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Old Nov 16, 2019 | 09:47 AM
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Default Rod bearings too tight

Hello guys, rebuilding a stock C5 LS1 (yes bone stock rebuild). Just a normal car... no racing. I id not have a meter angle gauge to torque the connecting rods... I used the sharpie method... but now that i recall i thinks i went 15ft-lb +100-120° instead of the 15ft-lb +75° it has to be.
My question is would this bring a problem because the oil clearance now is too tight?? Should I use a lower weight oil? Or is this okk? (The pic is what i got before install at 15 + 75ish°)
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Old Nov 16, 2019 | 10:30 AM
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Explain the 15 ft lbs + 100 - 120*
You’re saying that you went anywhere from 100 to 120 degrees?
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Old Nov 16, 2019 | 11:27 AM
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First, you should spend a few bucks and have that crank polished, it’s not that much to have it done and makes for a much nicer accurate surface.
Toss that plasti-gauge. Bolt and torque your rods up with the bearings you intend to use, have your local machinist measure them with a dial bore gauge, subtract the the crank journal measurement and KNOW exactly what have. This way you’ll know if you need to add/subtract clearance using different bearing shells and what oil pump you should use. Plasti-gauge is so high school auto shop.
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Old Nov 16, 2019 | 12:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Che70velle
Explain the 15 ft lbs + 100 - 120*
You’re saying that you went anywhere from 100 to 120 degrees?
yes i went around that much.
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Old Nov 16, 2019 | 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by 64post
First, you should spend a few bucks and have that crank polished, it’s not that much to have it done and makes for a much nicer accurate surface.
Toss that plasti-gauge. Bolt and torque your rods up with the bearings you intend to use, have your local machinist measure them with a dial bore gauge, subtract the the crank journal measurement and KNOW exactly what have. This way you’ll know if you need to add/subtract clearance using different bearing shells and what oil pump you should use. Plasti-gauge is so high school auto shop.
I dont have a micrometer thats why i used a plastigauge. ̀ did do it with the new bearings. We installed a new Melling 10265 pump (if i remember the part number correct
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Old Nov 17, 2019 | 08:21 AM
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Originally Posted by curacaoz28
yes i went around that much.
I’d go ahead and replace the rod bolts
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Old Nov 17, 2019 | 09:51 PM
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Originally Posted by KCS
I’d go ahead and replace the rod bolts
im more concerned about the oil clearance
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Old Nov 18, 2019 | 07:39 AM
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Originally Posted by curacaoz28
im more concerned about the oil clearance
LOL, clearance won't matter when the bolts break from being overtorqued. Get new bolts, torque to the CORRECT spec, then you can get an accurate measurement of the clearance.
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Old Nov 18, 2019 | 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by psicko
LOL, clearance won't matter when the bolts break from being overtorqued. Get new bolts, torque to the CORRECT spec, then you can get an accurate measurement of the clearance.
Exactly!
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Old Nov 18, 2019 | 08:36 PM
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just let him go....
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Old Nov 19, 2019 | 07:17 AM
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Understood.... thanx guys
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Old Nov 19, 2019 | 05:35 PM
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You over stretched the rod bolts. They are no good now. The engine will chunk a rod out the side of the block if the rod bolts fail.

It is possible over tightening them did that. Won't know until you tighten them correctly and check it.

The sharpie method is okay. The torque spec is 15 ft lbs plus 85 degrees and it's CRITICAL that it's right. A torque angle gauge is cheap and will ensure accuracy.



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