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One of my customers asked me about this bolt kit for a 455 he is doing. Just a nice street engine. I had never heard of them and to me the price is too low to be worth a darn ? But they do have very good feedback. Has anybody bought them ?
No mention of the Grade equivalent (Grade 5, Grade 8) the bolts are.
I think lube on the threads to keep from galling and torque specs would be needed.
The ad mentions ARP bolts are available. Hmmmmm why ?
304 SS is mentioned, but not the country of origin. I am not impressed with metalurgical consistency from certain foreign countries.
What is the advantage by using SS hardware ? Rod bearing caps, and main bearing caps are not subject to corrosion.
......Just my two cents worth.
No mention of the Grade equivalent (Grade 5, Grade 8) the bolts are.
I think lube on the threads to keep from galling and torque specs would be needed.
The ad mentions ARP bolts are available. Hmmmmm why ?
304 SS is mentioned, but not the country of origin. I am not impressed with metallurgical consistency from certain foreign countries.
What is the advantage by using SS hardware ? Rod bearing caps, and main bearing caps are not subject to corrosion.
......Just my two cents worth.
I sort of agree with you Ralph. All of the hardware in the kit is external and the stainless does look nice. If you go to the web site they are an ARP distributor and just offer that as an upgrade. Also ARP does not list a bolt kit for Oldsmobile. Almost all stock external hardware that I see on a daily basis is only Grade 5 or less so that might not be an issue.
These types of bolt kits are great if you are starting out with a 50 year old engine with a bunch of rusted junk to begin with. Trying to source everything separately can be a pain. Thats why I am asking if anyone has seen this particular vendors parts and can offer some feedback.
I used a kit from this vendor for my motor. I went with the socket head stainless Allen bolts. No complaints from me. The kit had everything I needed and still looks great 10+ years later.
I used a kit from this vendor for my motor. I went with the socket head stainless Allen bolts. No complaints from me. The kit had everything I needed and still looks great 10+ years later.
Did this kit contain rod bolts, main bearing cap bolts and head bolts ?
Did this kit contain rod bolts, main bearing cap bolts and head bolts ?
The kit I used only had external fasteners. Valve covers, intake manifold, thermostat housing, water pump, timing cover, fuel pump, oil filter adapter, oil pan, pulleys and a few other things. I remember I had to specify which intake I was using and I think also if I was using exhaust manifolds or headers.
Did this kit contain rod bolts, main bearing cap bolts and head bolts ?
No, it is strictly external hardware like valve cover bolts, intake bolts etc. More than likely a step up from the stock stuff no matter where it comes from.
I use stainless whenever I do a more detailed engine build. I get the bolts locally, from a steel supplier, who sells them by the pound. I even grind off the markings and polish the heads. Never had any problems, and you DO have to use anti-seize on them. On my 'new' 455, I did this and used ARP for rod and head bolts.
I use stainless on my builds too......not for high-strength or high-stress situations tho.......normally buy from Totally Stainless or my local Ace Hardware in a pinch. I always, always use anti-sieze with stainless hardware.
FWIW, I use Allens Fastenders for my misc fastener needs. He has an excellent selection of hard to find stuff, and sells ARP by the piece, at decent prices.
December 9th, 2021, 07:28 AM
