The head is off, stripped down for cleaning and re-surfaced. I got it back and was impressed considering how it looked when I dropped it off. I bit the bullet and paid double for genuine Honda HG kit to eliminate possible worry of aftermarket gasket being inferior and more so, wanted the new Honda valve guide seals. Anyway, my question is: Do I really need to replace the head bolts? I'm not racing it. I actually drive it like grandpa for the excellent gas mileage and reliability. On occasion and to prove a point, I'd go 100mph in it just to prove it could, but I almost need had a 5 mile stretch of road to get there. I love the car because it's so practical. Signing out, DO THE HEAD BOLTS REALLY NEED TO BE REPLACED??

 

Buy arp head bolts, spend the 125$, never think about it ever again.

if you reuse the head bolts you may need to have the head gasket replace again, because reusing head bolts is lazy and often a big problem

 

No they do not. The factory service manual doesn't indicate that they should be replaced like it does many other bolts (lower control arm strut bolts anyone?).

Just check the head bolts to see they still look normal with no stretching. If any bolt looks like it has started to stretch, even a little bit, replace it. Not every single one, just the stretched ones.

Clean them with a wire brush, make sure your bolt holes are really clean. Then oil the threads and washers when you put them back in so you get accurate torque readings as you go through the 3 stage torquing sequence. If any single bolts makes a screech or hops at all in any stage of the torquing, you have to start over with that bolt. And knowing me, I would probably just start totally over with all of them just because one bolt is now out of sequence.

I think in our application the bolts probably never stretch being the block is aluminum while the bolts are probably grade 8 steel. The bolt hole will give before the bolt itself will stretch.

 

Of the many Honda head gaskets I've replaced, I have never replaced bolts.

 

To the best of my knowledge the Proper specs for the head bolts are unknown and thus its a slight gamble

you probably in all likelyness wouldn't have a problem. You very well could have a problem.

but if it doesn't seal who cares a head gasket is only worth 25$ unlike the bolts that are 5x that price

 

Thx to all for responses! Assuming I don't see any stretch, I'm leaning towards using the orignal bolts. Last question is related to the bolt installation; I WAS WONDERING IF I SHOULD USE ANY SPECIAL LUBRICANT/SEALANT ON THE BOLTS (don't know how many) THAT GO THROUGH WATER JACKETS??

 

i usually put a small amount of clean oil on them prior to install.

 

exactly what tomcat said. I replaced my hg with a z6 metal head gasket and reused same head bolts. inspect for stretching. You can inspected for stretching in many different and complicated ways. But since i just use my civic to commute and not racing, I can tell if it has been stretched by using my torque wrench when i tighten it down. It is grade 8 bolts, manual doesn't say to replace and that's what i did. Its been 3+ yrs, lots of road trips and it is fine. least of my worries.


ps. I tried this on a b-series and it doesnt work. You have to get the head resurfaced on a b-series everytime hg is blown and use new headbolts or use arp head studs..