86 g-body

iTrader: (3)

im rebuilding a 5.3 and doing a few boltons (243s ,cam, intake) is it worth my time and $ to use ARP bolts on my mild build?? was thinking of doing rods,mains, head bolts and a crank pully bolt in ARP...is it worth doing or would it be a waste of $ and overkill???

garygnu

ARP bolts are good insurance.I believe you can use a regular toque wrench with ARP bolts,stock GM bolts are toque to yield.ls motors have crack rods ,you have to resize the rods if you remove them or use most non-stock rod bolts.I believe there is a mild set of ARP rod bolts that dose not require rod resizing.Kaltech makes a rod bolt that bolts in if you do one rod bolt at a time.

3rdCoastPowerSports

iTrader: (5)

i would defiantly use the ARP crank pulley bolt. ARP head bolts would be really nice (they are reusable as well) they torque up "normally" and don't require the TTY process that the stock bolts require. are they necessary, nope stock head bolts will do just fine but are they worth the money, YES. if you got the cash i say buy the ARP head bolts if not just buy the stock head bolts.

99 PROBLEMS

iTrader: (47)

ARP all the way! not cheap, but who wants to build their motor twice?

WS6SP33D

iTrader: (2)

As said above. If your gonna do it, do it right ARP ftw

86 g-body

iTrader: (3)

ya i think i seen these on e bay or sdpc.com there called cracked rod bolts...i think im gona do the crank pully bolt,rod bolts and the head bolts.. i seen they make a set of header,cam and cam retainer bolts..i want to use the header bolts because i have broken a few ls header bolts trying to get them out..and the ARPs are pretty cheep.....anyone on cam and cam retainer???

BlackScreaminMachine

iTrader: (17)

ARP is CHEAP insurance against ANY motor build. Period.

3rdCoastPowerSports

iTrader: (5)

the cam bolts and cam retainer bolts are not torque to yeild bolts and there should be no reason to purchase these as ARP bolts... there is how ever a new cam retainer and retainer bolts, it has counter sunk bolts. let me know if you need the part number cant remember it off the top of my head but i think i still have the packaging in the garage (so if you buy a new cam retainer you will need the new countersunk cam retainer bolts).

chrisfrost

iTrader: (8)

ARP head bolts and crank pulley bolt for sure . All the ARP rod bolts require that the rods with the bolts torqued be honed out .002" over stock new size and then You buy Clevite rod bearings that are standard inner diameter and .002" over size outer-diameter . The honing process is for the purpose of insuring that the rod big ends are round as the extra clamping force of the ARP rod bolts changes the shape of the rods big end .
Whether or not You really need aftermarket rod bolts depends mostly on what RPM's You plan on revving the engine to . Are the stock bolts strong enough to handle 6200 r's consistantly ,,,,I would say yes , but no more than that .

ausls1

I have arp 2000 rod bolts that came standard with my 6.125" rods, is it worth putting ARP main rod boltsstud kit in or factory main bolts/studs should be ok?

will be spun past 6200 to maybe 7000rpmish, not constantly but will be spun when racing it every now and then. A new main bolts/stud kit is being put in.

chrisfrost

iTrader: (8)

I would say new factory main bolts/studs would be good . Really with the aluminum LS gen 3 blocks stripping the bolt holes is more of a possibility . Oh ya , You're building a 5.3L ,,,,an iron 1 I assume . You'll be fine with GM main bolts/studs .

ausls1

Mines an alloy 5.7, so factory main studs will be fine, that's Ol then.