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Rod Bearing failure- Cause?

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Old Jul 5, 2007 | 09:27 PM
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Default Rod Bearing failure- Cause?

Is the reason for rod bearding failure due to the oil pumps in the early 00- ls1's? Would a ported ls6 pump help this from happening?
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Old Jul 5, 2007 | 09:33 PM
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normally people jsut spin them to high
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Old Jul 5, 2007 | 11:13 PM
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Running it low on oil..Oli starvation..not changing the oil as often as one should.. A combination of those..
Detonation hurts bearings, too..& so does revving the snot out of it.
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Old Jul 5, 2007 | 11:54 PM
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the rod bolts are the real cause they are weak and stretch dausing looser tolerances and the bearings give and spin.....thats why its a good idea to upgrade....the oil pumps are junk as well....
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 12:23 AM
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Originally Posted by 5_02ls1
the rod bolts are the real cause they are weak and stretch dausing looser tolerances and the bearings give and spin.....thats why its a good idea to upgrade....the oil pumps are junk as well....
This is coming from someone(me) who has
A)Had a rod bolt failure.
B)Spun a rod bearing.
The rod bolt failure is limited to car built in Model Year '97-00.
The bolt used in those engines are referred to as "first design".
When they fail,they fail..No "stretch"...Just an earth shattering "Kaboom".
I spun a bearing on the replacement engine a few months ago.
I had an oil pressure problem after the head swap..Not because of the pump or anything..I really don't know why..& the bearing completly failed at low speed...It allowed the piston to travel beyond the bore & actaully hit the bottom of the cylinder head.
I would hardly describe the oil pumps as "junk".
They have proven to be pretty damn reliable.
What real evidence do you have to back that up?
Was that something you read about on the internet?
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 12:28 AM
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if anyone knows about rod botls it'd be me. I blew my motor up on START UP in the driveway, didnt even idle. jsut cranked it over and KABOOM, stretched bolts, broken in half rod, busted piston and 2 holes in my block...


rod bolts, cheap insurance for ANY year LS engine
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 06:53 AM
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having done it....oil issue
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 08:29 AM
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After a WOT blast the pressure relief valve could stick open dumping oil back into the pan at low rpm when youre not moving much oil. Basically oil starvation due to a pump defect.
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 12:38 PM
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Default do some research there pal

Originally Posted by BYE RICE
This is coming from someone(me) who has
A)Had a rod bolt failure.
B)Spun a rod bearing.
The rod bolt failure is limited to car built in Model Year '97-00.
The bolt used in those engines are referred to as "first design".
When they fail,they fail..No "stretch"...Just an earth shattering "Kaboom".
I spun a bearing on the replacement engine a few months ago.
I had an oil pressure problem after the head swap..Not because of the pump or anything..I really don't know why..& the bearing completly failed at low speed...It allowed the piston to travel beyond the bore & actaully hit the bottom of the cylinder head.
I would hardly describe the oil pumps as "junk".
They have proven to be pretty damn reliable.
What real evidence do you have to back that up?
Was that something you read about on the internet?
do a little research this is discussed to death....the rod bolts are weak and so are the 00 and back pumps.....
yes ive had problems with the 98 pump they do not like high rpms.....and i build engines....

TAINTED you told me in another thread that somebody dropped a bolt into your bellow while the hood was off your car.....how in the hell does that have anything to do with rod bolt failure.....drop a bolt into the intake of any engine and it will screw somthin up....

guys research is your friend
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 12:44 PM
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LMAO!! engines dont just let go on startup. There was obviously something wrong and it wasnt the fact it was a factory engine. Beat to ****, abuse, vandalism, what ever. The engine isnt junk and if you broke it you beat the **** out of it.
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 01:51 PM
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my bearing went bad when i was just cruizing at 60.. fine oil pressure, enough oil,

bud.. i bougth katech rod bolst, head bolts, ls2 time chain, and prted ls6 iol pump, along with qualaty clevite bearings, so i hope i will be save
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 04:09 PM
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well usually the cause of a spun bearing as everyone says is oil starvation, the bearing gets so hot, it welds itself to the crank. Another way to spin it is to have the rod bearing clearance too tight. This is why I was never crazy about changing the rod bolts on an engine that's been ran. After the engine's been ran a while and the metal has been through multiple heat cycles, it changes shape, you may not see it, but it does. When you loosen the cap, it warps and becomes out of round, then you throw new bolts in and retighten them, then you throw the tolerance between the bearing clearances off because when you tighten the rod cap, it will clamp on a different section of the bearing, it might apply more pressure on point more then another. Why do you think people get rods sized when they are getting their engine rebuilt?

Stretched rod bolt may cause a bearing to spin, but a stretched rod bolt would probably cause a rod knock or either the rod or rod cap to break and throw the rod.

Just my .02
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 05:03 PM
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spun mine do to loss in oil pressure, bearing got starved of oil, and went to high in the rpms
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 06:19 PM
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So would you guys recommend installing ARP rod bolts in a 00' SS with 53,000 miles? How much do you think it would cost to install?
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 06:30 PM
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yeahinstall them but do yourself a favor and spend an extra 30 bucks on new bearings as well...as someone said above they can warp when the cap is loosened.....
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 06:31 PM
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So, ARP bolts and Bearings? Any idea what it would cost to install? And any reputable shops near dallas?
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 07:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Powerhouse
So, ARP bolts and Bearings? Any idea what it would cost to install? And any reputable shops near dallas?
well if you get new bearings installed, you have to check the bearing clearances and if clearances are out of tolerance, either the rods need to be sized for the bearing or a thinner bearing needs to be used. Either way, I would not recommend changing out rod bolts, but everyone does it on here, I run the hell out of my car and I have no intentions of switching out bolts unless the motor is getting a rebuild or I buy a new shortblock. But hey, that just me......
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Old Jul 6, 2007 | 10:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Hardtop00SS
well if you get new bearings installed, you have to check the bearing clearances and if clearances are out of tolerance, either the rods need to be sized for the bearing or a thinner bearing needs to be used. Either way, I would not recommend changing out rod bolts, but everyone does it on here, I run the hell out of my car and I have no intentions of switching out bolts unless the motor is getting a rebuild or I buy a new shortblock. But hey, that just me......
no no when rods are reconditioned material is shaved off the cap so the diameter stays the same....the clearences you are describing are bearing to crank....you check this with plastigauge.....if they are to loose the crank has to be turned"machined"and a thicker bearing is used.....

Price parts and labor id say upwards of 800 bucks.....

unless your engine hasnt been maintained properly id say clearances will be fine....
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Old Jul 7, 2007 | 08:39 AM
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Originally Posted by 5_02ls1
no no when rods are reconditioned material is shaved off the cap so the diameter stays the same....the clearences you are describing are bearing to crank....you check this with plastigauge.....if they are to loose the crank has to be turned"machined"and a thicker bearing is used.....

Price parts and labor id say upwards of 800 bucks.....

unless your engine hasnt been maintained properly id say clearances will be fine....
yea your right, it was a long day yesterday
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Old Jul 7, 2007 | 09:11 AM
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I'm getting Clevites bearings put in when I install my Katech rod bolts. I mean its worth the $30-$35.I did not spin a bearing or anything,but I'd rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it
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