It is recommended that all Head Bolts be replaced when rebuilding One. Original Head Bolts were not the best to start with. I found another Source for these in USA. Headbolts.com.  They sell both sets of Y-Block Head Bolts. Early style with 2 different Length Bolts and later style with 3 different Bolts which were the Ones I need for my Project. They don't ship outside USA so I asked Paul Schroll on this Site if He would help Me and re-mail them to Me in Canada. He did and I very much appreciate His help. Got them Today. Grade 8 Bolts and Washers. Perfect. This will be my last Engine rebuild and using all the things I learned on this Site over last 20 Years. Got a Mummert Valley Pan from a good Guy in UK who bought One and never used it. No more Valley Pan Leaks. Going to use "The Right Stuff" in place of Side Seals on rear Main. I also ordered a new Aluminum Intake off Ebay. Exact duplicate of the ECZ-B Manifold. Not meant to be Hi-Performance. Just a stock Intake which weighs MUCH less than the Original. Going to be a Nice Engine when finished.

  

Glad to see you got them ok.

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Thanks Paul. No extra charge from Customs which is a break for Me. Nice Items. Much better than Originals. GR.8 Bolts and Washers.

  

Whats wrong with the original bolts?

It was not until about 1963 that Ford started using a grade 8 head bolt on the Ford Y.  Prior to that, the head bolts were grade 5 and grade 6 and those bolts were prone to stretching or losing their tension over time.  Besides taking the age of the bolts into consideration, multiple uses of those earlier bolts also tends to reduce their ability to maintain the clamp load on the head gaskets.  In a sense, those grade 5/6 bolts were “torque to yield” before that became a design feature.  Switching to the grade 8 bolts goes a long way in helping to maintain the clamping load on the head gaskets which in turn reduces the tendency for leakage that can occur at the head gaskets.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thank You Ted. Changing to Grade 8 Bolts should also reduce Head Gasket Failure. Because of the odd Length of the Bolts it is hard to find them off the shelf. I know Mummert sells them as an ARP Item but they are a custom Item only available from Him. This Source I found should help if Someone is looking for Head Bolts. They have both Sets of Bolts.. Early and late syle.

  

Question about the head bolts with washers (probably came up before.  Originally, washers were not used .  With the washers, should the bolts be longer ?  And should the torque setting be different ?

I also heard, sometime way back, that oiling the threads might change what the torque setting should be  vs just cleaning the threads and following the recommended torque settings  Thoughts ?

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

I bought ARP main-cap bolts & head studs from John Mummert, both of which include washers. Oil is recommended for the threads and between bolt heads and washers. However, being aware of incorrect torque specs in Ford's 57 Shop for main-cap bolts (correct is 95-105), I was concerned about John Mummert's recommending 110-120. I then asked Ted, who said the 95 should be good. It's a good idea to confirm torque specs for head bolts/studs as well. John recommends 82 ft.lbs. with oil for ARP head bolts, 80 ft.lbs. for studs. Ford's 55 Shop Manual recommends 75 ft.lbs.(hot) for head bolts, but Ford didn't use Grade 8 head bolts in 1955. 

The Kit includes Tapered Washers that would make minimal if any difference in Length. Original Bolts do not use Washers. I think the Washers with application of light Oil to Washers and Bolt Threads would give a more accurate Torque reading than the original with no Washers. Very similar Kit that Mummert sells under a custom ARP # NOT sold by ARP. I checked with ARP and they don't sell it.