Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: omega3000 on 20 June 2013, 16:53:32

Title: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: omega3000 on 20 June 2013, 16:53:32
Ok so can you , or should i say would you re-use stretch bolts for the head  :-\ Old old mate says he has always re-used with no problems  ???
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: bored bigyin54 on 20 June 2013, 16:54:55
Ok so can you , or should i say would you re-use stretch bolts for the head  :-\ Old old mate says he has always re-used with no problems  ???
i have been told never reuse mate :y
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: omega3000 on 20 June 2013, 17:00:52
Ok so can you , or should i say would you re-use stretch bolts for the head  :-\ Old old mate says he has always re-used with no problems  ???
i have been told never reuse mate :y

Would be interesting to see who has re-used them though , old old mate has re-used them for years and never had any fail ever  :-\
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: andyc on 20 June 2013, 17:22:51
Depends how lucky you feel but for thirty odd quid is it worth it. Its not that the bolt may snap but if the bolt has already been torqued to its yeild point your not going to get the same clamping force by doing it again it will just startn to stretch the thread.

Worst case would be a snapped blot in the block or the head may start to lift

Cheers
Andy
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: Webby the Bear on 20 June 2013, 17:35:37
shouldn't reuse them steve. we were told its a definite no no at school... obviously though im sure, like your mate, people have done it
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: omega3000 on 20 June 2013, 17:38:29
Im not going to re-use mine when i get round to taking the head off , just this old old bloke says you can  ;D Dont fancy doing the stem seals and cam belt kit for it to go pop 10 miles down the road  :(
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: bored bigyin54 on 20 June 2013, 17:43:00
Im not going to re-use mine when i get round to taking the head off , just this old old bloke says you can  ;D Dont fancy doing the stem seals and cam belt kit for it to go pop 10 miles down the road  :(
better safe than sorry mate :y :y
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: Rods2 on 20 June 2013, 19:43:30
I know somebody that did this when repairing a blown head gasket on a Landrover and the gasket went again within days, where the head was not clamped properly. Cost more to do the job twice, than the extra cost of the bolts first time.  :o :o :o :o

I would imaging a cam stretch bolt failing at speed would make a bit of a mess of the valves.  :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: dbug on 20 June 2013, 21:29:57
Quote
Im not going to re-use mine when i get round to taking the head off , just this old old bloke says you can

Perfectly ok for "old style" head bolts that were not stretch bolts, but just torqued - probably the "old bloke" has got himself a bit confused. ::)

I would not re-use stretch bolts on a cylinder head ;)
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 21 June 2013, 08:07:08
Ok so can you , or should i say would you re-use stretch bolts for the head  :-\ Old old mate says he has always re-used with no problems  ???

Hes an idiot then

Years and years ago, when headgasets were copper and heads iron, the heads werwe often held on with monster studs or bolts, these could be re-used adn often required re-torquing after a number of miles.

Now we have alloy heads and composite or multilayer metal gaskets.

These use a high tensile bolt which is angle tightened to the point where they 'yield', at this stage they actualy go to a stage where they are elastic and apply a sprung clamping force.

The benefit is that it maintains a constant pressure to the gasket across the full temperature range and does not require re-tightening.

They cant be re-used as once they have passed the point of yield they cant be re-tightened to achieve the same.

So, in summary, old setup means re-torquiing (a git of a job on a OHC setup) after a number of miles and a compromised clamping force on the gasket. New setup means fit once and forget plus a better more consistent clamping force.


Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: sdwall on 21 June 2013, 12:10:16
+1  :y
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: omega3000 on 21 June 2013, 12:37:35
Ok so can you , or should i say would you re-use stretch bolts for the head  :-\ Old old mate says he has always re-used with no problems  ???

Hes an idiot then

Years and years ago, when headgasets were copper and heads iron, the heads werwe often held on with monster studs or bolts, these could be re-used adn often required re-torquing after a number of miles.

Now we have alloy heads and composite or multilayer metal gaskets.

These use a high tensile bolt which is angle tightened to the point where they 'yield', at this stage they actualy go to a stage where they are elastic and apply a sprung clamping force.

The benefit is that it maintains a constant pressure to the gasket across the full temperature range and does not require re-tightening.

They cant be re-used as once they have passed the point of yield they cant be re-tightened to achieve the same.

So, in summary, old setup means re-torquiing (a git of a job on a OHC setup) after a number of miles and a compromised clamping force on the gasket. New setup means fit once and forget plus a better more consistent clamping force.

 ;D ;D

Understood Mr DTM  ::) Incidentally whilst searching for a head set turns out the engine code looks the same as the old calibra 2.0  :-\
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 21 June 2013, 13:11:20
Later 16V calibras used the ecotec lump as per that in the Vectra.

I use Trechii for bits (good for head gasket and bolts) plus genuine camcover gasket, O rings and exhaust manifold plus inlet manifold gaskets. Re-use the cam seals.
Title: Re: Stretch Bolts ?
Post by: omega3000 on 21 June 2013, 13:34:49
Later 16V calibras used the ecotec lump as per that in the Vectra.

I use Trechii for bits (good for head gasket and bolts) plus genuine camcover gasket, O rings and exhaust manifold plus inlet manifold gaskets. Re-use the cam seals.

Not bad £31 for the full Trechii head set inc bolts valve stem seals too  :y