When you remove the stock rods and bolts for the first time, does it automatically mean the stock nuts/bolts are junk from stretching or can they possibly be reused?

 

My motor builder has told me that most of the broken rods he sees he believes comes from a failed rod bolt. Good rod bolts are cheap insurance.

 

damn, I was hoping to cheap out and reuse the stockers

 

You'd cheap out on your motor for 60 bucks?

 

When having new rod bolts pressed in, don't you need to get the rods resized as well? I'm going through the same thing with my '69 rods. What's the cost of the bolts + resizing, vs buying new better quality rods?

 

I'm a cheap bastard so I just reused my old ones. Seems to be working fine.

 

How should they be removed from the rods as not to damage the rod?

 

You can hammer them out. I guess the proper way to do it would be with a press.

 

I also got a set of '69 rods.

How much HP can they support?

I got a stock crank from a late series 351w, stock 69 rods, and TRW forged dished pistons.

Whatcha think she can hold before going splitsville?

 

so hammering them out can't bend the bearing cup?

 

Not so long as youdont whack it with teh hammer. Lock the rod in a vise, with the big end near the vise head. Then hammer them out.

 

I guess I am iffy now on putting stocker bolts back in. I can't imagine how it is to bend a rod at 100+ mph.

 

I used the stock bolts on my rebuild. I will have the engine apart again in about a month and I could report on them.

 

If you're reusing the stock rod bolts why are you even taking them out?

 

i ran the stock rod bolts in my motor. i put new bearings in the motor and bolted her back together. Eventually i snapped the small end of the rod off which in turn spun around and smacked as much stuff as it could. upon pulling the motor and removing the pan the big end of the rod was still securely attached to the crank. i removed the cap to find the bearing in perfect condition. i would put my faith in stock rod bolts again without concern on a stock rebuild with rpm kept under 6500. I went over 129mph lots of times in the 1/4 on those tiny old stock rod bolts that were retorqued.

 

gotta replace the bearings

 

Anybody know the torque specs on stock bolts?

 

Why are you taking the bolts out of the rods?

 

I am not now that I know they should hold up fine. Now I just gotta locate the torque specs and torque them back up.

I took the motor apart cuz the cylinder walls had surface rust and to put new rings in it.

 

24 ft-pd.