Any write ups on Rod Bolt swap?
Originally Posted by mr2guru
Are the arp "cracked rod" rod bolts a direct swap or is resizing needed?
I just swapped in Katechs yesterday. I have the engine on a stand so its easy but i didnt see any ferulles at all. The engines a 99 so I dont know if that has anything to do with it but i measured the stock bolt length vs the Katechs and they are identical overall and from the shoulder to the bottom of thread. I pulled out the stockers one at a time and lubed up the bolts with supplied lube then did the 30 lb' torque down and loosen process twice then torqued them to 50 lb' and that was that. Then I read this post about ferrules and got me wonderin?
Tasty lookin bolts I must say.
Tasty lookin bolts I must say.
Your motor might not have the ferulles in it eithor. They stopped doing it on the 98 motors but if you have a left over 98 bottom end (happens all the time) then it's possible you didn't have the ferulles. If none of the old rod bolts had em I'd pull one of the new bolts out and take a look and see.
After reading this thread today i did some more searching and my stock rod bolts had grooves/waves all the way to the shoulder which are apparently the same as 98 bolts which had no ferule so I feel safe. I checked for sure there was no ferules in there musta been an early run 99. All good 
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Verdad Gallardo BLARG! After speaking with Jason at katech I popped one of my rod bolts back out to have a peak and dang it all there is ferulles in there. Now I cant seem to get the sucker outta there. Figure I should yank em out while I'm at it.
I'm all ears to anyones ideas on how to remove them? They're stuck in there tighter than a @#$%&*
I'm all ears to anyones ideas on how to remove them? They're stuck in there tighter than a @#$%&*
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
From: Buffalo, N.Y.
"Are the arp "cracked rod" rod bolts a direct swap or is resizing needed?"
They are a direct swap....simple cap screw design. I may be wrong, but I do not think it is possible to re-size a cracked-cap rod.
I have read two, totally opposite opinions about swapping rod bolts. Some speed shops say it is perfectly fine. Others say that, even if you do not remove the cap, the very act of relieving the torque on the cap, causes the big-end to change shape. This causes the rod bearings to torque up to the crank journals with differences in dimensions, than when they were originally torqued at the factory. Everybody knows that the LS1 has oiling problems. Cam bearings fail prematurely more often than you know. You don't neeed this happening to your bottom-end.
Yes, many have replaced just the rod bolts, and have had no problems. There are many speed shops that refuse to do this job, or, at the very best, will not guarantee results.
They are a direct swap....simple cap screw design. I may be wrong, but I do not think it is possible to re-size a cracked-cap rod.
I have read two, totally opposite opinions about swapping rod bolts. Some speed shops say it is perfectly fine. Others say that, even if you do not remove the cap, the very act of relieving the torque on the cap, causes the big-end to change shape. This causes the rod bearings to torque up to the crank journals with differences in dimensions, than when they were originally torqued at the factory. Everybody knows that the LS1 has oiling problems. Cam bearings fail prematurely more often than you know. You don't neeed this happening to your bottom-end.
Yes, many have replaced just the rod bolts, and have had no problems. There are many speed shops that refuse to do this job, or, at the very best, will not guarantee results.
I used the old rod bolts to pull them out. Threaded them in there a few turn, then used pliers to pull it out
I was thinking about jerry rigging up some kind of puller. Regardless whatever I do i will post up how i get them out for anyone elses curiosity.
Still wouldn't mind hearing other ideas in the meantime
So for arp rod bolts it has been concluded that they are a direct swap and the ferrules must be removed right?
Does katech make main bolts? And if I use them do I have to get the block line bored like I would with the arp studs?
Does katech make main bolts? And if I use them do I have to get the block line bored like I would with the arp studs?
so for the Katech rod bolts are the ferrules to be removed or left in?
The Katech bolts are slightly larger diameter than the stock bolts and do not fit through the stock ferulles ( little sleeves in pic above ) so the Katech bolts push the ferulle down. It doesn't push it nearly far enough to get into the threads and damage them but it may affect the final torque value as there is some resistance to push them down. Mine had a little concave effect on the top of the ferulle afterwards.
Last edited by cam; Apr 12, 2006 at 08:34 AM.
Originally Posted by cam
I just swapped in Katechs yesterday. I have the engine on a stand so its easy but i didnt see any ferulles at all. The engines a 99 so I dont know if that has anything to do with it but i measured the stock bolt length vs the Katechs and they are identical overall and from the shoulder to the bottom of thread. I pulled out the stockers one at a time and lubed up the bolts with supplied lube then did the 30 lb' torque down and loosen process twice then torqued them to 50 lb' and that was that. Then I read this post about ferrules and got me wonderin?
Tasty lookin bolts I must say.
Tasty lookin bolts I must say.
What supplied lube was that?
