im ready to set my head on and i was wondering if it is nessary to chance the head bolts or just use the ones from before, parts are
mugen head gasket
skunk 2 stage 2 cams
skunk 2 springs and retainers

 

OEM head bolts stretch when they are torqued to spec, for peace of mind i would get new OEM or pay more for aftermarket...

 

ive reused studs before and added alil extra TQ on reused bolts... i soaked the threads in oil for a few minutes before i put them in

 

I would just buy new for piece of mind

 

Question is, do you feel like pulling everything apart and replacing the HG if you reuse boltsand there is a problem?

If not, just buy new stuff. If you have the time, money, and enegry, then go for it as is.

 

I also reuse oem headbolts only if its the first time for reuse,
I usually judge the bolts:if they show discoloration once out,or the head of the bolt has a/or shiny corners no matter how small before I remove them I will not reuse, done this on a number of engines with no problems.
My preference is arps over oem when I can get a good deal on a set of used ones.

 

i will be ordering arp to make sure i dont have trouble thanks for the input

 

I have preferred to change by the ARP but other person say otherwise.

 

Say what??? That post makes zero sense!!!

 

This was going to be my suggestion.
Never reuse headbolts.

Also, make sure you torque them in the correct torque sequence according to specs. Is your head and block both level as well? Might wanna get them checked out to be sure.

 

That is some pretty impressive hardware to not use anything less than head studs. Nearly all manufacturers use TTY bolts (torque to yeild) and any upgrade in performance demands a better fastener in this critical area. Blown head gaskets just don't leak, they can also ruin motors (oil/ water in the combustion chamber or worse, water in the oil!) Please believe me and others when we suggest to use new bolts, learn from many bad experiences and be glad you didn't have them.

 

thanks for the info the arp head bolts should be here by the end of the week

 

if this car is not being boosted ARP's are over kill.... just saying

 

to late now already installed haha

 

Better to over-do it for peace of mind, I guess.


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Well said. That's why when I hear people saying that "B18C1 blocks can stand up to *** hp and ** boost without sleeves" and then you hear other people horror stories of cracked blocks on only a few pounds of boost. I'd rather spend the extra money and overkill it then end up ******* myself over.

 

Without knowing what is in the bottom end it's pretty hard to tell if you will need a set of studs. If you put the energy in the wrong direction, then it's all for not. Are you running higher compression? Do you plan to boost it in the future? If it's just for peace of mind, then measure your bolts. I am unaware of the measurement you will be looking for, but Google can solve that easy. After all, to be technical, you need to stretch all internal bolts when assembling a motor. So then all bolts are one time use? Not entirely. A stretch gauge will tell all. The bottom line is: If you can save $100, why not? If you don't know what you are doing inside a motor, then spend the money, and let someone who does, do it for you.

 

well next year im stripping the block gonna redue it all, not sure what the plans are yet, but im running out of time summers coming close so il be waiting till next fall.and i dont want to have any problems and i already got 3000 in the engine so whats 200$?? and have no problem with the head bolts have way threw the summer, thanks for all the help though
dyno day in 2 weeks

 

by the way i did buy the arp