I plan to install Stage 8, 12pt. head and an Allen slot. Has anyone had experience w/ these fastners on 302 heads? First I have to try and remove the bolts threre now, some of which are somewhat rounded. All suggestions welcome.
I haven't used the allen/slot type, but I do use their stainless bolts with the anti-rotation piece that fits over the bolt head and is secured with a spring e-clip. The only issue I've ever had is finding where a clip lands after them launching during removal/installation. I've also had good luck with the Craftsman brand sockets for removing rounded off bolts. I'm guessing it depends on how rounded they are though. Good luck on em.
The allen head is worthless on most of the header tubes. Just cannot reach the holes. I have used the 12-pt bolts in ARP, and again, pretty much useless because you cannot get a 12 pt socket on most as well as the box end of a wrench due to how close the header tubes are and difficulty reaching them. I find that the regular hex-head bolts are best, and you need to get to most of them one flat at a time with an open end wrench. On 302 hooker heads at least, the clearances are just not there.
Have one, won't fit. The thickness of the wall of the box end is too thick to fit between the bolt head and the header tube on most of the bolts. Even a regular thin-walled boxed wrench only fits a couple out of the 16. I have the engine pulled, and worked on the header bolts this last Sunday, and there was no possible way to get to the majority of them without single flat-by-flat turns with the open end of the wrench. There are 3 or 4 of the 16 that sockets and/or box end will work on, but the vast majority need elbow grease and patience, and an open ended wrench.
the front one no problem. Most of the others wont fit. Almost all of the inner ones, under the tubes, are impossible.
What u say is pretty much what I had discovered. I shud have asked B4 I ordered the bolts. "Oh-Well, I can return them and get the hex's ". I started to get the hex but thought the 12pts might work better. I have those Gearwrench type tools too, they are no-where near a fit. I know ur right on the patience. I just want to try and replace the ones in there now, a few at a time w/ some that can be removed when/if the need arises. Im going to my local vendor and get the ARP hex and return the Stage 8's to Jeg's. Thanks for the info guy... Appreciate the help...
i find the header bolts with a 3/8s hex head work the best. you can fit a box end wrench on all of them. arp makes them.
Sorry for the hassle. I have already done the legwork (at least for Hooker 6901s). I have about 6 different sets of header bolts before finally accepting the fact that the black, hardened, hex ones are the easiest to work with. I started this weekend to pound the header tubes with dents around the bolts so I could get a box end on them all, but it ended up being so much work, and I was really putting a big dent in them, so i decided to just stick with the hex-heads and flat-by-flat tightening. Bryant, what headers do you use, because the box end won't work on the 6901s I have. And I am using the 3/8" hex heads.
I have lots of Craftsman sockets. Is there any reason the Craftsman work better for rounded off bolts than other brands. Don't know if can even get a socket on many of them w/ stock towers in the way. Thanks for the tip...
In our dirt late models, the headers get really tight and run over themselves. The solution was 5/16 hex head bolts. Below is a pic of a traditional 7/17, a 3/8 and the newest 5/16" hex. We went from a hex turn at a time to using a ratchet on most of our tubes. It's all I use now. SPark
This is what I find the best too, ARP isn't the only source for them though. (3/8" hex head header bolts) 12pt header bolts are about as useless as certain protrusions you would not expect to find on a boar hog. Never seen an open end wrench work on a 12 pt bolt. Which is the wrench you are sure to end up needing to use on at least a couple of any header's bolts. Use quality gaskets and the bolt loosening thing is pretty much a thing of the past. I've got Percy's dead soft gaskets on my 331, I think I've had to retighten a couple bolts once in the past 5 years. Use the old style header gaskets and you'll have to retighten the bolts once a month.
