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  • sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

    I know that you need to use anti-sieze on the spark plugs, but I wondering if I should use it on all the bolts that get screwed into the head, i.e. header bolts, valve cover studs, alternator bracket bolt, etc.

    Thanks.
    BS'er formally known as Rebeldryver

    Resident Instigator

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  • #2
    Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

    Use studs where you can, so you dont take the threads out.
    2007 SBN/A Drag Week Winner & First only SBN/A Car in the 9's Till 2012
    First to run in the .90s .80s and .70's in SBN/A
    2012 SSBN/A Drag Week Winner First in the 9.60's/ 9.67 @ 139 1.42 60'
    2013 SSBN/A Drag Week, Lets quit sand bagging, and let it rip!

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    • #3
      Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

      Originally posted by JeffMcKC
      Use studs where you can, so you dont take the threads out.
      Agree. And I think it's a good idea to use anti-sieze on all bolts or studs going into aluminum.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

        I wouldn't use it on header bolts personally. Header bolts tend to come loose -- add anti-seize and you'll be tightening them every weekend. Maybe anti-seize would work well if you had locking header bolts??

        I've also had trouble with anti-seize gumming up threads on spark plug holes. I personally prefer to use a drop of oil.

        On the intake bolts I prefer to use silicone since the middle intake bolts go through into the lifter valley -- silicone keeps oil from weeping out the threads.

        To each his own, but I personally do not use anti-seize on aluminum heads.

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        • #5
          Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

          I used it all over the Edelbrocks on the Mustang w/o problems. It's been several years and all is working well.

          Dan

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          • #6
            Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

            Originally posted by Eric68
            I wouldn't use it on header bolts personally. Header bolts tend to come loose -- add anti-seize and you'll be tightening them every weekend. Maybe anti-seize would work well if you had locking header bolts??

            I've also had trouble with anti-seize gumming up threads on spark plug holes. I personally prefer to use a drop of oil.

            On the intake bolts I prefer to use silicone since the middle intake bolts go through into the lifter valley -- silicone keeps oil from weeping out the threads.

            To each his own, but I personally do not use anti-seize on aluminum heads.

            I would use it on all bracketry bolts/studs, plugs, etc...

            I wouldn't use it on the exhaust bolts, though.

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            • #7
              Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

              Originally posted by min301
              Originally posted by Eric68
              I wouldn't use it on header bolts personally. Header bolts tend to come loose -- add anti-seize and you'll be tightening them every weekend. Maybe anti-seize would work well if you had locking header bolts??

              I've also had trouble with anti-seize gumming up threads on spark plug holes. I personally prefer to use a drop of oil.

              On the intake bolts I prefer to use silicone since the middle intake bolts go through into the lifter valley -- silicone keeps oil from weeping out the threads.

              To each his own, but I personally do not use anti-seize on aluminum heads.

              I would use it on all bracketry bolts/studs, plugs, etc...

              I wouldn't use it on the exhaust bolts, though.
              Header bolts come loose because heat cycles expanding and contracting. I'd rather have to tighten the bolts occasionally than chance ruining the threads or, worst case, sticking a bolt and breaking it. Locking header bolts would be great, but header studs would be ideal. Just my opinion.

              Oil on the spark plug heads is interesting. That's very cool and I can see that working if you pull your plugs pretty regularly.

              Silicone on the intake bolts also works. There is also a couple of them that go into water jackets. And coolant can aggrivate the reaction between steel bolts and aluminum.

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              • #8
                Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                Most cylinder heads I use have inserts in the exhaust, I'd lube em.

                As far as intake bolts, I use liquid pipe thread sealer on those(Permatex PTS w/ teflon).

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                • #9
                  Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                  If you use header studs you have the best of all worlds plus its easy to start the nuts

                  Stud all but the intake use sealer on the threads you will not have any troubles
                  2007 SBN/A Drag Week Winner & First only SBN/A Car in the 9's Till 2012
                  First to run in the .90s .80s and .70's in SBN/A
                  2012 SSBN/A Drag Week Winner First in the 9.60's/ 9.67 @ 139 1.42 60'
                  2013 SSBN/A Drag Week, Lets quit sand bagging, and let it rip!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                    Put it this way I have never taken a bolt out of a factory aluminum head, intake or block that had anti-seize on it. And trust me if the manufactures thought that there would be a problem they would have put anti-seize on the bolts. Personally I'd be more worried about a bolt going into a cast iron block and seizing than a bolt going into aluminum.

                    But as Eric said, to each his own. ;)

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                    • #11
                      Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                      Originally posted by Eric68
                      I wouldn't use it on header bolts personally. Header bolts tend to come loose -- add anti-seize and you'll be tightening them every weekend.
                      I do because aluminum heads have stainless thread inserts and the header bolts I use are stainless too. Stainless on stainless galls pretty good, just like aluminum on aluminum.

                      I have never had problems with loosening header bolts. I usually torque them over 3 or 4 heat cycles and they stay put.

                      I pretty much use a nickle anti-sieze on all fasteners into aluminum.

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                      • #12
                        Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                        Have you guys heard about dissimilar metals? When you have different metals in contact with each other different things tend to happen.

                        For example:

                        Stainless steel to stainless steel tends to gall and bolts tend to grab and break. I would always use anti seize in a stainless-to-stainless situation.

                        Iron into iron is similar -- tends to corrode and seize up -- but in my experience not nearly as bad as stainless-to-stainless. Parts that see high temp change cycles (like exhaust parts -- O2 sensors, manifold bolts) are the worst.

                        Stainless bolts into aluminum or stainless bolts into pretty much any material besides stainless tends to be OK. No anti-seize required in my experience.

                        Anything with brass tends to be just fine. Just not brass to brass. brass to brass seems to turn green and want to strip threads.

                        Iron bolts into aluminum seem to corrode up after a while, but in my experience it tends to make the aluminum powder up a little and not seize.

                        Anyone else have similar experiences? or different?

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                        • #13
                          Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                          I have 2 galled stainless ARP header bolts and have had to replace 1 or 2 thread inserts until I started using anti-sieze. Since then, no problems.
                          But you're right, it only seems to be a real issue with high heat.

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                          • #14
                            Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                            The more heat the worse it gets, but here's a strange one - I drilled and tapped the inner bumper bar on my '78 Camaro to hold my front air dam (it's a great big ol' thing for LSR - look at Keith's for an example). I used stainless screws to hold it on, so they would stay pretty, and anti-seized the snot out of them. Every time I pull the air dam (which is every time I load it on the trailer), the screws are seized but I can force them out. I re-tap the holes and reinstall everything, then have the same issue all over again. I'm going to switch to cad plated screws this year and see if it helps. The bumper bar seems to be steel, but I can't be sure. Any suggestions?

                            Dan

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                            • #15
                              Re: sbc aluminum heads and anti-seize

                              What type of anti-sieze? Nickle or copper or..?

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