Allen Bolts for Headers?
 

Is there a down side to using these? It just seems like these would be easier to use than trying to fit a socket around header primaries

The way header bolts are, they probably wouldnt be bad if the bolts are new but as they get some age on them I couldnt see them being any good. It just seems to me that if you put the force on those that I had to put on my stock manifolds a couple weeks ago, they would round right out. I dont know that for a fact and I have no experience with them but thats what I could see happening

Check out Stage 8 header bolts. They are stainless steel hex head bolts but also have an allen hex in the bolt head. The locks that come with the bolts are somewhat of a pain to install, but once they are in and tight, they don't back out.

I used a grabe 8 Socket head cap screw and some SHCS Lock washers I got from sowrk on my first headers. They worked really good. Once you make a couple of allen tools to work the did nicely

Do not fall for the "locking" bolts crap recommended above. Only reason header bolts come loose is the gasket compresses and they lose torque load at which point they can begin to back out. Thing is when the gasket compresses the only way it will continue to seal is if retightened. If you check and retighten header bolts a few times in the first couple weeks after intalling new gaskets the bolts will then stay tight long term without any gimicks needed.

Allen head will work, just get yourself a ball end one you can cut down and then turn it with a ratchet or wrench.

I am using 12point 3/8 and this is good by me, ARP makes some with a 5/16 12 point head which would leave even more tool room.

I have used allen bolts on hard to reach places with very good results. I prefer SS socket head bolts and allways use anti seize on them.
Some times I have turned the heads down a bit to a smaller diameter to clear tight radius primaries coming out of the heads. I leave the full head diameter untouched on the contact surface.

thats what i am using, but i wont tell you it was easy, because no matter what they will always be a pain but the smaller head made it easier to get a wrench on.

Thanks.

I had no problem getting my 5/16 head ARP bolts on. My wrench fit on every one with my jethots.

I found some stainless steel Breslin header bolts that I used for my Kooks headers. They have a 12 point, 3/8" head. We had to grind the wrench down quite a bit to get access to some of the bolts.

I agree with this for the most part. My buddy's car seemed to have those exact same problems with his copper gasket sealing, but my Percy's Seal4Good gaskets seem to have sealed fairly well with using the locking header bolts, even after several thousand miles. It may be the several ply aluminum design that helps it to seal well and not have any blowouts.

The aluminum gaskets don't compress like others, that is why the bolts stayed tight.

Check these out. I have the Breslins on my care with no problems for a few years now. The Breslins are no longer available but these look to be the same fastener.

http://www.route66supply.com/store/page53.html

I used socket head cap screws for headers once and they were a pain to deal with + they started rusting shortly after the install.

where can I get these bolts?