I have a 1988 small block Chevy 350 engine. I have bought new main bearings. I have the old bolts 5 short and 5 longer (for windage tray). I will not be using a windage tray. I need to replace these bolts for the crankshaft bearing caps. I see ARP has two sets. 1345002 high performance main bolts for 2 bolt main SMALL journal 1345001 high performance main bolts for 2 bolt main LARGE journal Which set should I get? All help is appreciated.
If it were me I would not purchase the ARP bolts for an engine you only want to be successful with re***embly and running it on a test stand. Use the windage tray bolts, you already have them, just be sure you have a socket that fits over the extra length so you can torque the bolts. The ARP hardware is unnecessary ($$) and even the GM main bolts will be kind if pricey too. BTW, your engine has a large journal crank.
Why do you need to replace the "windage tray bolts " ? They aren't in the way of anything... They aren't going anywhere. Mike
I will reuse the bolts if it is an acceptable practice. I thought the longer bearing bolts would not fit in the new pan (4qt from speedway). I have purchased a new oil pan, oil pump, pickup, shaft, 1 piece rear main seal, 1 piece oil pan gasket, oil pan bolts, 153 tooth external balance flex plate and bolts, timing gears and chain, timing cover, front seal, timing cover gaskets with water pump gaskets, timing pointer, neutral 6.75 harmonic balancer with bolt/washer, a tube of ***embly lube, piston ring compression tube, valve spring compressor tool, and a harmonic balancer installer tool. It looks as if the main bearings are in good shape. I have plastigage (the green stuff) to check clearance but I was waiting to get the new bolts which it looks like I don't need now. Just a matter of finding time to work on it. Had 1/4 inch of freezing rain today. Terrible thunderstorms and lightning. Lightning struck a pole, back fed the line and caused three structure fires. I really appreciate all of the help. A lot more questions will be coming. I am not sure if I should post a new thread each time or keep going all under one thread.
Now that you mention the different pan, yes you might have an interference with the windage tray bolts. Put the bolts in the block and see if the pan fits.
You could always cut the windage tray stanchion's off of the offending bolt's if it bothers you that much. Or just leave them alone.
Lot of money to just make it run. Just go to a wrecking yard and get some bolts if this is just a normal 350 chevy .
Or buy a new set from TRW or another OEM source, they are not that much compared to an ARP package of bolts.
I’d swap you your windage tray bolts for GM bolts from an ‘89 that were only torqued once from the factory.
Sorry, I s****ped all my extra main cap bolts when I moved a few years ago. If you have a chop saw, you can just cut off the extra part of the bolt.
As mentioned,cut the thread/ tower of the bolt for the windage tray, if it interferes with the new pan , No new bolts needed
So I plastigaged the upper (cap side) and Lower sides (block side) of the crank journal. 1,3,4,5 are all .001. #2 is .0015.
That 35 year old engine was designed way before torque to yield bolts became a thing. That said, there’s not much reason to replace fasteners unless they have visible damage. Modern engines require new fasteners for critical joints, but that’s irrelevant, since they’re not friendly here anyway.
Brining an old post back as it’s very near what I am dealing with now. I have a fresh built running 355 that I need to change the oil pan due to K member interference on my car. There is a windage tray that interferes with the new pan. Can I remove the extended bolts for the windage tray and use regular bolts in their place? I see comments about cutting them and I guess that is an option but it seems changing them would be better. Cutting them really feels like a hack job, but I guess it’s an option. I’ve seen some other posts suggesting the same in my search on this.
Kind of depends what you mean by "regular" bolts. If you mean bolts for a the main caps that don't have the windage tray studs, then it's fine. If you mean bolts that are not made for that application, then it is more of a hack job....
I had dropped the pan on a '67 Impala with a 327/275 in it around 1975. Resting in the bottom of the pan was one of the main cap bolts, busted off. We dropped the cap and the rest of the bolt came out by hand. The engine ran strong, no noises. The bearing had a little wear, but was uniform. I fished around in a bucket of hardware, found one from a 283 (?), back in business. I never saw a busted cap bolt before or since.
I mentioned in this thread, I have a set of “once used” two bolt main bearing bolts. I replaced with ARP. At my age I’ll only use them to bolt something together and it won’t be an engine. If you have a two bolt block, how many do you need? I ***ume 4? Maybe to eliminate the windage tray?
For years racers went to a lot of time and effort to put windage trays where there were none. Why would you do away with something you get for free? I can ***ure you the factory wouldnt have spent a nickel if they didnt think the benefit was worth it. Good Luck
Rex, re read his post. Seems the bolts interfere with his oil pan. More that likely not a factory application going on there.
I took apart a 70s 4 bolt truck motor once that had a main cap bolt rolling around in the pan...it wasn't broken, just might not have been torqued on the ***embly line?
So I gathered. I missed the part about why use the wrong oil pan. My neighbor used to drag race a Chevy II in IHRA Super Stock. They had a home made oil pan that was a deep sump so they could run the windage tray. The drag link ran through the oil pan. No telling how many hours they spent working out the details on that contraption.
Just cut off the part you don't need . Or buy 4 correct bolts . Millions of chevy engines rebuilt multiple times even reusing the factor bolts . How many have ever seen a SBC main bolt break even in a 2 bolt main application?? Short of a race motor I have never seen one break in a under 400 hp engine. Ran a 360 sprint car making well over 500 hp two seasons in a stock 2 bolt main block running factory bolts back in the 80's. Every corvette made prior to 67 or so was 2 bolt main and many were ran and raced hard . Seldom had a main bolt problem
Yes, bolts meant for the application. Not hardware store bolts. It’s a 4 bolt main 7000 max rpm drag engine. It had been in a Corvette but the pan sets on the k member on my Cutl***. I was concerned bolt replacement might mess with bearing clearances but it sounds like I’ll be okay to swap them out. Thanks for the replies!
If it's some sort of super dupper high rpm drag race engine order a set of good ARP bolts and be done with it. Main caps don't know what type of bolts are holding it down. Rod bolts are differant as they press fit into the rod and can distort the bore some so you always rehone rods when you change rod bolts
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