changing rod bolts?

[rod]

i have a set of stock 350 chevy rods, which i want to put the mid grade ARP rod bolts into. how can i go about this, without have the big end resized?
pistons/rods can come out [no heads]. i also have a junk crank which i could 'clamp' the rod to a journal, to keep it round, if that would help. i believe that i can 'pull' the new bolt into position, it's getting the old one out that worries me.
other ideas?
thanks rod in AZ

[Adger Smith]

You can just put them in if you are a real good gambler. Might work, might not. I've tried it for tight A** customers that wanted rod bolts and didn't want to resize. When I checked the rods I generally found one or more rods in the set will have the cap off set from the rod body after the bolts are put in. ARP says to resize them. Remember your dealing with .0001's on cap and rod alignment.... and bolts that would have to be on center JUST like the ones you took out.
My suggestion is forget about better bolts until you are in a position to resize the rods. What is worse??? The posibility that a bolt will come apart or puting in the bolts knowing that you need to size the rods when you do it??
If you do decide to put in the bolts without resizing the rods
I hope you have a loaded set of dice when your taking that gamble.

[rod]

i know the measurements are very close/small. i guess i will relent and spend the $$$. that will make it simple. it's just a few more dollars, right.
thanks rod

[Adger Smith]

Good move. I consider it an insurance premium. What was it in that old commercial for Fram filters??? Pay me now or pay me later. Spend a little now or spend alot later when it fails. I have seen guys gamble and get away with it, but it seems to always happen after the winter time freshen up w/bolt change.

[Greg Reimer 7376]

Change the bolts and resize. Not worth it. Rod big end failure is always a disaster. I blew up a 327 last year because metal fatigue in the big end caught up with time,use,and eternity. Oh, yes. Last time I used a Fram oil filter will always be the last time. Seems the engine lost oil pressure with it from about 1800 rpm on up. Changed the oil pump,same thing. The plastic filter paper support was collapsing and plugging the filter outlet. AC Delco 1218 went on, fixed it instantly.

[Adger Smith]

I use their quotes, but not their filters..... Wix "R"

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

Change the bolts and resize. Not worth it. Rod big end failure is always a disaster. I blew up a 327 last year because metal fatigue in the big end caught up with time,use,and eternity. Oh, yes. Last time I used a Fram oil filter will always be the last time. Seems the engine lost oil pressure with it from about 1800 rpm on up. Changed the oil pump,same thing. The plastic filter paper support was collapsing and plugging the filter outlet. AC Delco 1218 went on, fixed it instantly.

Greg, don't count on the Delco 1218, either. I used to run those, until quality became so inconsistent I didn't dare put one on an engine. You can go buy a PF1218 filter today and it might have a perforated steel core and a good filter element. Then you might buy one a week from now and it'll have a plastic core with a dacron screen.

The only Delco filter I've seen that is consistently good is the PF2232 for a DuraMax. They'll work on a small block or a big block, but for the price you pay, you can buy a Wix, or a K&N, and K&N pays contingency.

By the time you buy bolts and pay to have them installed, then pay to recondition stock rods, you can buy a decent set of Eagle I-beam rods.