1Bear

iTrader: (1)

At the power level you looking to be at, the stock rods will be right at their limit of reliability. No that doesn’t mean they will fail, we have all seen them handle more and like I said it’s not so much the power that kills rods or the bolts as it is the load placed on them from RPM and such. With the upgraded bolts they will handle a little more. While I bet you already have the rods your hoping for, even if you don’t you should be able to locate a set of floating pin rods from a newer model motor pretty reasonable. However if you did decide to upgrade to some 4340 rods, you don’t have to break the bank doing it either. Even with a basic set of 4340 rods your bottom end should be fortified to handle about all your planning on and then some. One thing to keep in mind is while stock .945” pin diameter pistons are available, the best selection of aftermarket pistons are set up for the smaller .927” pins and by combining things with an aftermarket rod just makes selection that much easier, as does the selection of pistons available for a 6.125” rod in lieu of the 6.098” stock pieces. I included some basic sets just to give you an idea; no I didn’t include every possible combination known to man, as there are tons available and a lot more high end pieces that are really outside the topic of this thread. The prices shown are just random and I’m sure can most likely be beat, but is just to give you an idea.

Compstar H-Beam 6.125” $598.95 w/2000 ARP bolts
Crower I-Beam 6.125” $561.99 w/8740 ARP bolts
Eagle ESP H-Beam 6.125” $499.95 w/8740 ARP bolts
Eagle ESP H-Beam 6.125” $629.95 w/2000 ARP bolts
K1 H-Beam $439.00 w/8740 ARP bolts. $513.00 w/2000 ARP bolts (good for Nitrous or SC)
K1 Lightweight H-Beam $514.00 w/2000 ARP bolts (good for NA motors)
Manley H-Beam 6.125” $657.00 w/8740 ARP bolts
Scat H-Beam 6.125” $449.95 w/8740 ARP bolts

And just for reference what the going asking price is for a L92 floating rod……EW!
GM L92 Replacement Rod $112.95

1Bear

iTrader: (1)

I know you really know, but just so no one else is mistaken, there is a little more to it. Below is the basic procedure and the differences in the common methods of torquing the rod bolts.

Using The Stretch Method To Tighten Rod Bolts – Measuring bolt stretch is the most accurate method for tightening rod bolts and insures the correct pre-load. Simply measure the free length of the bolt before tightening, lube the bolt threads and rod spotface. Install the bolt into the rod and tighten until the bolt is stretched the proper amount. There are bolt stretch gauges for this purpose.

Example of a rod bolt stretch gauge:


Using The Torque And Angle Method To Tighten Rod Bolts – Do not confuse this with the “Torque to Yield” method. Torque to Yield stretches the bolt to a point where it will no longer return to the original length when loosened and requires the bolt to be replaced after each use. When using the Torque and Angle method, you lube the bolt threads and rod spotface, tighten the bolt to a low torque value as prescribed on the instruction sheet then, using an angle gauge, turn the bolt a prescribed number of degrees to properly stretch the bolt. This method uses the highly accurate pitch of the bolt thread to control the amount of stretch.

Using The Torque Method To Tighten Rod Bolts – Torque does not measure clamp load and only measures the amount of friction that must be overcome to turn the bolt. The friction of the mating surfaces of the threads, rod spotface and bolt flange change with each tightening. When you consider the fact that different amounts and different types of lubes also change the friction, using the torque method is like trying to hit a moving target that you cannot see and is not very accurate, but better than not doing anything at all. Have you ever wondered why so many rebuilds throw a rod when in most cases the person actually used better parts than what were installed at the factory?

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

Thanks again Jarrod, and thanks for clearing up the bolt stretch concern Not to get too far off of the rod bolt topic, but of the rods you listed, what would you recommend, and would they require aftermarket pistons?

1Bear

iTrader: (1)

Billy, I believe any of them will handle what you’re looking to do and then some, but I also believe all of them are set up for the smaller .927” pins. I still think your rods will be fine with a set of bolts as well, but by the time you pay to have them checked out and fork over the money for the bolts you will be about a quarter of the way into a set of rods. That may not be enough to justify the change and I don’t blame you, there are so many people pushing them way harder than what you’re looking at doing. Only you can decide on how much you’re willing to get into on this thing.

One other thing on the rod bolt stretch, the bolts are only supposed to stretch a given amount for the amount of effort put into them and if the bolt stretches before you reach the recommended torque spec for the given bolt, you need to replace that bolt. On the other hand, if the bolt still has not stretched, you need to keep going no matter what the torque reads until you have recorded the required amount of bolt stretch.

Evil SS 2006

And just to add to 1Bear's comment, New rod bolts need to be torqued and stretched 3-4 times before final torque/stretch measurements...

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

Excellent info guys, I'm learning a lot in this thread

TurboBerserker

iTrader: (1)

ARP2000s in both of mine Billy. No issues -- its all about the install. You'll be fine.

fastnblu

iTrader: (2)

I thought 6.125 was stock on our motors? Or does it matter if it's a LS1 or a 5.3 or aas to length? I don't look at these internal specs, prolly cause I've never built a Gen3, so excuse the mebie Q.

GM factory stuff, even back when Pink rods were the "ticket" always seemed pricey. I always thought there were better alternatives. Sometimes for less too.

ARP is the rod bolt stretch gauge I've always seen. Altho I've never gone crazy on a build, I'm starting to think when I do, this is gonna be in my toolbox.

I find every time I read a 1Bear comment, I learn somethin. You sir, are the man. And a hoot to talk to.

That was what I was wondering.

budhayes3

iTrader: (19)

Aint that the truth brother

*EDIT* I haven't talked to Jarrod yet, as in, on the phone, but he's made me laugh more than once via PM's

Quik

iTrader: (7)

In my 4.8 I carefully removed one bolt at a time. I spun my motor daily 7500 Tom's and hit the 7800 rpm limiter plenty of times. That was pushing 800 rwhp in a 4800lb truck. Motor was an 02. I tore it down and bearings looked new. No signs of distortion. I did the torque to 45lbs 3 times method