K1 Rod bolts- torque wrench or bolt stretch guage

KWIKR 1

Active Member
Joined
May 25, 2001
in the instructions that came with my 6" K1 rods it recommend that a stretch gauge is the most accurate and that it should be used . so they do not have torque values for the supplied ARP rod bolts . Question who has installed the rods/bolts using a stretch guage and who has installed them without and just used a torque wrench ? if so what torque value did you use and what lube ? K1 also supplys this brown goo for thier lube . looks nothing like the ARP stuff :)
 
wow im suprised that it didnt come with a sheet showing the maxium value of torque to witch not to exceed. a rod bolt stretch gauge is the way to go but on my carrillo rods i torqued them with a torque wrench and put it 5 lbs under there maxium value. As far as the k1 rods im sure someone will be able to help you out real quick.
 
If they are 7/16-20 threads then the torque value should be around 70 ft lbs with moly. I talked to a builder about this years ago and he said the difference in stretch from 65 to 70 ft lbs was minimal.
 
how did you come up with 70 ft/lbs ?


Rod Bolt Stretch Guide

ARP | Tech - Torque and Stretch


In the K1 instructions they suggest the following :
Recommended Stretch
7/16 x *1.550" ARP 2000 - .0056" to .0060"

7/16" x *1.600" ARP 2000 - .0060" - .0064"

7/16" x *1.800" ARP 2000 - .0068" - .0072"

* - Under Head Lengths

My machinist. The stretch is preferred but not always the most convenient.
 
...i used the torque angle guage method per k1's instructions...i think for the arp bolts that came with my set it was 25 or 30 ft. lbs. and 60 degrees with the angle guage ...i used the lube that k1 sent ...good luck.
 
The best thing to do is this. Install one bolt with the stretch gauge method and figure out what torque is needed to produce your desired stretch. On my rods it worked out to be about 80 ft lbs with a 7/16 bolt to obtain about .0055 stretch. Sometimes its better to use a micrometer if you can get it in postion. Each type of bolt can give different stretch depending on the material used.
 
from what I've been able to gather . stretch gauge is more set up for a nut and bolt combo, not on a bolt into thread combo.
 
Torque wrench tightening yields the broadest range of bolt preload. Because torque is sensitive to variables like cleanliness, lube, washers & technique the only way to truly know is by testing with all the variables controlled. This is why you will typically see specific instructions as to what type of lube to use. Torque wrench accuracy is another variable.

Bolt stretch is directly proportional to the bolt preload until you get to the yield point. So when you measure stretch you are directly measuring the preload. This is the best method if you have the right tools.

The K1 instructions fall between these two as far a accuracy and ease of procedure. The light torque of 20 ft-lbs simply brings all the members into firm contact. The additional turn of 60 degrees provides the usefull preload. Because the manufacturer knows the thread pitch and geometry of the connection, they know how many degrees will result in the correct preload. Because the torque wrench is used to a low value the range of error is minimized... 10% error at 20 ft-lbs is alot better than 10% at 80.
 
Torque wrench tightening yields the broadest range of bolt preload. Because torque is sensitive to variables like cleanliness, lube, washers & technique the only way to truly know is by testing with all the variables controlled. This is why you will typically see specific instructions as to what type of lube to use. Torque wrench accuracy is another variable.

Bolt stretch is directly proportional to the bolt preload until you get to the yield point. So when you measure stretch you are directly measuring the preload. This is the best method if you have the right tools.

The K1 instructions fall between these two as far a accuracy and ease of procedure. The light torque of 20 ft-lbs simply brings all the members into firm contact. The additional turn of 60 degrees provides the usefull preload. Because the manufacturer knows the thread pitch and geometry of the connection, they know how many degrees will result in the correct preload. Because the torque wrench is used to a low value the range of error is minimized... 10% error at 20 ft-lbs is alot better than 10% at 80.

Thats what I was going to say! :D
 
I bought a bolt stretch gage for mine but couldn't fit it on the bolt when assembled so I went with the easy torque angle gage- 25ft lbs + 55 degrees.
 
you can borrow mine to use, send david to pick it up.
 
Torque wrench tightening yields the broadest range of bolt preload. Because torque is sensitive to variables like cleanliness, lube, washers & technique the only way to truly know is by testing with all the variables controlled. This is why you will typically see specific instructions as to what type of lube to use. Torque wrench accuracy is another variable.

Bolt stretch is directly proportional to the bolt preload until you get to the yield point. So when you measure stretch you are directly measuring the preload. This is the best method if you have the right tools.

The K1 instructions fall between these two as far a accuracy and ease of procedure. The light torque of 20 ft-lbs simply brings all the members into firm contact. The additional turn of 60 degrees provides the usefull preload. Because the manufacturer knows the thread pitch and geometry of the connection, they know how many degrees will result in the correct preload. Because the torque wrench is used to a low value the range of error is minimized... 10% error at 20 ft-lbs is alot better than 10% at 80.


Thank you for covering this. You are very correct but in addition to the other variables, because the mating surfaces of the bolts and the rods change with each tightening, the (depending on the lube used, it could get smoother or rougher), the torque required to get the bolts properly tighened actually changes also. Using stretch or the torque and angle method is more accurate. Also, the bolts that K1 uses in their rods are not the off the shelf bolts sold by ARP so the torque numbers are not the same as the numbers in the ARP books.

If you are interested in a low cost stretch gage, we have them for sale. Please call us for more information. 616-583-9700
 
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