Guys……… Help me with this.

We were installing a new set of rods and forgot to break loose one side of the rods bolts and took an air gun to quickly remove the bolts just holding the rods between our legs. More or less just a spur of the moment thing but the bolts completely locked up. Even after putting them in a vice and using a breaker bar, they still would not come loose even though one was already a good 10th of an inch out.

Is it this particular brand of rods (lightweight RPM) or just rods in general?? The shop whom we got them from said it was the lubricant used to torque the rods for boring and that anytime you use a pneumatic wrench, it would freeze rod bolts.

Started out pretty innocent but ended costing me a new set of lightweight rods. Should this be covered under some sort of warranty or is this another tuff love lesson? Are the rods repairable? How about soaking them in lubricant or even putting them in an oven to expand??

 

Are you saying the partially loosened nuts won't turn on the threads? If so it sounds like the threads may be galled. They should have been assembled with the proper lubricant when they were finish machined, and lube should probably be on the exposed threads also. I don't see how an impact gun would "freeze " the nuts unless one had it tightening first by accident and then loosening. That could yield the bolt and maybe bugger up the threads.

Were these new in the factory boxes, or had somone else handled them prior to you getting them?

Lots of possibilities here.
What brand and grade are the bolts?

 

Brand new untouched out of the box except one side was hand loosened and the bolts clearanced some. All we did was use an air wrench to remove the other bolt. Or...... tried to remove the bolts. If you do it by hand... you're OK.

Long story, but the rods were given to me as I had never heard of the brand name before. They are "RPM" (brand name) with ARP bolts. I now hear these are knock off brand name rods. Maybe bolts too, huh?

Kinda like purses..... only rods instead.

Ended up replacing them with a set of lightweight Howards rods. When tweaked a little on the small end, weighed the exact same.

Thanks..... this sounded odd to me also.

 

Air tools causing rod bolt damage when removing? bullsh!t :-D

what you up to these days denny?

my soon to be LS1 powered 95 Rx7

http://www.fastblackcar.com/RX7/ElectronblueNOW!.JPG

 

I'm glad to hear it just wasn't my youthful innocence. Too dam bad the rods were free or I’d throw a fit. Kinda of hard to bitch too much when they are given to ya.

What am I up to?? Just finally trying to get my hotrod to where it should be so I can move on to a C6 with a clear conscience.

12.4 to 1, 398ci w/ lightweight guts, 300+cfm trick flows, welded n ported LT4 intake so it’s a straight shot into the heads and a cam similar to the one you had only hydraulic. With an AFR hyda lift kit the basic same valve train revved very clean to 7000 rpm. May have to throw an ignition to top just to make sure.

Should be together today or tomorrow and on the dyno this weekend. This sucker better not have any problems.