Head bolt choices.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Head bolt choices.
After studying up on bolting up the heads to my car, I see the procedure for tightening the head bolts and it is already stressing me out. I don't like the two phases of 90 degree turns because it sounds like it takes a lot of torque to do properly. I also see a lot of threads where people are stripping the threads out of the block. I like to just dial in the torque on the torque wrench and turn until the wrench clicks.
So what is every else's experiences here? Does it take a significant amount of pressure to tighten the TTY bolts? Is it just easier to go with ARP bolts and just dial in the torque wrench?
So what is every else's experiences here? Does it take a significant amount of pressure to tighten the TTY bolts? Is it just easier to go with ARP bolts and just dial in the torque wrench?
Racer
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 350
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga NY
I used a regular 1/2 drive ratchet to do the last to 90 phases on the last set of heads I did. It was very tiring. Use a decent size breaker bar and it won't be tough.
You won't strip them.
If u are gonna pull the heads again- go arp. If not then get oem bolts. Arp were like 150$ here while oems were 30$. There's a decent price gap
You won't strip them.
If u are gonna pull the heads again- go arp. If not then get oem bolts. Arp were like 150$ here while oems were 30$. There's a decent price gap
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
I used a regular 1/2 drive ratchet to do the last to 90 phases on the last set of heads I did. It was very tiring. Use a decent size breaker bar and it won't be tough.
You won't strip them.
If u are gonna pull the heads again- go arp. If not then get oem bolts. Arp were like 150$ here while oems were 30$. There's a decent price gap
You won't strip them.
If u are gonna pull the heads again- go arp. If not then get oem bolts. Arp were like 150$ here while oems were 30$. There's a decent price gap
Do head studs put the least amount of stress on the threads in the block.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 350
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga NY
You won't strip the block. Those oem bolts are made to stretch. You are more likely to strip them with arp bolts.
I have never heard of anyone stripping the threads. I am not sure what makes u so nervous about it
I have never heard of anyone stripping the threads. I am not sure what makes u so nervous about it
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
I searched google for stripped ls1 head bold holes and founrd quite a few that had stripped the thread out of the hole. They used either helicoild or timesert to fix it.
The thing is, I have no idea why the threads stripped. Maybe gunk still in the whole, maybe the age/mileage of the engine, or maybe too much torque applied to the bolts.
The thing is, I have no idea why the threads stripped. Maybe gunk still in the whole, maybe the age/mileage of the engine, or maybe too much torque applied to the bolts.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 23,283
Likes: 906
From: Lake Elsinore, CA
I used ARP Head studs and was so happy I did afterwards. I had a gasket leak that took several re-do's to find (subtle problem with Cometic gasket) and had to pull the heads three more times within a few weeks before it was fixed.
With studs, you hand tighten them in the block after cleaning the holes out and then torque the nuts to spec after sliding the heads over them - and, yes, the passenger head will slide over the studs in the block with the engine still in the car. Plus, you never have to clean those bolt holes out ever again if you have to pull the heads. I've done this in my C5 and a few others when doing heads/cam.
With studs, you hand tighten them in the block after cleaning the holes out and then torque the nuts to spec after sliding the heads over them - and, yes, the passenger head will slide over the studs in the block with the engine still in the car. Plus, you never have to clean those bolt holes out ever again if you have to pull the heads. I've done this in my C5 and a few others when doing heads/cam.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 350
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga NY
I searched google for stripped ls1 head bold holes and founrd quite a few that had stripped the thread out of the hole. They used either helicoild or timesert to fix it.
The thing is, I have no idea why the threads stripped. Maybe gunk still in the whole, maybe the age/mileage of the engine, or maybe too much torque applied to the bolts.
The thing is, I have no idea why the threads stripped. Maybe gunk still in the whole, maybe the age/mileage of the engine, or maybe too much torque applied to the bolts.
Was it for header bolts? I don't know if I'd trust a helicoil head bolt
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
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