Who sells hi-quality intake/timing cover bolts--not T/A?

Hi folks,

Does anyone sell intake bolts and timing-cover bolts that are a higher quality than the ones sold by T/A?
I have the ones from T/A and haven't even fired up the engine once and the heads of the bolts are so rusty I can't hardly get a socket one them. Very poor coating, it seems.

Thanks!

Best,

Ranger
Aiken, SC

 

Where they stainless steel

 

Also AMK

 

No, a very thin black (powder?) coating, it seems.

 

What company is that?

 

Thank you Wizzie!

 

TA sells stainless intake bolts too.

 

More than likely that they are "Black Oxide". I use a lot of black oxide fasteners on Corvette Restoration projects when customers request the exact original supplied hardware. Two ways to prevent them from rusting is a coating of "Sharkhide" or "Cosmoline Weather Shed". Black oxide is sometimes used as a temporary surface until painting them takes place once installed, which may be what the TA fasteners are intended to be.

Larry

 

Better than T/A????????????????????????
They are ARP. their quality is better than most aerospace fastener companies and totally made in the USA.
Oh and steel rusts if you don't protect it with something.

 

Thanks, but where does one buy these two products? I'm sure they are a Black Oxide coat. They should put a note in with the bolts, explaining that it is a temporary coating adn

Best,

Ranger
Aiken, SC

Well, would not want to argue with a man who has forgotten more about Buick engines than most of us will ever know, but I was not speaking about the quality of the bolts themselves, but rather, the coating. Quality of bolts seems fine. If they are going to use a think powder coating on a bolt that will rust within several months of just sitting there--never mind, running the engine--I don't think it would be out-of-line to include a note along with the bolts, stating such.

I really don't want to slap a coat of paint on them. A socket sits very square and tight on the head of the bolts. Not sure that would be the case with paint on them. As well, the sharp corners of the bolt would now not be thus. So I will investigate the two products that Bluzilla mentioned.

I guess steel does rust if you don't paint it, but like many of you I have been working on cars since 1970. I have removed thousands of steel bolts that were not painted and also were not rusted, or had only mild surface rust.

Frankly, I think that, with all the technological advances, that steel is not made anywhere as good as is used to be. Take a lawn more built 50 years ago. You could leave it outside for a decade and very little would be rusted. Buy a new one From HomeDepot and leave it out in the rain once and you know what it will look like.

Thanks for all the replies.

Best,

Ranger
Aiken, SC

 

Maybe just get them anodized, plated, or coated? I understand you're worried about the socket fitting them, but they'll be fine. There are numerous options these days.

 

I have used these with good results. I contacted them outside of eBay to get a better shipping price... bought 3 sets, nice to have spares.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/BUICK-350-ST...274388&hash=item1eca282166:g:-4QAAOxy3NBSfVvE

 

I would only use ARP stainless bolts on an engine. Most cheap stainless steel bolts are only grade 4-5. Also, use with caution. When our Mack tractors were still under warranty, some of the exhaust manifold studs broke so we had the local Mack dealer repair them. They used stainless steel studs. I don't know if this was a Mack repair procedure, or just the Mack dealer that we used. We saw that and thought that it was a good idea. Well , the stainless studs still break. Have you ever tried to drill out a 12mm stainless stud that's 1" long? Depending on the location of the stud, I've had as much as 4 1/2 on one stud and wore out a few carbide burrs.

 

It sounds like those bolts were probably cold black oxide, not a commercial hot oxide process. Cold oxided bolts will have a similar color to them, but almost nothing in the way of corrosion protection. Black oxide when done properly is more or less the same as parkerizing, the way that many firearms are finished. It is a very resilient finish when done properly, and should not rust even with years of use in a typical underhood environment. It does not stand up well to UV, so they don't hold up well when exposed to direct sunlight, but under the hood or in a garage that should not be a concern.

You can have fasteners and just about anything else professionally plated, and that's the route I would go if you want correct looking bolts and an original looking black oxide finish. You'll spend a few bucks to have it done, but if you find a good plater it will very likely be better than anything you're going to buy over the counter today.

As others have mentioned, ARP makes great hardware, both in stainless or black oxide. Their black oxide process is top notch, and they hold up extremely well. They also aren't cheap, or correct in terms of original appearance, but if originality is not a concern they are likely the very best you're going to find.

As mentioned above, I would not use stainless bolts with exhaust manifolds. Headers yes, but not manifolds. Manifolds expand and contract too much, so the bolts need to have some give to them, especially on engines where there is no exhaust manifold gasket. Exhaust manifolds that use a gasket tend to have a little more give to them so it's not as much of an issue, but many engines don't use gaskets on the exhaust. Stainless bolts don't have as much give, so they break. This isn't an issue with thin steel header flanges because they don't expand and contract enough to weaken the bolt. They just tend to loosen the bolts instead, which is a whole 'nother matter. I install exhaust manifolds with grade 8 SAE or 10.9 metric bolts as required with grade 8/10.9 lock washers. Nothing on the threads, but a thin coat of copper RTV on the bolt shank.

I tend to prefer quality black oxide bolts over stainless most of the time, in part because of the lower cost, in part because I'm not into shiny bolts everywhere. And when properly prepped and installed, black oxide bolts are just fine. Any bolt that goes into an exposed coolant passage gets thread sealant. The long through bolts that run theough water pump/timing cover and into the block get thread sealant on the threads themselves and a thin coat of anti-seize on the shank that goes through the timing cover. You'd be amazed how much easier it is to get these bolts back out ten years later when they were properly prepped in the first place.

I never use stainless bolts when threading into aluminum, ever. Too much potential for trouble when both materials have a tendency to gall if the threads are even slightly goobered.

And I never use low quality fake stainless bolts either.

 

Sharkhide is available at Eastwood. And Cosmoline at Cosmoline Direct.

Larry

 

Wow, thanks for the university education. Yes, I always use anti-seize on every bolt that I can--wish the factory had done the same.

I'm sure they were cold black oxide, as you say. Funny that T/A wouldn't sell the higher-quality version of the ARP bolts with the commercial/hot black oxide--or, at least give us the option.

Regarding stainless bolts into aluminum, so you would NOT use stainless header bolts threading into an aluminum head? I agree with you that there is a chance to booger up the threads if they don't go in exactly straight, that' for sure.

Thanks for you thoughtful, detailed input.

Best,

Ranger
Aiken, SC

 

Thanks!

Best,

Ranger
Aiken, SC