MTFCA Forum

Does anyone know the part number or which engine the modern rod bolt is for T rods? Thanks Dan

My personal opinion is a 3/8 Grade 8 unf bolt and tighten with a torque wrench to about 30 ft lbs. I grind a flat to the head so it fits perfectly.
Just my choice!

Les,
Do you use a fine pitch thread bolt or a coarse pitch bolt.

Art Mirtes

Hi Dan,
Older small block Chevy rod bolts are the ones most use. They fit real tight, I hit them on the belt sander just a little so they will tap in.
I have a friend that builds Chevys & he replaces the rod bolts every time so sometimes & just get the used ones. I use the Chevy nuts also
I don't drill them for castle nuts. & use the lower Chevy torque specs. I think it's 40#.
Craig.

Dan:
i do as les states above ... i turn the hex head and chamfer a standard 3/8-24 grade 8 bolt ... i machine the head only to have an appearance typical of the original rod bolt ...the grade 8 hardware is commonly available and has physical properties well in excess of the requirements of a connecting rod cap bolt ...and in my case this works better than a search for a supply source for a special fitting and the likely need to further modify that item or an associated component ... gene french

I will add that I replaced the rod bolts in my 23 after I burned one rod bearing and had it rebabbited and sized with timesaver. I adjusted it at 30 ft/lbs but had to take out an additional shim on using a Chevy rod bolt at 40 ft/lbs. There was still a fair shim pack under the cap. I had previously replaced three original stripped bolts many years ago and decided to use all Chevy bolts to better balance the engine and didn't realize that the shim pack could compress that much with the additional torque.

It probably wasnt the torque.
The mating surfaces have to flat mate together.

IDK if this helps you but I found this:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/arp-134-6003