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Should the height for each ARP stud be the same across all the main caps? When I was putting on my windage tray (l59 5.3 stroked to 4") I noticed that the top of some of the outer studs sat significantly higher than the other outer studs - looks like between 1/4 - 1/2 inch. I have everything torqued down already and each stud was installed just slightly tighter than hand tight before installing the crank and torquing each cap. Trying to figure out if I need to pull the caps and dig into this or if it'll be fine, I'd rather not go through all this and end up destroying it
Are you sure the studs are threaded in completely? Did you chase the threads and blow them out with compressed air before installation? Here's some pictures of my LSX block. They should be uniform and not differ in height by 1/4-1/2"
You also want to install them somewhat dry not coated in motor oil.
Should the height for each ARP stud be the same across all the main caps? When I was putting on my windage tray (l59 5.3 stroked to 4") I noticed that the top of some of the outer studs sat significantly higher than the other outer studs - looks like between 1/4 - 1/2 inch. I have everything torqued down already and each stud was installed just slightly tighter than hand tight before installing the crank and torquing each cap. Trying to figure out if I need to pull the caps and dig into this or if it'll be fine, I'd rather not go through all this and end up destroying it
The outer studs will sit higher than the inner studs. This is so you can mount a windage tray. There will be a set of nickel cad plated flanged nuts with serrations to fasten the windage tray to the outer studs.
Also there are 2 different sets of studs. The one set that has the longer threads go to the out side of the caps. ARP does not specify this in there instructions.
I'd posted this from memory while out on a trip, so after getting back home I realized I was wrong about which studs it was - it's the inner (shorter) studs that have a significant leftover height difference above their nuts after being torqued down. I had assumed that my machine shop had cleared the threads when I took the block to them to have it cleaned, bored, and balanced (cause they'd asked for all the main caps and the suds I was using, and there was what looked like the ARP torque lube on them when I get them back) so that's on me for not checking myself. Do I need to remove the entire rotating assembly to pull the bolts, chase the threads, retorque and reassemble, or can I get away with removing them one at a time to chase threads, retorquing to spec after reinstalling each stud/nut, and then doing a final pass all around after going over each one to double-check torque specs?
So I backed out the worst of the inner studs to see what the issue was. Ran a thread chaser through it and it’s sibling on that cap and didn’t really get much out. The bolt bottomed out on the cap, and all I got was a bit of rust colored brake clean coming out. The bolt I used as a thread chaser (factory crank bolt with some grooves cut down the threads) bottomed out, the windage tray clears with the height difference and the stud thread hits something very solidly, though the bottom of the stud doesn’t touch anything, and it will not budge any further down. I can clearly see the bottom of the hole, and while it doesn’t appear that something is stuck down there, there seems to be a portion of thread that’s smaller in diameter than the rest of it, which is what I assume I’m hitting on. It’s stroked, but I’m not doing any nitrous or winding it up past 6200-6500rpm, nothing crazy. With that being said, my question is this - do I need that stud to seat further in since the factory bolt head already bottoms out on the cap? That would seem to me like the amount of thread I’m grabbing should be about the same as what the factory bolts grab if not slightly more. The upper thread actually sinks below the top of the cap too, so I’m able to torque the nut down fully
In this last photo you can see the light reflecting off the top portion of what looks to be preventing the bolt from threading in further. To me it kind of looks like it wasn’t drilled out as deep as the others
Is this something I need to have drilled out and tapped, or am I fine since I’m bottoming out the stud and going further in than the stock bolts while still being able to torque the nut down fully?
Did you use kit number 234-5608
Those studs only go in hand tight. Inner studs length is 4.77 outer is 4.55.
The longer studs are shorter looking once placed in the block.
Have you pulled the studs to verify they are the proper length.
if everything is right I wouldn’t worry about it as long as the windage tray fits.
Did you use kit number 234-5608
Those studs only go in hand tight. Inner studs length is 4.77 outer is 4.55.
The longer studs are shorter looking once placed in the block.
Have you pulled the studs to verify they are the proper length.
if everything is right I wouldn’t worry about it as long as the windage tray fits.
Windage tray fits perfect. Both of these inner studs are the same length, and swapping them between the holes achieves the same result. I did use ARP kit 234-5608, I’ll double check that these come out to 4 3/4”
You can also use your caliper gauge to measure depth. It almost looks like a ball bearting is down in there. Have you tried putting a pen magnet in the hole to see if anything comes out?
You can also use your caliper gauge to measure depth. It almost looks like a ball bearting is down in there. Have you tried putting a pen magnet in the hole to see if anything comes out?
I don’t have a magnet so small, but I’ve had it upside down, and sprayed it out with brake cleaner and then compressed air after chasing it. I put a bit of anti seize on the bottom of the stud to see if the tip was bottoming out on anything and it didn’t come off on the bottom, the dollop looked untouched
To add to this, I double checked the length of the center studs and they all come out to about 4 3/4”. After chasing and blowing the threads I still get some slight variation in the stud height for the others, but none so bad as these ones up front
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uneven ARP main stud heights 
