Header Bolts

[ernie d]

Hi guys. Header bolts on my 69 keep loosening up. Anybody have a good solution to keep 'em tight?

Thanks

 

[Robin7TFour]

Ernie, go to the past threads, Bobchad ,i believe had a good solution for that.

Robin

 

[AKRAY4PLAY]

Hi guys. Header bolts on my 69 keep loosening up. Anybody have a good solution to keep 'em tight?

Thanks

use quality exhaust gaskets. get the head gasket style, look like lead and have metal cores. the paper ones blow out every week. Victor Rienz and Felpro make good ones, Mr. Gasket is alright. after replacing them, make sure you retighten them after heating. a couple of re-torquings and you should be good to go for a summer. there are also header bolts available that don't back out and some that you can run safety wire through. i have not used the locking bolts, could not justify the price. i have used the safety wire type on my mud bogger. looks like crap, but they don't come loose from the radical temp changes of splashing around in the water. Brian

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Stage 8 locking bolts ordered from Summit. They can be difficult to get on but once you do they are not going anywhere.

 

[72Mako]

Ernie, like the other posts say, I'm running the FelPro gaskets and they hold up well. I check the header bolts every once in awhile and usually they are tight. If they are still a problem, I have read about the before mentioned Stage 8 fasteners and have good things about them as well. Another recent option that intrigues me are the Breslin split-lock bolts. Whats neat about them are they are a header bolt that is drilled and threaded thru the middle. They have split ends on them. You install the bolts like normal and you then thread an allen head bolt thru the middle. As it bottoms out, it spreads the splits on the end of the bolt and locks it in place. Pretty neat idea. Jegs carries them as well as the Stage 8's. Them Breslins pretty pricey though. Charles

 

[JohnZ]

Ordinary header bolts ALWAYS loosen up eventually because they're so short; they aren't long enough to stretch so they can maintain clamping force like stock manifold bolts. Use Stage 8 bolts, or check regular bolts weekly - blown header gaskets are a PITA to change. I use pre-drilled ARP header bolts and safety-wire mine on project cars, have never had a leak or a gasket problem.