Do I balance?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City,Mo
Do I balance? Is it really important to balance a .030 over engine? I'm mean were talking barely anything added! on a street engine that"s built to be abused, to last long enough to get another one worth balancing built. that's a few hundred $ that can be used some other place. I was just planning to have the clean up the crank and press the new pistons, but my shop is dead set on the balance...
Don't forget it will cost around $150-200 to have the big ends of the rod honed .002" and you'll need special rod bearings (clevite makes them for a stock crank and a cut crank in .010" increments).
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City,Mo
I'm not under standing why they need to hone the big ends out on the rods. feel me in on this because it was never mentioned when the machine shop explained what they're going to do. the rods were never descussed except magging them for cracks and standard balancing of weighing each one and making them idenical in weight over all and to both ends. $200 is the top of all the machine work to balance this thing, and $7 a piston to press them, and the bearings are extra.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo If you are switching the rod bolts out for ARP bolts (which have a stronger clamping force and will distort the cap) you need to hone the rods. Anybody who says otherwise hasn't measured the big end for out of roundness.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City,Mo
Ok, yeah I've heard of this. Im not sure if it's something they do as procedure, or extra. I will be sure to bring it up. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City,Mo
If it was a worn out engine I could see. But since it will be fresh shouldn't be a issue. But I'd look into it more if concerned
Mine is a ls6 Block bored to 3.920. Arp rod bolts. All new bearings,factory crank,factory rods,Speed pro Pistons. Balanced.
Got around 3k miles on mine so far without any issues. Around 440 rwhp
Mine is a ls6 Block bored to 3.920. Arp rod bolts. All new bearings,factory crank,factory rods,Speed pro Pistons. Balanced.
Got around 3k miles on mine so far without any issues. Around 440 rwhp
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City,Mo
i can see them being over torqued and causing destortion, i'll be building my short block, you have any ideal what to run theses down to, or will i use the factory spec on torquing? I've heard 100ftlbs.
All the shop does is tighten them to spec and check for roundness. If they are out then they hone them. My shop knows about this issue and said that most of them he has seen are fine with no hone needed. But he does check all of them. All shops should at least check instead of assuming they are good.
The rod bolt argument again eh? This has almost reached the status of the oil and spark plug wire brand arguments. 
In all seriousness, if you read the dozens of threads on this, anecdotal evidence is provided by people who "got away with it" and people who spun rod bearings and try to warn others against it.
In reality, when you change fasteners, you WILL affect the rod bore concentricity and size. How much will vary. You may find that out of 8 rods, some may be within tolerances and some may not. You may find all 8 will be out of tolerance. Or, less likely, you might find that all 8 remain within recommended tolerance.
Whatever the case may be, it should be considered mandatory to at least have the rods properly measured by a machine shop for tolerance after the bolts are installed. Considering the cost of having them measured vs. the cost of trashing a new build, it is not a reasonable gamble in my opinion.
In all seriousness, if you read the dozens of threads on this, anecdotal evidence is provided by people who "got away with it" and people who spun rod bearings and try to warn others against it.
In reality, when you change fasteners, you WILL affect the rod bore concentricity and size. How much will vary. You may find that out of 8 rods, some may be within tolerances and some may not. You may find all 8 will be out of tolerance. Or, less likely, you might find that all 8 remain within recommended tolerance.
Whatever the case may be, it should be considered mandatory to at least have the rods properly measured by a machine shop for tolerance after the bolts are installed. Considering the cost of having them measured vs. the cost of trashing a new build, it is not a reasonable gamble in my opinion.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City,Mo
All the shop does is tighten them to spec and check for roundness. If they are out then they hone them. My shop knows about this issue and said that most of them he has seen are fine with no hone needed. But he does check all of them. All shops should at least check instead of assuming they are good.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City,Mo
yeah nothings a perfect world. I'll get done right if needed. ill have them check it if they don't already know, and if they're out then they will get whats needed to move forwards on this build.
Thanks everyone for the input.
Thanks everyone for the input.