I haven't rebuilt an engine for nearly 40 years, but I did enough of it in my youth to still remember the basics. What I've got is a small block Chevy 350 purchased from a coworker for cheap. He's taken the top end off but hasn't mucked with the bottom end. I bought the engine to use to teach my grandson how it's done and the engine will end up in a truck we're starting to build that needs to adhere to a strict budget of $7K. The engine came with a bag of bolts. Now I've never rebuilt an engine I didn't dis***emble myself and some of the bolts appear a little funky. I'm thinking I want to replace the head bolts but I'm not sure what the best bang for the buck is in replacement hardware. Prices for a set of head bolts range from ARP at about $65 to brands I've never heard of for $20 on eBay. I know ARP stuff is top of the line, for a 275-300 horse street motor, are they overkill? On the other hand, the cheap sets don't list any specs for strength or material and the brand names seem absent from web searches. I'm trying to do this on a budget, not on the cheap and I want to buy quality. So my question is what brand(s) of bolts do you folks use and recommend? Many thanks, Glenn
You budgeting 7K for the motor only? ARP then, hands down...why try to skimp and save 40 bucks on a 7K budget?
PS...was this a standard bore engine? If so...and the 7K budget is the whole truck, then clean up the bolts...wirewheel on your bench grinder willdo wonders....and reuse the bolts.
Never! Never! Never ever reuse head bolts Period. ARP is the only way to go. You may even want to stud the motor. Head bolts as well as main cap bolts. Cheap Cheap insurance.
For a low budget build, I'd re-use them... As long as the bolt threads don't like they've been pulled. Just clean them up with a wire wheel as stated above. Remember that a small block chevy has 3 different length bolts.... Add sealer on the threads to prevent any leaks before you drop them in and torque them down.
Bull No need on a SBC to install new bolts unless there is something wrong with the old ones Good advice right on the money
Looks like Rockauto.com has FelPro brand for $36. Might even call a dealer, I don't think GM brand is much more.
Bosco ANY!! engine shop worth their salt will tell you not to reuse them. YOU on the other hand can do what ever you please.
I'm curious about the age of the pros and cons. New engines use torque to yield bolts which should be trashed, but I have no problem reusing SBC bolts. (age 57)
Your right about the newer "torque to yield" bolts.... Those should be dumped! Not sure what year GM started using those...
i don't know if they used the yield bolts on the later sbc. but on the 88 and older i reuse the bolts many times.
How long you ben building SBC I have been at it since the 60s..... YES newer engines should be replaced and some of the head gasket sets come with them ... BUT totally not necessary on sbc You have been working on to much late model ****.
glenn, I not and engine builder per say but I would think long and hard on reuseing unknow bolts, second 250 300 hp is not hard to do. think upgrades down the road, I never spend my $$$$$ if I don't have to! have fun befor you know it will be you 100 rebuild
I use ARP head bolts. Their stud kit is even better but twice the price. Run a tap through each hole and follow their oiling and torque specs.
I would use studs and 12 point nuts. Copper gaskets and o-ring the block and heads. This is a nitro engine right? Lippy
I call BS here too. Been building for 28 years and on a stockish SBC the stock bolts can be reused indefinitely if not yielded/over torqued. Of course if they show damage like pitting, thread stretching or corrosion damage from water leakage, pitch them and buy replacements.
Thanks guys. I've always reused bolts in cases where I pulled the motor apart myself and I am leaning toward replacing these just because I don't know their history. I'll definitely check into the Felpro and stock replacements. I was thinking GM didn't still stock these, but seemed to completely forget about their crate motor business. btw, the $7K is the whole truck. We're sitting at about $3K right now with '35 Ford ch***is, '40 front end and wheels, '69 Nova rear, engine and trans. We may go a little over, but we won't break the bank with a decent set of bolts.
If your bolts are in good shape reuse them , if you have any doubts about them then get some ARP bolts. I have stock bolts in a 500hp 327 with no problems
I've re-used head bolts on Fords, Oldsmobiles, Buicks, etc., and even Chevys. I have one running re-used stockers, and one using ARPs. If you've got the cash, go ARP.
Your choice if you need them ARP is a no brainer.. They make some of the best hardware out there..... If you don't its a waste of $$ I have seen alot more rockers,pushrods,valve springs cams. and such fail way before a headbolt But you need to inspect them carefully. Any doubts REPLACE them.
Lots of opinions on replacing/reusing, but not a lot of references on brands you trust. So far ARP (naturally) gets a lot of good reviews, and dbradley mentioned Felpro and GM Performance. Any other recommendations or brands to stay away from?
"Brands to stay away from". Yeah, the G.M. dealers! You'll pay more than a set of after marker bolts would cost. Now, as far as ARP fasteners go, absolutely-no-hands-down-top-of-the-line; but, do you really need that? Very doubtful. A lot of guys will say Summit, or JEGS, but I say Compe***ion Products.Com, "SBC performance head bolts $19.95, American made and Teflon coated". You can get most ANY kind of engine part, and be dollars ahead with them. You can also get ARP for $49.99 from them, if you want to compare their prices. Butch/56sedandelivery. .
For peace of mind ... just go ahead and buy the ARP bolts. Shop around for the BEST price certainly ... but step up and buy the GOOD BOLTS. When I rebuild my last 283 ... I put everything in it NEW ... except the crankshaft and the rods. I shot peened the rods, resized then after new bolts bolts and I them had the entire rotating ***embley BALANCED. Spend a fair amount of ca$h ... but I did not want any troubles. .
SBC from 1955 to 2000 (265-283-302-327-350-400)all use the same head bolts, I would have no problem re-using for a street motor. If you're going to build a high dollar engine, by all means by new head bolts, and rod bolts for sure. Just my 02.
try to build it right the first time and just get bolts because head studs would be over kill on a budget especially for an engine not boosting fully built or with high compression.
I think the real question would be when did GM change the torque spec to the torque to yield? I reuse bolts if they look good UNLESS the spec for the motor had a torque to yield spec., then I replace.
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