GT40P Head Replacement

The replacement heads just arrived this afternoon....I purchased some GT40P heads as recommended by this group from a separate thread (Water in Transmission)!

I'm going to attempt to tackle this project over the next month or two with a little help from some friends. I'll do the appropriate research on existing threads, but am always open to any new advice so I don't have to learn the hard way!

Just wanted to drop a quick note to thank this group as I work to get our 'new' '95 SN ready this summer for the kids.

FYI- Cost was $450 + $80 (S&H Chicago-Tx)

Thanks again!

Brian

I did pick them up from Windy City....I'll try to upload a couple pictures again.

They look great and their customer service has been great!

Brian

You guys are awesome!!!!

THX AGAIN...Appreciate the one stop shopping advice and will get on it ASAP!

Still having trouble to uploading the images for some reason.

Thanks all! Hadn't gotten that far yet so I appreciate your continued wisdom and timely guidance. With your skills, I probably would have already had this done weeks ago....I think i'm procrastinating a little as this job is a little more than I tend to tackle when it comes to repairs. Of course, a recent water leak from my upstairs bathroom has me side-tracked a little. The boat doesn't rank quite as high on my wife's list of priorities:)    

Based on Keno's recommendation I'm going with this set...
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=felpro+17260&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Planning to purchase new head bolts unless that is not necessary???

Anything else I'm missing before I call upon the friends and lure them over here for some 'free beer'...

Thx again,
Brian

I agree with GottaSki about reusing the head bolts. They're not torque to yield and you can reuse them

That gasket set you linked works for stamped steel valve covers.

huh, bolt holes look small, don't look opened up yet.
are they?

I never recommend reusing cylinder head bolts as the act of torquing physically stretches the bolt and it will never achieve the same or proper spec if reused. Just buy a set of ARP head bolts and use there moly lubricant and torque them to ARP spec.

You spent however much on new cylinder heads and gaskets so is it really worth not buying a set of $90 head bolts to know the job is done right?

If reusing head bolts is ok you might as well reuse the head gasket

Hey Joe (in Ohio)

Can you send me all your old 351w head bolts especially any ARP ones that you might be throwing out since they were torqued once?

Just send them to Keno's Home for Wayward bolts

Luckily there aren't many bolts to replace in a transmission

JoeinNY wrote: small block ford engines did not use bolts that physically stretch during torquing (torque to yield, or tty) bolts

Or TTL

Bolts have 2 zones I know of.   Plastic zone and Elastic Zone.

Your 351W engine has Head Bolts that work in the elastic zone, that means they are re useable and you have no worry. Bolts used in the Elastic zone stretch a little as torqued but can be reused unless they are damaged.

As engine blocks were made lighter they became more vulnerable to over torque of the bolts. The last version of the 302 Ford was light casted, If I remember correctly Ford removed 28 pounds of cast iron from the block.   Engine rebuilders soon learned to install torque plates on the heads before they line bored a block.   If they did not the crankshafts could bind up when the heads were torqued.   The center main was found to pull .0015 vertical when the head bolts were properly torqued.   
Other issues found on other engines were cylinders that were round when built would pull out of round when the heads were bolted on causing ring seal issues.
Torque plates became mandatory to simulate head bolt torque as the cylinders were honed.
So they learned light casted blocks move a lot when parts are torqued.

Torque to yield bolts were used to limit how much torque a mechanic could apply to a bolt.   Knowing exactly how much torque was applied the engineers found they could reliably seal up an engine.   

Old engines with the heavy castings were pretty rigid. Head bolt torque could vary quite a bit and the engine would be fine.   New engines don't have that margin of error.

TTY, Torque to Yield bolts work in the Plastic Zone, the plastic zone is when you tighten a bolt till it starts to stretch, then you push it a little further till it starts to actually break.
TTY bolts will have a part of the bolt shaft that is engineered to fail at a certain torque.
You can see how part of the bolt shaft is smaller creating this fracture zone.
You torque a TTY bolt using specific torque specs, they may say torque to 68 ft pounds and then add 90*.   As you turn the last of the 90* you do not feel the bolt getting any tighter because it is now stretching and will fracture if you tighten much more but it will only apply the amount of torque the engineers designed it for.
A TTY bolt might turn 45* while in this fracture or plastic zone before it actually fails but at this point the torque is always at the factory spec till it breaks.   You feel it on your wrench as these hit the plastic zone.   It is a creepy feeling as the person on the wrench if you are used to using traditional bolts in the elastic zone. You are pulling on the torque wrench and suddenly the bolt stops getting tighter even though you are still turning the wrench.
Just follow the install instructions and stop exactly as specified.
But now the engineer knows if he specifies this engine needs 65 ft pounds of torque the bolt will give him 65 foot pounds of torque.   It does not vary if the engine threads are slightly rusty or if the torque wrench is a little off. The bolt limits how much torque so now the block is not distorted by the mechanic.    Actual tests have proven that even TTY bolts survive to be used again about 80% of the time.   80% of the time is not good enough to torque a cylinder head so today if an engine has TTY bolts in it they must be changed for new bolts if you rebuild that engine.   If you install the head, torque it in place and need to pull it off for something you forgot, guess what, you need new head bolts again.   They are a one time use.   There is a tool that can measure the bolts to see if they can be reused but the tool costs $250,000 so even large engine rebuilders replace all TTY bolts with new bolts they don't buy this expensive machine to measure bolts. If a head bolt or connecting rod bolt fails you have engine failure so it is not worth the risk not to change the bolts if they are TTY.

I am rebuilding a Dodge 4.7L V8 right now, that damn engine has TTY bolts on the Cylinder head, Connecting Rod bolts and on the Main Bearing support saddle.
$200 in just bolts to build one of these engines.
I would be happy to reuse my 351W bolts every time and avoid the extra expense!

One last thing, pay attention to what the manufacturer advised for Bolt lube. Some say use motor oil and lubricate the underside of the bolt head/shoulder other instructions may say lubricate the threads with motor oil, some say to use thread sealer or thread lock, instructions will vary.   Use the proper instruction for the engine you are building.

Or Pete's favorite- Auto Zone . He buys all his parts for his backyard Hacker Craft there.

I know the difference between torque to yield and normal head bolts obviously but the fact of the matter is a standard head bolt still stretches and if reused it will not achieve the proper spec ever again. I’m not here to tell people what to do but cutting corners like that to save $80 isn’t right in my book but go ahead and do what you feel is right

Give it a rest. That new bolt you just put in stretched when you torqued it down. Using stretched bolts are cutting corners! Time for a new bolt. Now the next bolt... wait a minute...

A little light reading from ARP, you should probably read it Joe.

There might be a question about reusing bolts.................and an answer   

Funny thing....................You can have your opinion, I'll have mine and everybody else can have theirs too.

link

Stress strain curves. Basic stuff.