If say for instance that you have built an engine, but the head needs to come back off and you have already torqued them up, can you reuse them if the car has not been ran at all?

enigne in question is my zetec turbo, and its using focus RS headbolts - which i belive are stretch bolts

any ideas?

 

I thought that stretch bolts cant be reused once they've stretched...

So if it's never heated up, they won't have stretched and could be used again.

 

New bolts or you will shear them off next time to re-torque them, or it won't clamp the head tight enough..... Why waste all the time and effort for the sake of Ł30?

 

Will, thats what i was thinking, but thought id ask lol

oh well, wheres DOO?

 

there are some you can reuse like one type off cosworth i think 909 but diff theard for the block to make sure you dont reuse the crap type again !!

 

Stretch bolts do stetch when torqued up, nothing to do with heat, but of course only stretch once, they wil attempt to stretch again but MAY snap but doubtfull, very doubtfull.
I know of at least 10 or so people who have reused them without a problem, so it's your choice, I wouldn't, but then I would not use them anyway.
tabetha

 

if u can re-tourque them.........use them again.........i have....

 

again, why take the risk for the sake of Ł30?

 

im with will on this lol, i bought a new head gasket so may as well buy the bolts too

ps i have reused strech bolts before, cam bel snapped ont he missus old clio, so head off for new valves etc

her old man was trying to find TDC with a needle file... ping - arse it snapped... so head off again lol got it out and put back on with same h/g and bolts lol...

then he dropped summut else in there so had to do it again

re used em again and the car ran fine for 3 years and was still going strong (for a 1.2 lol) when we sold it