New head bolts?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From: Long Grove Iowa
New head bolts?
does anyone reuse headbolts? Its hard to believe that the things actualy stretch to where it would affect something by reuseing them. at50 bucks for a new set it doesnt seem nececary. Is it a absolute no-no to reuse them?
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 2
From: High Ridge Missouri
The bolts may be $50 a set but if you have to do the job again how much are you going to spend and gaskets and materials, not to mention your time to do it a second time. $50 is actually cheap insurance all things considered.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: eau claire, wi. usa
I had replaced the head gaskets on my 86 and put new bolts in at that time. Other forum member recommend changing the timing chain at the milage that was on my car, so i remover the oil pan and found broken piston skirts. I remover the engine and had it rebuilt and at that time I asked if the head bolts had to be replaced, they were new. He said that if the engine had been started and brought up to operating temperature - he would recommend putting in new bolts.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,866
Likes: 60
From: Hellinois
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
I thought the same thing, why buy new. It used to be that you didn't have to replace head bolts every time you rebuilt an engine but the new "torque-to-yield" bolts are one time use only. I rebuilt my engine and proceeded to torque the head bolts, all went well until the very last one, damn thing snapped off! I pulled it apart again, got new head gaskets and bought new ARP bolts. The ARP's can be re-used as they are not torque-to-yield.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
