Hello, Was wondering in a Hi Performance 460ci build which is better..... The factory main 460ci bolts or Arp main Studs ??? As i did read before some-where that with studs the main caps can walk ( Move ) I may be wrong ????

 

Studs are not necessary in most performance applications unless you are going over 500 hp and you are really going to run hard it in some sort of competition.

 

Hello, its a high performance 557ci build with around 600 horsepower & Torque so i guess i will order the Arp main Studs, as i did read before in a forum the factory main bolts were pretty strong, i did buy head studs for the Edelbrock 61649 C/J alloy heads so it wont hurt to spend a little money & go with studs for the main caps, thanks 4 the info.

 

Make sure to bottom tap the stud bolt holes in the block and use loc-tite on the studs in the block. I would check the align bore with a good dial bore gage that reads in .0001" after the studs are torqued to make sure the bores are still round and straight.

 

With Bottom Tap Im guessing you mean make sure the studs are in all the way ??? Yes will use loc-tite on main studs, with head studs use loc-tite ??? Or silastic gasket incase a stud passes thru a water passage, Thanks again.

 

No Jamie, they make what is called a bottoming tap for cleaning up and cutting threads in blind holes like the main bolt holes on your block. That gives you nice lean smooth threads all the way down and makes the studs get a better hold.

Also there is still some debate on studs vs bolts on these engines. I was running bolts but also had a main girdle at over 900hp with no cap walk. I think honestly that bolts may have a slight advantage on the mains but they are big enough that any aftermarket fastener is going to give you plenty of strength IMHO.

 

Thanks Monsterbaby..... yes a Tap like in a Tap & die, for cleaning up the threads of the main caps, its Sunday here in Australia & Im in slow brain mode, I was going to use a main girdle in the build but decided just to go with studs for now, maybe down the track if if i go more cam & compression i will certainly use a main girdle, Thanks.

 

studs are stronger than bolts... period!!

 

This is NOT necessarily true.


Sorry but it's been shown time and time again on 385 series engines that guys running bolts on the mains weren't having as much cap walk.

you can NOT make blanket statments like that.

 

Studs offer better clamping forces than bolts, but as monsterbaby said studs are not necessarily stronger than bolts...especially in the 460.

 

As to the Stud vs Bolt debate, There is enough meat in the lower end of one of these motors that as long as you are using correctly installed, high quality hardware you should have no problems. Of course this depends on not turning extreme RPM's or truly huge hp.

 

Even then they hold together. I ran mine at 926hp shifting at 7600rpm, most of the time rev limited at 8000 and on more then one occasion took the rev chip out and turned it 8600rpm for 4yrs before I sold it to another kid. He has had it the past 3yrs and it's still running. I was using a 2 bolt main D9 block with ARP bolts in it.

 

The biggest problem I have seen when racing the 385 motors is tunning. detonation will kill any motor even the 4 bolt blocks. I have seen lots of 2 bolts pushing 700-800hp and living several seasons of drag racing.