converting 2 bolt to 4 bolt
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,086
Likes: 786
From: Lebanon Township New Jersey
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 129
From: Fredericksburg Virginia
I had an interesting conversation with my Engine Builder on Friday. I asked him if he thought ARP studs were necessary or beneficial on my 4-bolt engine.
If I had a 2-bolt main, we would have already done the ARP upgrade. Wouldn't have been a question.
He says that we CAD do the ARP upgrade to my 4-bolt, but it isn't that big of a deal. We're just not that close to the capabilities of that engine.
He actually had a set of ARP studs in his shop and was willing to put them on, no labor, and only charge me the $70 for the parts. Then we remembered that my LT-1 engine has the windage tray, which requires standoff's on several of the bolts. Which means we'd need to purchase new. Which put me more in the $140 range.
Then he brought up that some folks like to line-hone with the stud upgrade. No biggie if you're already in there. But on my engine, the crank is in.
Point is, on MY engine, we'd be doing more harm than good to perform the "upgrade" at this point.
I asked him if he would do it if my engine were his. He said no. Just not necessary unless we were going hard-core with a blower and started getting north of 600 HP.
Again, he also said that it was a no-brainer with a 2-bolt block. And IF DONE to a 2-bolt block, he would have no reservations making my 500 HP engine based on that 2-bolt block.
So...my opinion...keep the 2-bolt block, don't fart around with 4-bolts, do the ARP studs, check your line bore, then keep going.
If I had a 2-bolt main, we would have already done the ARP upgrade. Wouldn't have been a question.
He says that we CAD do the ARP upgrade to my 4-bolt, but it isn't that big of a deal. We're just not that close to the capabilities of that engine.
He actually had a set of ARP studs in his shop and was willing to put them on, no labor, and only charge me the $70 for the parts. Then we remembered that my LT-1 engine has the windage tray, which requires standoff's on several of the bolts. Which means we'd need to purchase new. Which put me more in the $140 range.
Then he brought up that some folks like to line-hone with the stud upgrade. No biggie if you're already in there. But on my engine, the crank is in.
Point is, on MY engine, we'd be doing more harm than good to perform the "upgrade" at this point.
I asked him if he would do it if my engine were his. He said no. Just not necessary unless we were going hard-core with a blower and started getting north of 600 HP.
Again, he also said that it was a no-brainer with a 2-bolt block. And IF DONE to a 2-bolt block, he would have no reservations making my 500 HP engine based on that 2-bolt block.
So...my opinion...keep the 2-bolt block, don't fart around with 4-bolts, do the ARP studs, check your line bore, then keep going.
