Rod Bolts

[LGAFF]

Well, I broke down and bought the Marc Haibeck Rod Bolts......some say the rod bolts can be reused, like LS1, others not..

Lets hear your throughts.....

I probably would have reused if I was using the rod stretch method, but will be using 22 ftlbs and then torque angle of 80 degrees(if I recall)

[mike100]

I would probably would have preferred to buy the new ones as well. I've had a small block spin a rod bearing before on thrice torqued rod bolts...granted the new owner of that car spun it to 8k a couple of times, but still, I had it to 7500+ more than a few times, but that was before the rebuild.

I would probably use the stretch method to check a few bolts to see how spec torque increased length. I don't know too much about torque-to-yield... at least not using an angle wrench as I don't have one.

[lbszr]

I used the bolt stretch method on Marc's bolts. Since the oem's are torqued to yeild, I wouldn't reuse them. If I remember right, the arps should not be reused either, unless the stretch method is used.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Lee,

I'm with you and broke my piggy bank to get Marc's rod bolts too. I did not want to take any chances and thought that con rods and bolts take on the most stress in the bottom half. I did a lot of better safe than sorry since I was building my own motor and did not have enough experience to consider otherwise. Call me Paranoid with a capital P; my rod bolts were considered somewhat new coming from a crate motor takeoffs for the rods and pistons I bought, but still previously torqued regardless.

[mike100]

Additionally:

How much rpm/ piston speed is too much for the LT5? If you stretched the old rod bolts at all, do the rods need to be re-sized? If they are already egg shaped, the new bolts might not help.

Then again, if you didn't have a lower end failure when the engine came out, everything may still be ok.

[Kevin]

the lt5 was designed to go to 8k+ if I remember correctly but the accessories wouldn't handle that. if i'm rebuilding a motor that I beat on as hard as I do my lt5 i'm not taking chances

[flyin ryan]

For the record, anytime new/different rod bolts are to be, the rods should always be re-sized.