head bolts

[lazyass]

doing a head gasket on a saturn, how important is it really to buy new head bolts? do they stretch that much that they wont torque right? or break easier or why do they recommend this, iam a cheap ass and i dont' want to spend more then necessary

[upngo50]

You MUST buy new bolts! You can't see the stretch, but it is there and you will have problems if you use the old ones. Spend the extra scratch and do it right.

edit:nice guy I am I could at least explain why instead of just saying you must.The final degreed torque creates an elastic clamping force evenly across the head and gasket. If you do get the used ones to torque in they still won't have the same amount of load. Over streching can weaken them. So yes they are more likely to break on the second use.

[bohn]

If this is the first time they ever been removed then i would reuse them. I usally switch after removing them twice. Been told this by alot of knowledgable people and its never done me wrong. I even reused a set three time and spray the motor with stock head gaskets and nothing happened. Just clean them real good and if they require some sort of sealent them use it.

[upngo50]

Why chance it...I personally would just buy the bolts. Torque to yield bolts were meant as a one time use fastener.

[lazyass]

this saturn isn't getting sprayed lol, soo i am just going to clean them up, their barely dirty, but yea, i dont' think using them a second time will be that bad, besides using the old ones wasn't my call, its the owners, soo its not my car :)

[4cfed]

well i have to agree with bohn on my 89 daytona c/s 2.2 turbo i did the saftey of just putting new bolts in it ..a few months later i had to take them out to put a diff turbo on it and i reused the same bolts and it was just fine..cleaned them real good and torqued them 1 pound over recomended and they held just fine untell it spun a crank beiring..on something n/a thats not god awfull high compression it would be fine to reuse them a second time but if you have to do it again put new ones in

[badass88gt]

It all depends if they are TTY bolts or not. For example, ARP's can be reused a couple times, but factory 5.0 can't.

[lazyass]

they are what ever comes in a 94 sc2

[Positraction Action]

I reused my ARP studs in my 350 and haven't had a problem

[upngo50]

I am assuming the saturn uses an aluminum head here, in which case the chances are very good a torque to yield bolt was used. Typically you only find TTY bolts on motors with aluminum heads. Factory 5.0L head bolts are not torque to yield bolts.

[UPdragracer]

Think of them as a spring . on the new stuff . they are only strong enough to do the job they are intended for . they get weak from heat and cool cycles
they may not hold proper torque . in fact it just might be the reason you are putting a gasket in it in the first place .

A series 60 detroit diesel has 38 head bolts about 5/8ths diameter and they get torqued to 220 ft lbs . yup you guessed it they get rplaced every time the head comes off also .
talk about a workout torqueing that head with a 1/2 drive torque wrench
do it in 3 steps and double check em after final torque :hmpsmile:

[UPdragracer]

this saturn isn't getting sprayed lol, soo i am just going to clean them up, their barely dirty, but yea, i dont' think using them a second time will be that bad, besides using the old ones wasn't my call, its the owners, soo its not my car :)

:dance: You are off the hook reuse em and give no warrenty :dance:

[1SLO5.0]

Ok, you guys are comparing apples to oranges here. A torque to yield head bolt on a Saturn is far different from a head bolt on a small block chevy or any other engine that is not torque to yield. Like UPdragracer said, they are like a spring. The Saturn head bolts need to be replaced. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Replace them or you will be replacing a head gasket again very soon.

[syclone]

Funny this has come up. In the last 8 months I have done a 99 malibu and my wife's 2000 impala used new bolts on both because doing it right the first time is easier. But then I purchased a 94 grand am for $150 which the seller told me it needed intake gaskets and everything else worked fine. Put them on and found that it was actually a head gasket and not intake that was bad. So having little money in this car I said what the hell I am going to reuse the old head bolts. So far I have not had an issue and I am 3 1/2 months in. Sometimes you have to try things for yourself- trial and error

[lazyass]

yea iam nto that worried about a four cylinder 120hp car blowing a head gasket apart, if the torque coming loose is the problem, why not just use some loctite? the green kind will hold it in place!

[1SLO5.0]

yea iam nto that worried about a four cylinder 120hp car blowing a head gasket apart, if the torque coming loose is the problem, why not just use some loctite? the green kind will hold it in place!


It has nothing to do with loc tite or horsepower ratings. It has to do with the integrity of the bolts. I have fixed so many head gaskets due to people reusing bolts, its not even funny. But its not my car so I really could care less what you do.

[1fastdeuce]

yea iam nto that worried about a four cylinder 120hp car blowing a head gasket apart, if the torque coming loose is the problem, why not just use some loctite? the green kind will hold it in place!


Those bolts are torque to yield and the have already been stretched so when you reuse them the clamping force of the stretch is less. It would be like the bolts calling for 70 ft. lbs. and you torque them at 50. But whatever. Your the one that has to deal with it.

[UPdragracer]

About reusing headbolts , it is up to you gamble ,yes you can get away with it but some day it will get you :eeeek:

[badass88gt]

Factory 5.0L head bolts are not torque to yield bolts.



Thats news to me. Everything Ive ever heard, read, etc. says they are, including the Ford dealer.

[upngo50]

Thats news to me. Everything Ive ever heard, read, etc. says they are, including the Ford dealer.


Not......Check any Haynes manual or call a Ford dealer. Factory Ford 302 5.0L use a standard bolt.

[badass88gt]

Found out the details. Sometime in 93 they changed it, 93-newer were TTY. That came right from Ford. If it has a flange on the bolt, its TTY, if not, its not.

[brommosauto]

ford 302s had a head bolt issue driver side head bolts would break they went to a torque to yield bolt dont miss doing those