Im modding my 350 in my 92 Z28. Im installing a Mini-Ram, ZZ9 cam and Trick Flow 23* heads, my Question is about the rod bolts. I want to replace the 80,000mi stock rod bolts with ARP ones. Is that ok? Should I put new con rod bearings in at the same time? Will the cap alignment still be good with the new rod bolts? I want to beef up the lower a little without rebuilding it. With the Mini-Ram the motor will be spinning to 6500 rpm sometimes or will the stock rod bolts be ok? Thanks in advance.

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Convertible, L98, Mini-ram, ZZ9 cam, Comp Cams 1.52/1.6 steel roller rockers, Trick Flow 23* heads, K&N's with chopped airboxes, March underdive pulleys, Edelbrock ceramic coated TES, Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, Dynomax high flow converter, MAC subframe connectors, Accel box & coil, 3.23 rear gears, white face gagues, and NOS!
When I get back from Kosovo I will be installing these on-order items!

 

The act of removing and re-installing rod bolts distorts the rod. So, if you do that, you have to get your rods reconditioned, which among other things bores the big ends out to a true circle again. Obviously you can't do this to an assembled motor, so basically the answer is no.

With that few miles on the motor, if it's been well taken care of, you probably won't have any trouble with it at only an occasional 6500. If you plan on doing that to it alot though, you should consider a rebuild. Instinct tells me that a stock bottom end with nitrous at 6500 RPM will be fragile in lots of places, including the crank, pistons, rods, and bolts.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."

 

Thanks, thats pretty much what I figured. But I thought Id ask. As for the nitrous, I might tune it down to like 50 hp hit or not use it at all, cause I should be making around 400 ponies or so without it. Thanks.

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Convertible, L98, Mini-ram, ZZ9 cam, Comp Cams 1.52/1.6 steel roller rockers, Trick Flow 23* heads, K&N's with chopped airboxes, March underdive pulleys, Edelbrock ceramic coated TES, Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, Dynomax high flow converter, MAC subframe connectors, Accel box & coil, 3.23 rear gears, white face gagues, and NOS!
When I get back from Kosovo I will be installing these on-order items!

 

Thanks, thats pretty much what I figured. But I thought Id ask. As for the nitrous, I might tune it down to like 50 hp hit or not use it at all, cause I should be making around 400 ponies or so without it. Thanks.

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Convertible, L98, Mini-ram, ZZ9 cam, Comp Cams 1.52/1.6 steel roller rockers, Trick Flow 23* heads, K&N's with chopped airboxes, March underdive pulleys, Edelbrock ceramic coated TES, Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, Dynomax high flow converter, MAC subframe connectors, Accel box & coil, 3.23 rear gears, white face gagues, and NOS!
When I get back from Kosovo I will be installing these on-order items!

 

i've always changed out my own rod bolts then took the rods to have the pistons fit at the machine shop. they always check both ends of the rod and i usually never have to get the rods resized. i know changing the rod bolts can distort the rod but i my limited experience it doesn't happen very often.

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ICON Motorsports
1st & 3rd

 

Personally, I would say since the motor is running just fine right now, you can easily get away with replacing the rod bolts, and you could also replace your rod bearings while you're there if you wanted to. Usually the big end of the rod gets distorted from extremely high mileage, not replacing the bolts. After a lot of miles the journal of the rod can become egg shaped, or oval shaped, thus requiring machining to bring it back to a perfect circle again. I've heard quite a few horror stories about the stock L98 rod bolts failing, especially when you're producing over 400 horsepower, or running nitrous. If I were you, I'd go with a set of ARP Wav-Loc rod bolts. They're a hell of a lot stronger than the stock ones, and the wave shaped shank of the bolts is supposed to guarantee cap alignment. I'm in the process of rebuilding a L98 right now, and these are the bolts I'm going to use in mine. With 80,000 miles on your motor, I'd put new rod bearings in while you're right there. A lot of people will say you absoulutely have to get the crankshaft machined when you put in new bearings, but this isn't always so. Since your motor still runs good, the rod journals are probably still smooth enough to receive new bearings without a problem. If you do replace them, drive it kinda easy for about the first 1,000 miles. This will give them a chance to seat good. After that, you can hammer that sucker with the confidence that you have stronger rod bolts, and nice tight bearings!



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89RS w/350 TPI; 69RS/SS w/450 HP 350/Muncie 4-Speed "Too weird to live, too rare to die."

 

Pat, the wave-loc rod bolts were the ones I was looking at. That sounds like a plan! Any recommandations on a good rod bearing?

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Convertible, L98, Mini-ram, ZZ9 cam, Comp Cams 1.52/1.6 steel roller rockers, Trick Flow 23* heads, K&N's with chopped airboxes, March underdive pulleys, Edelbrock ceramic coated TES, Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, Dynomax high flow converter, MAC subframe connectors, Accel box & coil, 3.23 rear gears, white face gagues, and NOS!
When I get back from Kosovo I will be installing these on-order items!

 

Federal Mogul, and Clevite are really good,and I will either of these for street engines, but I prefer King for all my race engines. Federal Moguls are probably the best priced and I have run these to death.

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82 Z28 350, Ported #882 Heads, Performer RPM cam and intake, hedman headers,650 Demon carb,
Trans: Turbo 350 w/ 4000 stall -- Rearend 7.5 w/ Richmond 4.10's, Auburn Minispool
Future plans: Dart headed, Roller cammed 383 in early '01


89 RS, L03 305, Hypertech Chip,cat delete, Dynomax exhaust,K&N open element Filter,160 stat, MSD coil --Trans:700R4 Corvette Servo -- Rearend: 7.5 GM 3.42 w/ posi-lock
http://www.bassettracing.cz28.com