How often should the header bolts be tightened?

Do I need to torque them or can I just hand tighten them? What specs if I need to use a tq wrench?

9/16"?

 

If you are able to torque them with a tq wrench it wouldnt be a bad idea. The ones that you can't, get em as close as possible to the torqued ones. I hear the first few times you run the car and heat it up, they have a chance of loosening so tighten them up these first few times and then you probably don't have to worry about them once they stop coming loose. (2-3 times check and retighten). If you get the locking ones, they aren't able to come loose at all.

 

I know theres some theres like no way in hell I'm getting a torque wrench in there.... But the previous owner said he just hand tightened them every other month.

 

I've never tightened mine. No leaks either.

 

I checked up a couple of weeks after I installed them... i haven't looked at them again in years tho..

 

Once they're tightened once or twice after a few heat cycles, you shouldn't have to mess with them again.

 

hmm, my dad thought it was a good idea, I even asked the previous owner and he said he did it every other month or so.

 

They shouldn't be getting loose every month. I've got loctite on mine, they dont' get loose or backout or anything like that. I've had no header leaks and I've had my headers since 2002.

 

Mine only needed to be retightened once. I check them probably twice a year just to make sure their tight and not one has come loose yet.

 

I would think locktight with aluminum heads would be a very bad Idea I have antiseas on my bolts .I tightened my bolts a couple times to be sure but they didn't back out any from the first tighten.

 

Y'know.. at this point it's been so long now I don't recall if I used loctite or not.. but I'm pretty sure I did.

I'm not worried about it, next time my headers come off it will be for a new set of heads, so no biggie. I've also read of plenty of people using loctite on their LT1 header bolts w/ no problem.

 

Blue loctite = ok

Red loctite = bad idea



I don't generally use loctite except on stainless bolts. Your regular Mr. Gasket bolts will build a slight amount of rust that will hold them in place. I do tend to snug them down when I change the oil or hear a leak though.