Thread: New or Same Head Bolts

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Hey guys, I just got my heads rebuilt and put new studs, guide plates, and will be using Comps Rollers. Plan on puttting back together this weekend and I'm in the process of ordering gaskets etc. Would like to know, should I use new head bolts or is it ok to use the original? Ford 429

Get new head bolts, your old ones have been stretched a little and won't torque the same as new ones. New bolts are cheap enough not to take a chance on.

Thanks, I thought I heard that somewhere before. At $170 for a set of ARP just wanted to make sure. I am going to need a radiator for long too and $$$$$$ is tight down south.

429s and 460s use a massive and strong 9/16-diameter head bolt that handles a torque/clamping force of a whopping 135 lbs-ft. (Compare to chebby's 7/16 bolt which is torques to 65/75 foot pounds.) The original 429/460 head bolts are very strong and of high quality, and if well preserved can be reused over and over again in most applications, certainly most naturally aspirated applications.

Many moons ago (before there were 460 parts everywhere), the car pictured below ran 7.20's in the quarter using an unmodified oem useed 2-bolt block (4.44" bore), oem used 460 cast crankshaft, oem used iron passenger car heads, oem used main bolts and oem used head bolts. The Moroso calculator put HP at over 1800HP.

(Kids, don't try this at home; your results may vary )

Paul

Originally Posted by Paul Kane

429s and 460s use a massive and strong 9/16-diameter head bolt that handles a torque/clamping force of a whopping 135 lbs-ft. (Compare to chebby's 7/16 bolt which is torques to 65/75 foot pounds.) The original 429/460 head bolts are very strong and of high quality, and if well preserved can be reused over and over again in most applications, certainly most naturally aspirated applications.

Many moons ago (before there were 460 parts everywhere), the car pictured below ran 7.20's in the quarter using an unmodified oem useed 2-bolt block (4.44" bore), oem used 460 cast crankshaft, oem used iron passenger car heads, oem used main bolts and oem used head bolts. The Moroso calculator put HP at over 1800HP.

(Kids, don't try this at home; your results may vary )

Paul

What Paul is not telling you is that the Big block Chevy uses more head bolts spread more evenly across the surface of the deck which will seal your head gasket better.
Used head bolts in a "blown application"?
Even ARP wants you to check for bolt stretch.
Why take a chance on used fastners that may be 30 years old and have 5+ torque cycles on them.
Yes, kids don't re-use head bolts or any other bolts in any blown application.

Replacement bolts = cheap engine insurance.

I would go for studs for better clamping rather then bolts - and they are cheaper.

P/N ARP-155-4003 with hex head nuts, @$153 from Summit(the 12 point nut versions are out of sight pricewise)

Originally Posted by IC2

Replacement bolts = cheap engine insurance.

I would go for studs for better clamping rather then bolts - and they are cheaper.

P/N ARP-155-4003 with hex head nuts, @$153 from Summit(the 12 point nut versions are out of sight pricewise)

If you go for head studs, be sure you can slide the head off without doing a lot of extra work.

I assembled the 462" Buick engine in my roadster on an engine stand.

Not too far down the road I pulled the heads to machine for Teflon guides and different springs.
I found the right side head would not come off due to a conflict with the 32's sticks-out-a-touch front body mount.
Had to pull the ARP studs which isn't too bad, but the two end ones are down in a well.

Last time I had the head off, I stuck ARP head bolts in it.

Kinda funny looking, but no one has ever commented about the right side bolts and left side studs.

Sorta like my pal from back in the day, he showed up with his flathead powered 49 Ford coupe with an aluminum head on one side and a factory head on the other.
Ran ok, kinda made folks wonder though....

Originally Posted by erik erikson

What Paul is not telling you is that the Big block Chevy uses more head bolts spread more evenly across the surface of the deck which will seal your head gasket better.

And what Erik is not telling you is that the Ford has the true symmetrical bolt spacing, the thicker cylinder head deck on the block, the blind head bolt holes, the stronger head bolts and the better block material...to name a few of the features that enable the better head gasket sealing than the chebby.

But I digress, I can understand a chebby enthusiast's disbelief at what the stock Ford parts can support...afterall, had the race car in my post above been built with passenger car chebby parts it most certainly would have grenaded to smithereens.

Paul

I like new hardware on everything in the engine. Another couple hundred bucks invested in a new or freshened engine is cheap.. On the big Fords that I already have ARP studs in, I reuse the studs for 2 freshens, then go to new ones... Too many other places to save money, no reason to cut back on the hardware that holds everything together.... Maybe it's not essential for a build, but then health insurance isn't essential either...........

Most stud kits use a washer and a nut to secure the main cap.... Do you suppose the washer distributes the load differently and causes the misalignment of the mains????

I hear you Mooneye, You echo my sentiments. It was hard for me to lay down this kinda money for 20 bolts, especially after what I have already spent. My truck has been down all summer because I have to wait for the money each month to go from one part of the project to the next. I guess I was leaning toward the new bolts and just wanted it justified. At the least my mind will be at ease when I tromp down on the accelerator, but my wallet will be flat as a pancake when I pull up to the pumps.

thanks for the words of wisdom as always denny. the motor is stated by previous owner as a 12.5-1 compression. it cant have over 2000 miles on it, the reason i am replacing the cam is it is a .680 lift drag cam and is not street freindly at all. thats the only reason i will be cracking it open, but i want to inspect it thouroghly before it goes back in the car. and that will include pan and head removal, then mount it in the anglia and back to the mustang. it might already have ARP's in it anyway, but i will get new fasteners if the cash flow allows me to.