New cylinder head bolts?

Is this the new norm when you have to replace the head bolts on every cylinder head removal? I always thought it wasn't necessary unless it was some of the bolts that were "designed" to stretch. Now I'm getting information that EVERY head bolt stretches to some degree ans warrants new ones. Sales gimmick?

Just in case you wanted to know, it's on a 91 Ford L6 300 CID

Yeah, they're better Shameless. But I'm gaining little ground. Of course it don't help none when the nurse goes out and buys another truck with a whole new power train to learn. Digging into my first IDI diesel at the moment and jest like all the rest, it's dealing me fits. It was 1988 when I was last at the ferd dealership as a mechanic. But does she buy anything from before that year? No............

and....is she gonna pull your new camper with it?

But when we have a cast iron head on a cast iron block on a 26 year old truck and they try to tell me I have to replace the head bolts that tells me that they just now figured out that the bolts do indeed stretch and we've been doing it wrong for the past 100 years.

I'm sure all you guys have put all new head bolts in all your tractors, right?


Edited by Les Royer - 17 Mar 2018 at 10:50am

It's kinda like Dentists who push having your teeth filled by professionals when you can do it yourself just as well with an electric drill and JB weld. You've just got to use your own discretion and make sure you drill the entire cavity.

Edited by Walker - 17 Mar 2018 at 11:46am

Well DOG GONE -- now I knows where to take this v10 ferd powered wanna be sorta motor home when I need it overhauled, just think good ol Les is only about 1/2 way between my shack and that ol shameless ranch. Holey molley I'll be sitting in tall clover.

Local trucking Co that did both their own trucks and outside units - Every cummins they did they replaced all headbolts any time a head was removed for any reason . So they kept boxes of bolts in parts room - would buy them by the gross just to have them on hand .

I feel like whose vehicle you're working on, yours or someone else's. With these aluminum heads we are told they are so much better, but have you thought that they can be built in china out of beer cans on cheap tooling that lasts forever because of less stress on the machines? But it does take a more expensive bolt (?) to hold the dang thing on the block. Marketing: follow the money. I've check many of the stretch to yield head bolts and only found one that was stretched. So it's your guess. Like Joe I'm naturally suspicious of big business and if they can figure out a way to get into your pocket while making you think they are doing it for your benefit they're going to do it.

Little too much timing on the 855's would pop head bolts.