Can I/should I Replace My Rod Bolts - W/ Engine In Car?!?

[2000xp8]

I've been messing with mustangs for quite some time and i've never seen an instance where the rod bolts on a stock bottom end were the failure point.
I've also never seen salvadgable parts from a split block.

 

[Noobz347]

I've seen/heard/read about one. The block cracked, dude had lifter valley and main girdles installed. The consensus was that damage would have been much worse without these pieces. They're intended to add some additional rigidity, not strength. This particular block spend a few seasons revving to 7000+ on the track before finally giving up the ghost. I'll dig around and see if I still have pics of the tear down.

I had intended to go this route and ended up finding what I thought was a great deal on a Dart block. I still think they're a good option for folks in a situation like the OP where, "Ooops, all the sudden I find myself making XXX HP" considering the relative ease and expense.

 

[90lxcoupe]

yea but you cant just bolt a main support on either, you have to bore/hone the block with them installed for them to "work right"

 

[Noobz347]

Probe Street Fighter Main Girdles are intended for use in street or most
street and strip applications. Street Fighter Main Girdles are
manufactured of 3/8" thick Chromoly steel. They are CNC finished for an
accurate fit with a minimum of interference. Probe Street Fighter Main
Girdles utilize a separate standoff to provide clearance at the main cap
and do not require machining or align boring. Belt sanding of the main
cap may be required. 3/8” Thick Chromoly Steel- CNC Machined-
Designed to clear all stroker applications

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

My questions are:
1. Is it possible to change the rod bolts while the engine is in the car - assuming I've lifted it high enough to remove the pan? Are the bolts pressed into the rods or can they be removed?
2. Would replacing the rod bolts w/ ARP bolts be the best way to reinforce my bottom end - short of getting a sportsman or dart block w/ upgraded rotating assembly?

The rod bolts aren't the weakest link on your engine. That title goes to the stock block and the reason is that the main bearing caps can "walk" at higher rpm (usually 6500+), resulting in cracks forming around the bolt holes. After repeated high rpm blasts, those cracks will extend upwards through the main webs to the cam bearings, causing a loss of oil pressure and onset of engine vibration. The few lucky guys will only need to replace the block but most aren't so fortunate and end up grenading the engine. A main cap girdle will merely hold some of the fragments together and limit the carnage, so it could help save some bottom end components from damage and allow them to be reused in a new block.
If you limit yourself to 6000rpm and detune the engine to ~450rwhp, it'll have a better chance of survival.