Stretched rod bolt - Screw harbor freight

[Dirk37]

While replacing my rod bearings I found I was without a torque wrench, so I did the stupidest thing I've done in years and purchased one at harbor freight. The first stage of torquing worked fine, it clicked at 24 ft/lbs. But when I adjusted it to 35 ft/lbs for the second stage it didn't want to click.

I stopped because it just didn't feel right to me, the nut kept going on and it wasn't getting much harder to turn which is almost always happens right before a bolt shears.

So I took the rod cap off and tried threading the nut onto the rod bolt to see if it was stretched, it threaded smoothly until the last 3 or 4 threads where it gets hard to turn, which is where I'm assuming it stretched. I did the same test on another rod bolt that wasn't over torqued and it threaded smoothly all the way to the end of the threads.

I feel like such a ******** but being angry isn't going to fix the problem.

So the question is do I take my chances with it or attempt to replace it?

If I do need to replace it;
How do I get the rod bolt out with the engine in the car?
Where do I look for new bolts? I have a parts engine but I'd feel better with new ones

 

[rubydist]

if it stretched, it was above the place where the nut was when you were torquing it. is that how far you needed to thread the nut on to have it get so it didn't want to turn? I have seen some where the cap made a little deformation on the thread so the nut would not want to go easily once you got to that point.

if you replace the bolt, you are supposed to re-size the rod/cap bore, but imho you are better off to put a new bolt in there than to keep one that you believe has been over-torqued.

 

[jimtash]

I'd replace the other rod bolt as well.

You can put a couple of nuts on the end of the bolt and tap them out with a plastic hammer.

 

[Dirk37]

if it stretched, it was above the place where the nut was when you were torquing it. is that how far you needed to thread the nut on to have it get so it didn't want to turn?

It was the last few threads on the bolt

if you replace the bolt, you are supposed to re-size the rod/cap bore

I got some bolts from the spare engine that I have, do you think a resize would be necessary if they're not brand new?

I'd replace the other rod bolt as well.

I stretched both of them so I'm going to

 

[rubydist]

no, I'd just put the used ones in and hope for the best, after I bought a real torque wrench.

 

[Dirk37]

First thing I did yesterday was return that harbor freight pile and borrow my friend's nice Craftsman one. I got it almost all back together so time to see what happens.