fresh engine new problems

[fantom73088]

I have recently rebuilt my engine it has 15,000 miles on it. Its a 7bolt with stock rods. 2 weeks ago I blew a head gasket (stock head gasket) and replaced it with a 4layer mitsu gasket with arp head studs while it was apart i noticed that there was play in the number 3 piston rod assembly so i pulled it apart and upon further inspection found a bad rod bearing so i ordered a new set. brought all of my rods to the machine shop to have them honed out because the clearance was way to small. my rods already had arp bolts in them. I put every thing back together drove the car this week and pulled the valve cover and oil pan to check the torque on all head studs and rod bolts. i found that all the rod bolts clicked at 37ft. lbs. as they are suppose to but when checking rod 2 they did not click so i pulled the nuts off and molly lubed them and started the torque process again starting at 8ft.lbs then 17, then 37ftlbs but could not get the 37ft.lbs to click so tried 1 more time and one of the bolts broke. now all that story for this question i just put everything back in it last weekend and really do not want to pull everything apart again so i am thinking about putting one old bearing halve in (so i do not deform a good one) and tapping out the old stud and pulling the new one back through with the nut to make it seat. then plastigauge to check the clearance. I know this isnt the proper way to do it but don't really have the time or money to pull it all apart again.

What are your thoughts?

 

[casuprock]

This is a guess... If the rod bolts weren't torqued down sufficiently the first time (of if they were over torqued), they could have fretted the threads. If that's what happened then you'll need to drill out and re-tap.

If you're running stock rods, the above would probably cost as much as new set of H beam rods or something so that's what I would do.

 

[angelx]

Cutting corners here is the last place you want to. Besides, if you really want to you can pull a block in a couple hours!

 

[casuprock]

Cutting corners here is the last place you want to. Besides, if you really want to you can pull a block in a couple hours!

I second that, don't cut corners.

You could go nuts, get a new crank, stroker pistons, and some forged rods. That's what I did after being persuaded by a friend and it was the best 'bad idea' ever. There's a good deal on a 100mm crank here:
OEM Mitsubishi EVO 7 Bolt 4G63 Cranks, Machined - Automotosports, Inc.