351W Head Bolts

[69gmachine]

Does anyone know of a dealer that might still have a set of the discontinued M-6065-B58 Head bolt Kits for the Windsor? I don't like the ARP head bolts because the diameter of the head is too small (9/16) for a 1/2" bolt. I rounded off almost every bolt trying to remove them last fall when I tore my engine down.

 

[mstngjoe]

I don't know if any of these places actually have the bolts in stock, but they have them on their respective websites:

http://racerwalsh.zoovy.com/category/ford_racing_parts/

http://wolfingham.com/ncmustang/mcart/index.cgi?code=3&page=6&cat=18

http://www.gefracing.com/Merchant2/...&Product_Code=M6065B58&Category_Code=50ENGINE

http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=M6065B58+01

 

[Rusty67]

Instead of head bolts you could use studs.

 

[brianj5600]

I am not sure what the problem is or how Ford bolts will fix it? I vote for studs. Stock bolts can stretch or even break when torqueing. It seems like they are soft and could contribute to head gasket failure on a motor like yours. I used ARP studs and see no potential for stripping.

 

[Rusty67]

I am not sure what the problem is or how Ford bolts will fix it? I vote for studs. Stock bolts can stretch or even break when torqueing. It seems like they are soft and could contribute to head gasket failure on a motor like yours. I used ARP studs and see no potential for stripping.

He is rounding the head of the bolt off because ARP bolts have a reduced head on the bold. They reduce them to the size of the shank. This requires extra effort when installing/torquing or removing if you aren't using an impact because there is less surface area to grab on the bolt and in high torque applications can cause some accident slippage/rounding.

 

[69gmachine]

He is rounding the head of the bolt off because ARP bolts have a reduced head on the bold. They reduce them to the size of the shank. This requires extra effort when installing/torquing or removing if you aren't using an impact because there is less surface area to grab on the bolt and in high torque applications can cause some accident slippage/rounding.

Exactly.

I'd rather not use studs because it's almost impossible to pull a head over the studs with the engine in the car. The factory bolts will hold just fine.

I don't know if any of these places actually have the bolts in stock, but they have them on their respective websites:

Thanks for the leads mstngjoe!!

 

[69gmachine]

no luck

I chased down all the leads from mstngjoe, as well as several others, and everyone drop ships them from Ford, which no longer stocks them. Too bad. All of them were very reasonably priced, one as low as $28.00!

If you order them from a Ford dealer they go for $5.80 each for the long bolts and $4.20 for the short bolts. With either tax or shippping that's over a C note for a full set.

As usual, my timing sucks. I placed an ad in the classified section, but if anyone has a good used set lying around they're willing to part with let me know.

 

[dennis112]

Something to consider: Recent ARP head studs have allen head centers that allow you to screw out the stud prior to removing the head. Not much more work than removing a bolt since the stud is installed only finger tight.

 

[69gmachine]

That's good info on the new ARP studs. If I build another engine from the ground up I'll probably use them.

I have always been told that whatever you use during the honing process (on the torque plates) you also need to use during assembly. The stresses on the block are different for a stud vs a bolt. If I switch now I won't have as good a ring seal as I would with bolts.

Thanks for all the replies. Lots of good ideas.