head bolts

[gez c16b]

talking to my mate tonight and he said that you can re-use standard nova headbolts? surely he's wrong?

[Pistol Pete]

I think i am right in saying that all head bolts are stretch bolts. Therefore new ones must be used.

[Jon_nova1]

depends how much you want to bodge it, you can re-use any headbolts....in theory lol

[mowgli]

until you've had one snap, you will always reckon they're fine..........

for what they cost, change them.

[gez c16b]

yeah i tried telling him you always have to change them imo. but he seemed so addimant i started to belive him :lol:

[mowgli]

http://www.robertmatheu.com/covers/19.jpg

[Pistol Pete]

As Mowgli said. Last thing you want is to be torquing them up and SNAP...head off, drilling out bolts...not good!

[gez c16b]

dont get it lol

[Pistol Pete]

What?

[mowgli]

/\ agreed pete58... I now own a set of stud extractors that have only been used one...

[mowgli]

dont get it lol

you said your mate was adamant, so i stuck a piccy up.......

[Benn]

Tell him to stop being a c**t and spend a tenner and buy new ones.

No wait, let him, then take pics of him trying to remove the snaped ones..

[therealnovaboy]

in an old standard 1.2 i really dont think youd have any major problems re using them, you might even find youl have no problems . the fact the bolt has already streched means the bolts optimum yeild cannot be replicated using the same torque. to be fair if they do snap removing they are not that hard to remove as there is no longer any tension in the bolt and the threads will be slack in the block. you would just have to chase it out with a punch,it wouldnt be tight.

its entirely up to yourself but just remember for the sake of a tenner replacing the bolts is recommended.

[Benn]

You wanna tell me mate that, Who refitted his 1.2 with used bolts. And snaped 3 of them.

[mowgli]

mine snapped on a 1.2........stop being tight....just buy some

[Asa-James]

agreed they are cheap enough. depends on the engine and manufaturers spec's tho, vauxhall say replace, Alfa Romeo you can re-use 2 or 3 times (and it usually only takes 6 months or so to have the engine stripped down that many times)

[Graeme]

I have reused them and had no problems but it is a bit scruffy for the sake of a tenner

[blacknovagsi]

i've seen people cut them down a bit then oil and refit them, but to be fair if your spending time and money on an engine just do it properly and buy new ones, but still oil them when fitting.:thumb:

[gez c16b]

why is everyone saying dont be tight and buy new ones? i never said i was thinking about re-using any, i haven't even toutched my engine. me and my mate were just having a conversation and he said you can re-use head bolts on the nova, i told him no. he was so addimant i started to belive him, so i asked on here to double check. that is all lol

[Benn]

I ment tell him not to be tight, you cant re use any head bolts.

[GRUNT 16V]

yeah reuse the old ones and tighten them up till they squeek ! sarcasm is great !!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU SHOULD ALWAYS USE NEW HEAD BOLTS OTHER WISE YOU WILL REGRET IT WHEN THEY SNAP ON RETIGHTENING.