Head Bolts

[B BARKER]

Question I,m replacing a head gasket on a Westerbeke generator is it ok to reuse the same head bolts ?

 

[Fill Ess]

The correct thing to do would be to replace them and torque to spec. It's a nominal expense compared to how expensive the gen is. That said I've been known to re-use bolts all the time but I'm getting better at it. I'm about to do both sets of risers and manifolds, and the head to manifold bolts are $30 a set, so it's worth it for peace of mind. Head bolts or studs are major.

 

[ttmott]

There are two types of head bolts - stretch and yield. The tighten to yield cannot be reused. If in the service instructions there is an initial torque specification then an additional rotation of the bolt it is a yield style and cannot be reused. If the fastener is the stretch style and shows no signs of thread damage or corrosion (especially under the bolt head) it can be reused.
Make sure regardless to run a tap and clean up the bolt threads in the block, wire brush the bolt threads and lubricate exactly how the service instructions specify.