My stroker kit came with ARP (6003) rod bolts.
When I torqued the nuts, one of them felt funny.
Almost like it started to strip.
Pulled the rod out and discovered the bolt head was sinking into the rod. I had previously removed a little material from the bolt head area of the rod while clearancing the eng (383).
The torque value given to me by the kit supplier was 65 ft-lbs using 30W oil for lube. Bolt stretch spec is .0063 +/- .0004"

Are these torque values too much for stock rods, or did I remove too much material? (or both?)

 

well it sounds like you've removed too much material from the bolt head for it to have a seat on the rod. not sure on the torque specs, i don't have a strech gage so i use a torque wrench. it's been a while but i was thinking the arp bolts i've used said torque to 45 ft/lbs 3 times, and not to reuse the bolts. arp ought to have the info on their site, or you could contact them from their site.

 

Do not reuse rod bolts on your engine. They are made to stretch when your torque them, which you are aware of by your post. However upon reusing them it becomes much more likely that they will BREAK as opposed to strecth more, i dotn mean when your torque them, i mean under load from your engine. The risk of having them break is worth the cost to get new ones. Sorry if i sound like a mom, i just had a bad experience with rod bolts.
ps 65 ft/lbs sounds high to me, be sure to check that.

 

I'm with ede and I also don't have a stretch gauge. Torque 3 times. The first torque seats the bolt. The second torque cleans the threads. The third torque is the final setting.

I've reused my rod bolts a few times. My last engine failure had nothing to do with the bottom end. I also use Loctite 262 (red) on my rod bolts. If the bolt has been stretched then they should be changed.

 

my ARP rod bolts said you can torque the bolts two ways. one is to use their moly based lubricant and torque to 63 foot pounds or you can use a stretch guage and and stretch them to .006 in. They sent me a log sheet for writing down how many times the bolts have been loaded and unloaded. And at a certain time when the bolts have been loaded and unloaded so many times you change them. I would have to get the paper to check how many times that is.

I was just puting together my shortblock last week, that is how I remember the torque values. My rod bolts are the kind that feed from the bottem up with no nuts, not like the factory set up that feeds a stud like bolt from the top down to the cap with a nut to retain the cap. Don't know if that would make much differance in values though.

And I believe I have read that if the bolt doesn't return to its original length that it is trash. I know on this log sheet that you record the length before and after being loaded or unloaded.

 

The ARP website said to torque them to 50 ft-lbs using molly lube
or .0063" stretch.

The stroker kit supplier said 50 ft-lbs with molly and 65 ft-lbs with 30w eng oil or a .0063" stretch. I figured since the supplier agreed with the molly and stretch #'s the "30w eng oil lube" spec would be abt right.

The ARP-bolt site said the bolt should return to its original length when loosened if they arn't damaged. Too bad I didn't mic them before...(They are not a standard length when new)

Since I will probably have to grind the replacement rod to clear the cam, I'm afraid I'll wind up back here again.

I hate to change rod types since the assy WAS balanced, but may not have a choice.

Anyone recommend an aftermarket rod that will clear without grinding. My cam was not avaliable in a small base-circle version.

 

I called ARP today. They said 50 ft-lbs using the molly lube is correct.
When I asked them abt using 30w eng oil, they said they don't publish a spec for that.
It appears my stroker kit supplier (Powerhouse) simply made up the 65 ft-lb spec.
Looks like I'll have to disassemble the eng and replace all the rod bolts.