Should I replace rod bolts
03-27-2006, 10:23 PM
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Should I replace rod bolts I'm doing a cam heads and headers to my 98 T/A this spring and i'v heard these early Ls1's had weak rod bolts. I'm not going with a high reving aggressive cam. The car has 34000 miles on it now. Should I replace them or leave them. Thanks.
03-27-2006, 11:19 PM
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Originally Posted by ArcticZ28
Stock rod bolts are good to 5-600 hp. Unless you're gonna hit that mark, you should be fine, specially considering your low mileage. I'd say rod bolts are more of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" sort of thing.
03-28-2006, 05:15 AM
#6
i don't really think that horsepower plays as much of a role in rod bolt fatigue as rpm does. if you plan on spinning over 6,500 with that 98 shortblock, i would recommend changing them. for a couple hundred bucks, why not? at least that way when the motor lets go it won't be able to put a window in your block, odds are it will just spin a bearing.
unless you have a boosted application that's putting >500 rwhp to the ground, you'll be hard pressed to lose a motor to a rod bolt breaking with the factory rev limiter.
regardless of hp, rpms will kill ya...hopefully you're swapping to an ungraded oil pump, too, as the pre 01 cars have had problems in the past.
unless you have a boosted application that's putting >500 rwhp to the ground, you'll be hard pressed to lose a motor to a rod bolt breaking with the factory rev limiter.
regardless of hp, rpms will kill ya...hopefully you're swapping to an ungraded oil pump, too, as the pre 01 cars have had problems in the past.
03-28-2006, 06:05 AM
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Originally Posted by ArcticZ28
Stock rod bolts are good to 5-600 hp. Unless you're gonna hit that mark, you should be fine, specially considering your low mileage. I'd say rod bolts are more of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" sort of thing.
I plan on doing mine just for the added stability, but it's not wholly necessary. If you're worried about it, I would do it just to be safe; because if one breaks, you'll be even more sorry you didn't.
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03-28-2006, 07:22 AM
#8
Originally Posted by ArcticZ28
Stock rod bolts are good to 5-600 hp. Unless you're gonna hit that mark, you should be fine, specially considering your low mileage. I'd say rod bolts are more of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" sort of thing.
I dont think ill agree with you here. The rods themselves may handle that kind of HP, but the bolts were weak in the years before 01. And, as it was already mentioned, RPM is the killer, and if they let go, time for a new motor.
03-28-2006, 06:36 PM
#15
Originally Posted by Ramairbird
I'm not going with a high reving aggressive cam.
03-28-2006, 08:06 PM
#17
Originally Posted by tillery
Katech rod bolts are cheap
03-28-2006, 09:22 PM
#18
Look at the bolt itself, if there are two dots its upgraded if there is only one or no dots, its old. because the bolts are torque to yield (15 ft.lbs + 60 degrees) they should be replaced. torque to yield bolts get stretched. 98's have older style bolts than 99's even. At least in Canada, but I can't see it being any different. I'm rebuilding my short block and actually came across the same thing today. I've elected that I need to replace them. The last thing you want is to spin a rod bearing because the bolt couldn't hold up.
03-29-2006, 07:47 AM
#20
Originally Posted by t1blackout
Should I do this in my car too before putting in the f13? Do i have to take off the heads for that???