Thread: Head studs SS or high tensile steel what woud you use

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

if your worried about the head (or water pump) bolts going through the water jacket, then use GM thread sealant. It comes in a little pot and looks like honey, it will last dozens of engines (even Land Rover, Ford and Jaguar ones).

Hmmmm, smells good, too

JC

Head studs or Bolts? If they were an off the shelf stainless steel “stud” set made for your engine I’d use them, no doubt they would be of a suitable grade for the application. Stainless comes in all sorts of grades and most of them surpass ferrous metals, for strength under heat, not that it would matter unless you care about you head bolt performance in a bush fire. Stainless is very popular as exhaust valves, even in alloy heads. I wouldn’t use a “made up” bolt set in stainless from the local bolt store, most likely 304 and isn’t to tops, 316+, would be more like it, but without knowing the grade of the standard head bolts, best play it safe and get a kit that is made for the engine. Are you more confused now?