Oil on Rod nuts and main cap bolts?

[89ShelbyGuy]

Hey Guys...i am woundering if you have to put a tad bit of oil on the main cap bolts and on the bolts for the rod caps before you torque them to spec...i kinda installed mine dry...then i hear from someone i should put a little on it...Is this true? And if it is, would it affect my plastigage readings? thanks

Tom

[mo' parts]

Hey Guys...i am woundering if you have to put a tad bit of oil on the main cap bolts and on the bolts for the rod caps before you torque them to spec...i kinda installed mine dry...then i hear from someone i should put a little on it...Is this true? And if it is, would it affect my plastigage readings? thanks

Tom

i usally install mine dry and plastigauge them, if they are stock bolts. oil can affect the torque and plastigauge reading.

[89ShelbyGuy]

The Main cap bolts are stock, the rod are arp...suposely

[JamesL]

If I'm looking for a specific torque specification, I use some lube to get a truer reading.

[t3rse]

Unless I'm going to use thread locker or sealant, I use oil on everything that gets torqued to spec. Not using lubrication causes binding and false readings.

[89ShelbyGuy]

Well, it looks like i will be taking out the caps and putting a tad bit of oil on them and torquin them to spec again...damnit...

How about when your using the plastigage? still use a little strip of oil? I installed them dry and took the gage readings...readings where all in great spec...won't think it would change that much..?

[minigts]

I use butter cream cake icing. It's viscous, but once it heats up, it will dissolve. AND sugar is a great additive for synthetic oil.

[thefitisgay]

I use butter cream cake icing. It's viscous, but once it heats up, it will dissolve. AND sugar is a great additive for synthetic oil.

:lol:

i heard back in the day they used lithium grease instead of regular grease because regular grease is to gritty and would give bad torque readings

[JamesL]

Use some of that ARP lube you got with the rod bolts. The plastigauge is telling you what your clearances are. A good thing to know and shouldn't change after your retorque!

[JamesL]

I use butter cream cake icing. It's viscous, but once it heats up, it will dissolve. AND sugar is a great additive for synthetic oil.

Sounds like a Smokey Yunich trick. I think I read that in his engine building book like 25 years ago or so. I should go back and read that again. The man was a genius!

[89ShelbyGuy]

Thanks for all the info guys! I dont have any of that arp lube...the rods were resized the last time the engine was rebuilt, which was about 30,000 miles ago....the engine ran great..had alright oil pressure...but i found a chunk of metal in the oil pan which made me check...which i found the mains to be shot...the rod bearings looked new...which is a good thing....i am glad i did check cause i found the crank was cut 10/30 :eek: found a used but stock one that i cut 10/10...its sooo preatty!! lol

[turbovanman²]

Lube the bolts and nuts, leave the bearings and crank pin dry if using plastigauge. Remove the PG with brake cleaner and a rag, then lube up with some assembly grease or thick oil.

[thefitisgay]

maybe you need new main bolts to...