edelbrock says to use longer bolts and washers with their heads. do they really need washers? the bottom of the head on the stock bolts is round like a washer so i dont really see how adding washers would help? does any one know how long the stock bolts are VS the ones that eddelbrock recomends?
thanks, jeremy

The washers keep the bolt head from chewing up the soft aluminum as it turns under heavy clamping load. Yes, you need washers any time you install aluminum heads.

Just about any good aftermarket bolt set comes with these washers and, by the way, they have a top and a bottom side to them. Just throught you might like to know that before you start installing them.

I got a set of decent ARP 12-point head bolts from Summit recently for about $22.

[This message has been edited by Damon (edited July 05, 2005).]

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by Damon:
I got a set of decent ARP 12-point head bolts from Summit recently for about $22. </font>

do you have a part #? i looked in the summit catalog and all i saw was a $53.88 kit.

Sorry, I guess I got them on special or something. I can't find them at the price I quoted above.

Call their order line. As I recall it was the Summit tech who pointed this out to me.

I can never find what I want on Summit's website anyway.

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by CamaroDriver350:
edelbrock says to use longer bolts and washers with their heads. do they really need washers? the bottom of the head on the stock bolts is round like a washer so i dont really see how adding washers would help? does any one know how long the stock bolts are VS the ones that eddelbrock recomends?
thanks, jeremy</font>

The reason the head bolts need to be longer than stock is to compensate for the use of washers. Damon is right, you need to use washers on an AL head to prevent galling.

Any aftermarket headbolt kit with washers that you buy will have slightly longer than stock length bolts.



[This message has been edited by jeff81 (edited July 06, 2005).]

Yes you absolutly need washers with iron or aluminum heads. I just bought some Eddy heads and they actually came with the longer bolts I needed. BTW the side of the washer that has a shallow side goes against the head of the bolt.

[This message has been edited by theflash (edited July 06, 2005).]

And use a good quality moly assembly lube under and on top of the washer. Aside from the damage the standard bolt does to the head bolt boss,,, when the bolt is grinding into the head you don't get the proper bolt stretch when it's dragging into the aluminum. The friction of a non-washered bolt on an aluminum head will cost you at least 20+ pounds of bolt torque. Head gaskets arent too forgiving to inadequite torque / clamping force. Some people use silicone, some use Hi-Tack, some use teflon paste, some demand the expensive ARP thread sealer,, it really doesn't matter what you choose, just use SOMETHING on the head bolt threads to seal the water down where its supposed to be.