Stainless Steel Bolts

[Dahoopd]

Has anyone used SS bolts on other items like water pump, exhaust manifolds....etc. Its a shame to put on a part thats painted or polished only to end up useing boogerd up old bolts. I know you can wire wheel and paint but with a polished or powdered item, stainless would look best. Are these bolts even obtainable?

I know summit sells SS hardware but do many of the bolts fit? Thanks again for the input.

[CaifanSC]

Check the 'new products' section...i just got quite a few pieces of stainless steel hardware from Paul @ Bluetongue (bout $100 worth actually:p ).

[kenewagner]

On my own engine I chrome almost everything and if I dont I use stainless steel socket head bolts as they look real nice. Almost every city has a company that sells fasterners. Just look in the yellow pages under fasteners. Almost all of them will have a city sales desk that you order any type of bolts you would want. Nice bolts Stainless or otherwise are real cheap. On some of my projects I might drop 5 to 10 dollars on bolts at one of the bolt companies here. You get a lot of bolts or hardware for 10 bucks if you buy directly from the fastner company.

Ken

[CougarXR/7]

I've been using stainless fasteners where I can for years. Be sure to use anti-seize compound though.

[Dahoopd]

Be sure to use anti-seize compound though.


Thats good advice, I didnt know that. Thank you very much for relying.



Ken,

Now that you said something, I have a friend of a friend that owns A-1 nut and bolt here in Maryland. Thanks for the reminder.

[bowez]

I sware by SS my whole exhaust is SS and when ever I can justify changing them out I do. My wife's 5.0 has them for mount the P/S pump.
Just remeber not to overtorque them cause they will strip the hole be for the bolt goes.

[Mike8675309]

I wouldn't blindly go replacing fasteners with SS. Unless you ask for them, most SS bolts you find are not going to be Grade 8. The SS steel is also soft enough it tends to gall so you want to use anti-sieze always.

Just make sure you match the strength of the bolt to the strength of the one you are replacing.

[Dahoopd]

Mike,


Are all of bolts on the SC a grade 8 bolt. I want to replace the water pump bolts and the pulley bolts. Thanks, Damian

[Mike8675309]

This page can show you how to identify Grade 8 bolts. Grade 8 is an SAE standard.
http://www.sizes.com/tools/bolts_SAEtork.htm

Metrics stamp the grade into the head. 10.8 or 10.9 is equivalent to SAE Grade 8

Water pump bolts are not likely grade 8. Exhaust manifold bolts likely are.

[SCotto]

I just finnished putting a new motor in my truck and I used all SS fasteners on everything. The old bolts from 1979 looked like crap. Everything torqued down just fine with anti-sieze.
I used a SS bolt kit from I think Jegs and It was great for the money but it didn't have the header bolts so I had to get the separate.

[GreenBirdLX]

Water pump bolts are not likely grade 8. Exhaust manifold bolts likely are.

Exhaust bolts are not grade 8 for hardness, but for the temperature. SS bolts are fine for the exhaust. I have an entirely SS exhaust system except for coated headers. Even my exhaust hangars are SS.