Okay, so I was messing around with my engine, trying to give it a little more oomph, you know? I heard about these ARP 2000 connecting rod bolts, supposed to be the bee’s knees for high-performance builds. These ones I got were for a BBF 460, and they had this weird football shape to them, which I thought was kinda cool.
First thing I did was yank out the old connecting rods. These were your standard 429/460 con rods. Nothing fancy, but reliable. People say with proper prep and good bolts, they are good for up to 6500rpms. But they had those square-headed bolts, and I wanted something stronger. I took the rods to my buddy’s shop, and we used his machine to inspect them for cracks, especially around the bolt holes. Better safe than sorry, right?
- Took the engine apart.
- Pulled out the old connecting rods.
- Inspected the rods for cracks.
Next, I got my hands on those ARP 2000 bolts. Man, these things felt solid. They’re made from some special metal, supposed to be way stronger than the usual stuff. The company claims they have about 200% the fatigue life of regular 8740 chrome moly steel. I also heard that the 8740 bolts were only rated to 750 horsepower, these ones are much stronger, like way beyond that.
Putting them in was a bit of a pain, not gonna lie. These bolts are meant to be torqued to a specific value, and then you gotta turn them a bit more – it’s called “torque + angle”. I don’t have all the fancy tools, so I just did my best to get them tight and even. I used a regular wrench, no washer. The heads were external, though, which made it a little easier to get a grip. And let me tell you, those ARP 2000 bolts are designed for floating pin-type pistons, they slid right into those bronze bushings on my Molnar connecting rods like a dream. I was swapping out the old ones for some Eagle ESP H-beam rods anyway – forged 4340 steel, the whole nine yards. Figured I might as well go all out while I had the engine apart.
- Got the new ARP 2000 bolts.
- Torqued the bolts to spec, then added the extra angle.
- Installed the rods with the new bolts onto the crankshaft.
Once I got everything back together, I took her out for a spin. I wasn’t expecting miracles, but I swear the engine felt smoother, especially at higher RPMs. Maybe it’s just in my head, but I like to think those fancy bolts made a difference. Plus, it’s nice knowing I’ve got some extra strength in there, just in case I decide to push the engine a little harder down the road.
Final thoughts
All in all, swapping out the stock rod bolts for these ARP 2000 ones was a pretty straightforward upgrade. Would I recommend it? Yeah, especially if you’re building a performance engine or just want some peace of mind. Just remember to check your old rods for cracks first, and make sure you tighten those new bolts the right way! It’s a little extra work, but I think it’s worth it in the long run.
