im finishing up on my 454 rebuild and was wondering if i have to seal the threads on every head bolt and if the sealant will effect torque readings. :confused:

You will need to seal each head bolt. It will have very little effect on the torque. I use a can of Permatex High Tac (Autozone). I just dip the bolt threads into the can, catching about the first five threads and install. NEVER had one leak or give me a problem. Be sure the threads are clean and free of all old goop.

Me too! High Tack on the clean threads before you start to assemble. You can do it a day in advance without any problems. It is unaffected by gasoline so it is also great for around intake ports. Great stuff. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

-Mark.

I like a product from permatx called Aviation Form-A-Gasket. It comes in a white bottle with blue print and says Aviation on it. The cap has a brush attached to it so you can brush it on the bolt threads. It will not affect your torque readings. I also like to use it around the intake ports applying some on the head and manifold sides, then use Permatex Ultra Black around the water ports, once again on the head side and the manifold side. Aviation never dries completely, so it keeps a very good seal and will not bond your bolt to the block, thus making for very hard head bolt removal in the future. A product that does dry hard that comes to mind is called indian......somthing, not sure what the full name is but it has a picture of an indian on the bottle and it's usally a brown bottle

You must clean the head bolts treads before installing them, using a bench grinder with a wire wheel works good for this, just be sure to wear your safety glasses and be aware of the bolt getting caught and kicking back. :eek: Take your time and check for threads that have been eaten up by water from before and are damaged. replace as nessary. It's also a good idea to run a tap down the head bolt hole threads, but be carefull and take your time doing this also, a little lube will help (wd40).

If you use any of the above methods to seal your intake use just a thin amount on the head and intake side of the permatex and aviation. The goal is to use the products to assist sealing the head and intake to the gasket. Using anymore than what will sqeeze out when you tighten down the bolts is too much and never use silicone around your intake ports.

Good Luck graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Joe graemlins/beers.gif

Sorry for th long post graemlins/boring.gif

thank you all so much for your input. now i just have one more question. arp says to lubricated the bolts before install. do i apply lube then sealent or what?

Use one or the other, never both as a rule of thumb.

-Mark.

u guys do know that you cant use head bolts twice, do u?

Everybody has their favorite thread sealer...lol, mine is the Permatex Thread Sealer with Teflon...and Moly Lube on the head of the bolts where it touces the head to get an accurate torque reading. Also, use the three step torque technique...30#, 45#, then final torque value. Be advised that ARP head bolts MAY use a different torque value than the Chevy manual calls for due to ARP using better quality steel that does not stretach as much as GM head bolts. I called ARP and told them what thread sealer I was using, and they said that matches their ARP thread sealer, and told me the torque value on my 350 was actually 3 pounds less than the 65# the head maker called for. You may want to give ARP a call once you decide what thread sealer you are going to use and see what they think. Just my two cents...

Robert:

You can use head bolts more than one time, with out problems bolt stretch and other dynamics come into play depending on the design of the bolt and it's intended use. Alot of late modle cars are using TTY head bolts or Torque To Yield. This means some are desinged to be torque to very low value then you use an angle/Degree gauge to torque the rest of the way. For instance a head might have an intial torque of 20 foot pounds then you pull each bolt down another 90 deg from that point torqe point. This method streches the head bolt, they are designed this way and these type of bolts should never be reused.

If you can't find Aviation Permatex, they have one called Permatex Super 300 that seems to be the same thing or very close.

Jimfulco:

Any Camaro clubs in Shreveport? I live in Camden AR about an 1 1/2 from there, same drive to Little Rock. There is a Camaro club in Little Rock and have meet some great people but it's not very active anything down your way?

Joe

Sealer on the threads, start them threading, squirt a little oil under the head of the bolt, torque, then drive. High Tac also comes in a spray can for those large jobs like shim head gaskets.

What about using red Permatex or Loctite Thread Locker?