Can i reuse my stock head bolts?

[sidewayzisbest]

Well i had to take my passenger head off and get it to a machine shop b/c i broke an easy out in it......well when i was at autozone trying to see if they lend torque wrenches.......and he said that i needed new bolts and said something bout them streching.....should i go and buy new bolts =( or can i reuse those stock ones

 

[TIMMY2734]

Theyre torque to yield bolts. Really only supposed to be used once. If your in a strech you probably could get by fine with them, like many others have done. If i were in your shoes, id shell out the 30-40 for the ARP ones. Those will last you just about forever

 

[YardSpecial]

I would not do it.
We had a guy blow two head gaskets on a NA car !!

He re-used the bolts !!

Cheep insurance to get new ones.

I would not trust my 200K bolts, too much work to pull the heads TWICE. IMOP

 

[Jerry Leaming]

I agree buy news ones, because if you blow another head gasket it will cost more to fix that than it would of to just buy new bolts.

 

[BlackFox5.0]

Get ARP headbolts! I put stock heads on with the same head bolts (one snapped off in the block while torquing them down) and i just put on ported stock heads, i found that a headbolt snapped, and i blew the gasket, good thing i caught it, or i would have ruined my block! i immediately went and bought ARP head bolts, no regrets...i paid $50 atm y local speed shop, i didn't have time to order some

 

[sidewayzisbest]

umm......if i cant get any arp bolts by this weekend can i use the stock ones and then change them out on monday? all i need to do is go down to g/f pagent and need to do some other minor stuff.........or should i just wiat?

 

[TIMMY2734]

You can do it. Its not the smartest thing to do as you know.

Hope i dont see you make a new thread next week because you broke a head bolt in your block and cant seem to get it out

 

[sidewayzisbest]

haha.....car hasn't ran in 4months =(......and need to be at this pagent....so migh thave too =( bout 20mile drive ....

which arp bolt set i get there 2 different sizes for the 302 i see.....

 

[TIMMY2734]

7/16" is the size that you need. NOT 1/2"

 

[SL 1993 R]

now if you have already had the heads off and replaced the stock head bolts with arp's, would you replace the head bolts again?

 

[BlackFox5.0]

now if you have already had the heads off and replaced the stock head bolts with arp's, would you replace the head bolts again?

no

 

[sidewayzisbest]

would i be safe just to use them to start the car .....its been so long and not sure if i can get those bolts till tomorow....since i would have to change teh other side too they have 62,000 miles on them and no visible streching but i wouldn't be abel to tell anyways....and how would it go if i drove like 40miles?

 

[JadeFalcon]

do not do that. Once they are on there, you have compressed your head gasket, if you remove them one at a time and put new ARP bolts in, they have a different tinsel strength, so you will be torquring them slightly different, and it will cause seals to blow. I know this, my buddy tried it

 

[BlackFox5.0]

And plus you could break a stock headbolt in the block, and you will be wishing you put ARPs in!

 

[sidewayzisbest]

.........arg.....cries.................lol .......goes out and starts to take other side off too

 

[FHPstang]

.

 

[mob]

Technically you CAN because they are the same size but dont, ARP bolts are not expensive and they are a huge investment.