bolts than the 97-2000 LS1 engines. the 01+ got the LS6 rod bolts, and *should* be fine to 6500 RPM's.
but just because the rev limiter is set at 6600 doesnt mean it can be safely ran that high. thats why the factory redline on the vehicle is 6400 rpm. fuel shut off is at 6600 rpm to keep idiots who think bouncing it off the rev limiter is cool, from destroying the engine.
just like the factory redline on the LS1 vehicles is 6000 and the rev limiter is 6200.
Last edited by bww3588; May 4, 2011 at 04:18 PM.
same principles apply with the factory GM 10 bolt, some last years and years on slicks, some last only a few thousand miles on street tires. the only difference is, if the 10 bolt goes, big deal. replace it with another 10 bolt, 12 bolt or 9 inch...if your rod bolts go, you dont have another 300 dollar option to just replace it. its going to cost you thousands.
re read what I said I didn't say 01 rod bolts where good for 7200 rpm. I said there good to about 6500. I also said upgraded 01+ rod bolts handle 6800 without much trouble. Many people spin them to 7k all the time and never have trouble. OP does not need rod bolts in either car for what he wants.
My cousins car was just mentioned as an extreme example and yes of course 98 rod bolts will at some point stratch when being spun to 7200. But they did last for years which shows there stronger then you say. You act like there glass.
My cousins car was just mentioned as an extreme example and yes of course 98 rod bolts will at some point stratch when being spun to 7200. But they did last for years which shows there stronger then you say. You act like there glass.
Last edited by mtuggle86; May 4, 2011 at 05:48 PM.
Op just plans to spin the 00 to 6300rpm he will be fine at that rpm even with the weak bolts factory redline is 6200 and you can be sure gm tested those rod bolts at redline for hours. Same goes with ls6 rod bolts 6600rpm is its fuel cutoff so you can be sure gm has tested them to that rpm for hours.
Your a dumb *** re read what I said I didn't sayd oi rod bolts where good for 7200 rpm. I said there good to about 6500. I also said upgraded 01+ rod bolts handle 6800 without much trouble. Many people spin them to 7k all the time and never have trouble. OP does not need rod bolts in either car for what he wants.
My cousins car was just mentioned as an extreme example and yes of course 98 rod bolts will at some point stratch when being spun to 7200. But they did last for years which shows there stronger then you say. You act like there glass.
My cousins car was just mentioned as an extreme example and yes of course 98 rod bolts will at some point stratch when being spun to 7200. But they did last for years which shows there stronger then you say. You act like there glass.
anyone who raises the rev limiter much above stock on any LS engine with stock rod bolts is living on borrowed time. if your too stupid to realize that, then thats your own problem. dont be spreading it as gospel to everyone unless your going to fork over some cash when/if their engine lets go because they followed your bad advice.
no your right, you dont *need* rod bolts if your going to spin it higher, just like you dont *need* hardened pushrods when you do a cam. but if your going to push thoes pushrods much harder than what they were designed for in stock form, they WILL fail you at some point or another, just like the stock rod bolts. period, end of story.
Op just plans to spin the 00 to 6300rpm he will be fine at that rpm even with the weak bolts factory redline is 6200 and you can be sure gm tested those rod bolts at redline for hours. Same goes with ls6 rod bolts 6600rpm is its fuel cutoff so you can be sure gm has tested them to that rpm for hours.
A little side note, I built a LS/Vtec motor years ago in my turbo integra, the bottom end's redline was 6800 (all factory parts with over 140k miles), I spun that motor AT MINIMUM once a day to 8000, 2 years and a good 20k or so miles later it spun a rod bearing running 8000 RPM in 5th gear, that was a long long pull at that RPM, but I later found out there was only 2 quarts of oil in the motor, I still to this day put my money on the low oil being the cause of the spun bearing.
It seems that LS1 rod bolts are a bit less tolerant, but are in fact tolerant. I have spun mine to 6700-6800 on many many occasions and now have 187xxx miles on it and it is doing just fine.
