did you know that BBK shorties.....

[99FiveOh]

Will work with the stock header bolts? Yup, I went to install them yesterday while I was finishing up my 5 speed swap and I figured I'd try a stock bolt to see if it would clear and it does. A couple of the bolts were a PITA to get to, like the one near the A/C compressor, but I had a half moon wrench that I "clearanced" to make it work.

IMO, the stock bolts are probably the best bolts there are besides the locking kind. Just wanted to share that in case someone was looking into headers. Oh, and the bolts lined up beautifully! Couldn't have asked for a nicer shorty header!

BBK's FTW!

 

[final5-0]

One thing to consider when talking header bolts

If the bolt is too short ............

You run the risk of boogering up the bolt
and
If you're talking Alumimum heads ... You really have to be careful :Word:

Aluminum heads require you be more observant due to their softer
material which means you can screw D) up the threads in a heartbeat

Grady

 

[revhead347]

One thing to consider when talking header bolts

If the bolt is too short ............

You run the risk of boogering up the bolt
and
If you're talking Alumimum heads ... You really have to be careful :Word:

Aluminum heads require you be more observant due to their softer
material which means you can screw D) up the threads in a heartbeat

Grady

LOL, so true. I think I've stripped out half the bolt holes in my aluminum heads. Cross-threading, it works better than loctite.

Kurt

 

[Black95GTS]

Cross-threading, it works better than loctite.Kurt

This one of the funniest things I've read here!

Adam

 

[99FiveOh]

This one of the funniest things I've read here!

Adam

I decided to use it for my sig! lol

and Grady, my heads are Irons and my GT40s will be irons too. Besides, the header bolt kit I purchased from Autozone had shorter bolts than the stockers. I'm just saying they clear the tubes on BBK's. My last car had Heddmen's on it and I had to run the cheap bolt kit on them, they were always backing out!

 

[S351Saleen77]

The stock header bolts with cupped washers from Ford work awesome! They are the best to use if they will fit on your headers.

On stock exhaust manifolds from the 1960's Mustangs etc, all used this type of bolt with a cupped washer that acts like a lock washer.

 

[02 281 GT]

Would you be able to use studs rather than bolts for headers? I mean, wouldn't that really simplify things and eliminate the possibility of cross threading when you're trying desperately to start a header bolt that is being stubborn?

Edit: answered my own question: ARP Chromemoly Header Stud Kit