removing conrod bolts from rods.

Do I need any special tools??

From what I can tell, a press is recommended matey. In fact, this may help you (it's generic, but applicable I feel)

Auto Zone Con Rod Repair work etc

Here's the bentley blurb although not massively useful.


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If you donn't happen to have a press you can use the following procedure.

First of decide if you want to keep the rod bolt for future use or not.

Next clamp the rod in a flat face vice like a rod vice so not to damage the rod. If you only got a vice with the rough face then use some angle aluminium over the face before clamping the rod.

Remove the cap of the rod. If you want to re use the rod bolts then screw the nut back on the bolt until it sits flush with the top of the bolt thread. This way you can hit the top of the bolt with nylon mallet without damaging the threads. Make sure that the nut is wound down far enough that you are not hitting the nut but high enouh you dont accidently hit the threads.

Once set up hit the bolt straight down with reasonable force gradually increasing in force until it breaks loose then it will tap out easy.

To put new ones in without a press lube the rod bolt up with friction lube like the ARP moly lube or similar moly lube. Locate the bolt into the rod and spin it round until the splines line up (you will feel it locate). Use the nylon mallet to gently tap the bolts into the rod. Once they are in far enough that you can locate the cap and screw a nut down for at least 3/4 of the nuts threads. Make sure the nut is fully lubricated before screwig it down finger tightness.

Then get a torque wrench and set it to 2ft/lb below the setting for the bolts you are using. Tighten the nuts up all the way pulling the bolts in with the torque wrench. If at any point the torque wrench hits its setting then there is a problem with th bolt not going in smoothly and you need to knock it out and start again or otherwise you'll strip the threads.

hth JP

Many thanks JNL for taking the time to right that,and thanks boostmonkey for your input too.
This is one aspect of the build I never gave any previous thought to until I went to do it and I couldn't find any reference to it in any of the 4pot vag haynes books.