i have new Trick Flow heads and mounted them to a 400SB and torqued em down. what i didn't do was use thread sealer, so i gotta remove the bolts and redo them. ARP bolts, Felpro gaskets Fel-Pro 1143 - Fel-Pro Performance Head Gaskets. the engine has not been run and is out of the car, i just did it this past week. luckily i only did one head.
can i still use the head gasket even though they have been torqued?
wha tif i only remove one bolt at a time then torque it?
can i remove all the bolts and start over without any issues with the head gasket?

 

Yes
Best to do
Yes

 

Thank you very much AlkyIROC, i intend to do one bolt at a time, the other head will be done correctly from the start.

 

If it was me I would try to remove 1 bolt at a time. Don't know if its a bad idea or not but it is what I would do.

 

The top bolts ( ones nearest to the intake manifold don't need sealer ) I am sure you probably know that but just incase.

 

I have done the one bolt at a time and reused a none run head gasket and they both work fine. but its your motor do what you feel in your gut that way you have a warm and fuzz about it. if it feels wrong don't do it. cause it sucks pulling heads in the car . but you'll be fine since you never started or heated up the head gasket

 

its done. i pulled one bolt at a time in order 1-17 (ARP bolts)
and used the recommended permatex 3H aviation form a gasket for bolts its a liquid and i was expecting something thicker it says to let it set up for a while. i figured a minute or two was a while.
i used the assembly lube that came with the bolts and am not sure if its normal or not but i can watch the bolt head at 70lbs and as i torque it i can see it move then i let off and it returns to a stable position, if you can understand what i mean its like the threads are at 70 but the head can flex a little. they all do this maybe its cus of the assy lube. i have 2 torque wrenches and they both agree 70lbs.
any comments on the permatex 3H aviation form a gasket? thats what the trick flow instruction sheet said to use.

 

There are many ways to coat the threads. A common PST pipe sealant will work just as good. Service manuals usually recommend clean engine oil and a sealant for bolts that go into water jackets. Aftermarket instructions usually recommend some sort of moly lube. They'll all work just fine. Head torque is never 100%. A spec is given but there's always a tolerance so the different torques reached with each type of lube/sealant are all going to be within spec.

My Dart block has blind head bolt holes. None go into water jackets. I use head studs instead of bolts and lube them with oil. I run a MLS head gasket. Spray them with copper coat and torque the head down. When I need to pull the heads, providing the head gasket isn't damaged, I clean them up, spray them down with copper coat and reuse them. Never had a head gasket issue.