Are rod and main bolts resuable

[oleman]

We have a code M 3100 in a 96 corsica we are overhauling. I do not have a shop manual handy.
Does Chevy recommend the replacement of rod and main bolts at overhaul as they do head bolts?

[Doubt_Incarnate]

of course they do, and they want you to get them from gm too. just like they want you to take your car there to be fixed so it puts money in their pocket.

just kidding. i've always reused mine and never had a problem. my old motor actually has oil pressure off the guage (wasn't like that when i put it back together) so they cant have stretched. go for it, i have, i'm sure alot of others have too, unless your going to beat the car daily like it belongs to somone you hate, if it going to be tortured for some reason, always in the upper 3rd of thr tach, then id go for new goods.

[geoffinbc]

Yea resue them unless you spun any barings. A spun bearing will cause excessive heat and will have damaged the strength.

I even reused my head bolts. On the old iron motors you can get away with this. I would not try it on the new Torque To Yield bolts though.

[Froggx]

I reused my conrod bolts, got new head studs.

[sharkey]

i personaly would replace the rod bolts. they are in a realy high stress area and its not that much to replace them. its cheap insurance as i see it. if you are going with some performance, you can get the arp rod bolts for under $50.

main bolts id reuse unless again, you are going for some good power, then id recomend main studs from arp.

some people beleive they are fine to reuse in a performance build up, and most of the time, they are fine. however, if you break a rod bolt and throw a rod through the side of your block because you reused them, you will be kicking yourself.

[Froggx]

if you break a rod bolt and throw a rod through the side of your block because you reused them, you will be kicking yourself.

or buying a bigger, badder engine, also if you're lucky you'll blow it throw the block during a drag race and it'll lodge in your competitions engine and hopefully the lightweight car most of these engines seem to go in will be able to outcoast the competition, in all seriousness very good point

[sharkey]

lol, or if you have an auto, it could throw it through the block and break the tranny case.