I got my hooker shorties put on by a guy who owns his own garage and he recommended ARP bolts. He said that they would need tightened occasionaly for alittle while during the first month or so and then they would eventually settle and stay tight. So i tightened them and checked them periodically and they remained tight.

Now, a few weeks ago, my dad noticed a ticking sound coming from the passenger side header. An exhaust leak i guess. so i checked the bolts and they were real loose. Damn, its been a year so far and the bolts have been fine. So i retightend them and the noise went away. Well two weeks later, i came home for the week end and took the beast out for a spin for the last time before winter, and the leak was back.

Arent these bolts supposed to stay tight? Can I put lock tight on them? Space is real tight in there and i dont want to take the bolts out to put lock tite on them, cuz i might not be able to get them back in. I dont want to take off allot of stuff to get to the header. I got small hands and can get a wrench on them bolts but should they be coming loose?

 

Header bolts, if they are non-locking come loose quite often. If your bolts have a lock washer like a stage 8 bolt does then they should not come loose. However, if your exhaust system is not properly supported, the excess vibration could cause the bolts to come loose. Even though you had no problems with the bolts for a year,I am not surprised that the bolts slowly, or for whatever reason came loose. I suggest you get some locking bolts and since I have never used lock-tite on header bolts I cannot comment on the effective ness. Or just keep an 11mm wrench handy.

 

I have to agree. There are very few people who have had luck keeping non locking header bolts from turning out. You might be able to find 100 people on these boards who have but there are millions with headers that have not been able to. Your best bet is to go with locking header bolts. I swear by Stage8 locking bolts. They work great. Another alternative is the breslin split locking bolts. There are a few companies that make these and this could be an alternative for ya.



Here is the link for them from Jegs:

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...24&prmenbr=361

Hope that helps.

 

Those split bolts sound great and look impressive but just imagine how nice its going to be to get the allen bolt turning after they have had a few good years on them and are all heat stressed and coroded. Might work for a show/cruise only car but for a driver I would stay away. There are some new high tech bolts that are presently being used by large truck manufacturers to secure the diesel turbos on as this has been a very big problem for large trucks. These bolts have a gradual step or angle machined into the thread so the load is shared pretty much equally from the top of the thread to the bottom. They have a website but i can't find it. Regardless pretty neat bolts.

 

I wish they fricken made these in Allen wrench bolts. Its impossible to get a 12 point on some of the bolts on my headers.

 

IIRC, i read somewhere that you could torque the bolts down when the engine is warm, then VERY lightly tack weld the bolts to the header. Lightly, as in just a single very tiny spot. That way the bolt will stay put, but with a die grinder, you can remove enough of the weld in a little under a second to break the weld free if you needed to. That's provided that you're not building a show quality car.

 

I found some bolts that i plan on using or if not ill make a similar solution for my header install Summit STG-8906 (mayhave to search using the part number) But that idea seems pretty simple, the "tear" would have to back out putting presure on a primary, making it stay in place, could lathe the botlts for E clips, and then make something similar.

 

Try the Stage 8's.

 

Found it. the company is called Spiralock. Check it out its pretty cool technology.

http://www.spiralock.com/

 

I'm using allen head bolts from my local hardware store on my SLP Tri-Y's. No problems and they're the only way I can get anything one them for tightening.

 

They DO make bolts with allen heads in them, I have them on my car. Bought them at a local hardware store - a real hardware store, not your local Home Depot or Lowe's.

And about the Stage 8's: they will not work as designed on some headers. They did not work on my Edelbrock's. Apparently the Edelbrocks had small dents in the primaries to clear the bolts. Those dents allowed the crescent shaped washers in the Stage 8 kit to spin.

 

This is kinda off topic, but a friend of mine (also a thirdgen owner) developed a bad tick in his engine. He thought his cam was goin out so he parked his Camaro early. He went out and checked it like two weeks later.. FIVE HEADER BOLTS HAD FALLEN OUT! Needless to say, after some new bolts, no more tick.

Rabbitt

 

You can get them with other shapes besides the crescents.

 

Just checked into that... seems you're right! They were a new product when I bought them, and only style was available. Never bothered to look at them again.

 

One word: Safety Wire

Works great, but kinda PITA to put in the first time.

 

Mr. Gasket has split locking washers that you can use. I use them and have had no problems so far. They are narrower than washers that you can get at a hardware store so they will fit where header bolts fit.

 

I was talking about those locker bolts.

 

Exactly... Using stainless steel lock washers here and no problems so far ...did have to grind a little on a few washers to clear the primaries.

 

Stage 8 has the most fool proof design.



Tighten the bolt, put the retainer on, and snap the clip in. It cannot come loose. The 90 Formula uses these, and has never had a blown a gasket since, or had a leak.

As for breslin, they cost 60 or 70 dollars I believe. Their is a point where you are spending to much, and that is crossing it.

This is the kit Stage 8 said would fit my application(82 Trans Am, 305 V-8, LG4)

Summit

 

Just use safety wire... it works very well (trusted by aircraft industry for millions of years) and its cheap and easy.

 

In regards to the Allen heads, I have them in the back holes on each side of mine, It makes it a breeze to tighten them up or remove them in those tight places!