[sn95gtvert]

anyone ever reuse stock head bolts? i know arp bolts are the **** i just dont have the money for them right now. anyone know where to get a set of stock replacement head bolts for cheap.

[Tominator]

Originally Posted by sn95gtvert

anyone ever reuse stock head bolts? i know arp bolts are the **** i just dont have the money for them right now. anyone know where to get a set of stock replacement head bolts for cheap.

You can reuse yours. They are not torque to yield.

DO spend the money on good headgaskets

[cindys_sn95]

tom is exactly right, get GOOD gaskets and reuse your head bolts.

[First5.0]

Wrong! sorry but you can't re-use your headbolts. The theads/bolts stretch. The earlier mustangs (foxes) you could reuse the bolts. A set of ARP headbolts off of summit are 40 bux. Save yourself the headache.

[RLG34750]

Originally Posted by Tominator

You can reuse yours. They are not torque to yield.

DO spend the money on good headgaskets

Originally Posted by cindys_sn95

tom is exactly right, get GOOD gaskets and reuse your head bolts.

The above is oh so very wrong.......

For the price of a new head bolts it is not worth the risk.....

[mustang1010]

X2, get new bolts.

[EagleAutosports]

If they're torque to yield bolts, you cannot reuse them. I cannot remember what year those things were used so to identify them is if it has a bolt shank that is smaller in diameter than the width of the threads. That is a torque to yield bolt.

Here's an article on them, and just in case it's ever removed, I'll quote from it.

Perfect Engine Sealing Starts With Proper Head Bolt Use: Engine Builder

Torque-To-Yield (TTY) is a term that you should be familiar with because it describes a type of head bolt that is used on many late model engines. Unlike ordinary head bolts, TTY head bolts are designed to deform - but do it in a controlled way. Like a standard head bolt, a TTY bolt will stretch and spring back up to its yield point. But once the yield point is passed, the bolt becomes permanently stretched and does not return to its original length. Because of this, TTY bolts should not be reused.

Why intentionally stretch the head bolts? Engineers discovered they can get much more even clamping on the head gasket if all the bolts are evenly loaded. Since variations in friction between bolts always causes some uneven loading, stretching the bolts guarantees all the bolts will exert the same clamping force regardless of the torque reading on the wrench. The result is improved cylinder sealing, longer head gasket durability and less cylinder bore distortion (for reduced blowby and more power).

TTY head bolts are typically used on engines with aluminum cylinder heads (where there is a lot of thermal expansion) and with multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets. MLS head gaskets are very stiff gaskets with much less compressibility than standard soft-faced composition head gaskets. On the other hand, MLS head gaskets are almost bullet-proof and produce much less bore distortion than other types of head gaskets because they require less clamping force. But to seal properly, MLS head gaskets require very smooth (almost polished), flat surfaces on the head and block. This, in turn, requires very precise and even clamping loads by the head bolts. That's why TTY head bolts are used in these engines.

How can you tell TTY head bolts from ordinary head bolts? TTY head bolts are typically longer and narrower than standard head bolts. Factory service manuals will tell you which applications use TTY bolts, and you can often tell from the head bolt tightening procedure if the bolts are TTY or standard. TTY bolts typically have an angle tightening specification rather than a specific torque value (which requires using an angle gauge when tightening the bolts.

The torque procedure for tightening a TTY head bolt involves tightening it until a certain torque reading is reached. Then the bolt is given an additional turn to a specified angle (say an additional 45 to 90 degrees) to load the bolt beyond its yield point for maximum clamping pressure.

[cindys_sn95]

for the life of me i can't find a single thing on 302, or any ford windsor engine using tty head bolts. even in chiltons and motors repair manuals it just lists torque settings.........i'm sure someone will correct me.

[RLG34750]

Originally Posted by cindys_sn95

for the life of me i can't find a single thing on 302, or any ford windsor engine using tty head bolts. even in chiltons and motors repair manuals it just lists torque settings.........i'm sure someone will correct me.

you know you are most likely right ......

new heads bolts are just cheap insurance......

[EagleAutosports]

TTY bolts are good for something... for warming up the ol pitching arm by throwing them in the woods.

[sn95gtvert]

ok guys you got me, i will have to buy a set of bolts today. my build is far from powerful but its a daily driver car and i got the itch to tear it down. i havent started yet, all my gt40 stuff has been sitting for so long its time i get it on.

i was told before that reusing the headbolts was alright so i didnt get a set and i did a last minute crame fest researching thus spawning this thread.

thanks everyone for your input.

[Bullitt95]

AFAIK, the stock head bolts CAN be reused but only once. If the heads need to come off for a second time, it's adviseable to get new head bolts.

[RLG34750]

Originally Posted by First5.0

Wrong! sorry but you can't re-use your headbolts. The theads/bolts stretch. The earlier mustangs (foxes) you could reuse the bolts. A set of ARP headbolts off of summit are 40 bux. Save yourself the headache.

Originally Posted by mustang1010

X2, get new bolts.

Originally Posted by EagleAutosports

TTY bolts are good for something... for warming up the ol pitching arm by throwing them in the woods.

Originally Posted by sn95gtvert

ok guys you got me, i will have to buy a set of bolts today. .

..........Yipppe.........

Those of us who advised new head bolts win......