Pinto Cylinder Head Bolts

[Guest Dunebug]

Hello again,

 

As you know, the pinto engine has 2 distinct types of cylinder head bolts - the early splined head type and the later Torx head type. The Haynes manual gives a different procedure for tightening down each type i.e. the splined type must be further tightened after the engine is warmed up and the Torx type is tightened through a further 90 degrees beyond it's final torque setting (bloody scarey when you haven't used Torx bolts before....). Two questions...

 

1) Can Splined bolts be re-used ?

 

2) Do Torx bolts need to be further tightened after a run in period ?

 

Thanks,

 

John...

[swan]

Haynes Bible says:

 

Note that the bolt tightening stages are different for torx and splined type bolts

 

If splined type bolts are used they must be finally tightened to the fourth stage

 

after the engine has been run for 15 minutes

 

 

The way I read the haynes.

 

It does not say you have to replace the splined type, but only mentions that if torx

 

bolts were originally fitted new must be used,

 

Torque Settings

 

Haynes. Quote.

ft/lbs

Stage 1 30 - 44

Stage 2 slacken by 1/2 turn

Stage 3 30 - 44

Stage 4 tighten further 90 degrees

Stage 5 tighten further 90 degrees

 

swan

[Guest chris brown]

Can Splined bolts be re-used ?

Yes they can as they are not stretch bolts and that is why they have to have the final stage carried out after running. I would still only reuse them once and would replace them with stretch (torx) bolts.

 

Do Torx bolts need to be further tightened after a run in period

No. But being stretch bolts they must be replaced. But you can do the job all in one go without having to fit and remove the rocker cover twice

[Guest Dunebug]

Thanks for the replies, you've confirmed what I had suspected.

 

 

John.

[Guest Daren.F]

Has anyone got a photo of a torx and a spline bolt to show me witch is which?

[Guest Takumi]

Always worth getting new ones,

although we didnt when we swapped the head on our 1.8, we torqued them up slightly more then spec after it had run for 15 mins to suttle the head, we've got a high comp head and had no problems (Hylomar !!! rules)

 

 

tak

[Guest salty_monk]

Darren,

 

Just buy the Torqx bolts. They must be interchangeable. The head on one of your bolts is shot anyhow so it doesn't matter which you have...

[Andy Spencer]

The torx bolts have about 7 or 8 'splines' but the spline bolt has a lot more, at least 12 (hope that makes sense!!!!). Have a look at a 'Torx T55' socket driver in a tool shop and you'll soon see the difference.

The bolts are totally interchangeable - I replaced the spline bolts on mine with torx bolts and so far, so good (5k miles). Much better as you don't have to take the rocker cover off again after running it for 15 mins.

 

Andy

[Guest chris brown]

you don't have to take the rocker cover off again after running it for 15 mins.

Funny I said that a fortnight ago on this thread

[Guest Daren.F]

I had already got torx bolts and fitted them, but they looked very similar to the old ones.

thanks, Andy for explaining the difference.

[geoff shep]

Thread resurrected by search! Where's the best place to get the (older) spline bolt tool from - Ford or an alternative supplier and are they still readily available? Or is the cost differential insignificant? I agree about using stretch bolts in future but still need to undo the current ones.

 

PS - what size is the bit required? - there are some spline bits on ebay.

[Guest docter fox]

they're interchangable (well I interchanged them )

 

local motorcount hadn't even heard of spline drive so I picked up a new set with torx bits and the splined drive in from rufforth autojumble for a tenner, bargain think I saw the same set at stoneleigh for 15 quid IIRC it goes up to about 55?

[geoff shep]

Yes but I need a spline bit to get the old ones out. I'm beginning to think I might lift the engine out, I only want to change the camshaft.

[Guest docter fox]

something like this I think I've got a smaller 40 pc set, depending on how urgently you want it it would be worth shopping around

 

PS. if the last post wasn't clear, I was talking about picking up the tools not the set of bolts

[Guest AWhite]

The "Torx" bolts are available on Ebay for a reasonable price. I couldn't find any suppliers near me that could sell them cheap.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-PINTO-HEAD-BOLT...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I have used them and they are fine.

 

Andy