1.5 head bolts

[dennis]

I am doing a head gasket on a 1.5 with 11mm head bolts. I am having a hard time finding new bolts though. Any suggestions?
Dennis

[BigVWman]

I thought the 1.5 had 10mm 1.6 had 11 or 12mm? The 10mm bolts from the 1.5 are reusable. It all gets fuzzy in the mind after awhile!

[8v-of-fury]

Don't believe I have heard of a 10mm head bolt.

Pretty sure the 1.5 and early 1.6 had the 11mm. But the 1.5 had a non-stretch bolt. Therefore reusable.

[maxfax]

All 1.5's and the early 1.6 (till some unknown point in 1982) both had 11mm re-useable head bolts..   The allen head of these early bolts are 10mm..  The later bolts are 12mm triple square heads..

 Just make sure that the threads are mighty clean on the bolts and the block. Check thoroughly for cracks around the head bolt holes on the block as this was a common issue..  Head studs are a good investment here if money isn't too tight.  

And, there are more and more success stories popping up about using the stretch bolts from the gasser engine as well... I'm not sure how folks are tightening these though.. I'm guessing the factory spec for the gasser...

[rs899]

What Max said.  I wasn't particularly aware of the gasser stretch bolt success stories, maybe I should do some reading.  I have a couple of old 11mm blocks that might still have some life left with a new set of rings, if I am daring enough to press my (so far, good) luck with these blocks.  I have a 12mm block that is probably too used up for rings, and I am too cheap to buy new pistons and machining just to get a 3rd car on the road...

[dennis]

Thanks fellas. This is a customer car. If it doesn't work out he's gonna give me the car anyway. The head gasket had been leaking for a long time. (Lots of rust even down into the bolt holes) This ole Rabbit has a perfect dash that will fit my truck.

Dennis

[rs899]

If the head bolts you have look decent , I would run them through a die to clean them up, and run a tap down the block holes and clean out what you can.  That's what I did on the rebuild I did on the Caddy back in '96 , and it's still running (burning oil but running).

[maxfax]

  I wasn't particularly aware of the gasser stretch bolt success stories, maybe I should do some reading. 

I guess I should elaborate..  Short term success stories..  I really I've read one or two stories on here, and some on the vortex about using them and it worked..  Never have heard how they held up long term though... I think one of the ones from vortex actually used VR6 bolts...

[R.O.R-2.0]

  I wasn't particularly aware of the gasser stretch bolt success stories, maybe I should do some reading. 

I guess I should elaborate..  Short term success stories..  I really I've read one or two stories on here, and some on the vortex about using them and it worked..  Never have heard how they held up long term though... I think one of the ones from vortex actually used VR6 bolts...

prolly only the SHORT bolts for the VR6..

[fatmobile]

 Do a search on the vortex for head studs. Someone is always selling used ones.
  The gasser head studs are 11mm and work great in the old diesels.
 
 I have never stripped out the block threads using headbolts,.. but have seen it happen many times even the local dealership ruined a block.
 The stock bolts are too short and don't grab enough threads, too much pressure in a small area has cracked blocks.

[maxfax]

prolly only the SHORT bolts for the VR6..

I think you are right..  I only remember that they used half a vr6 set..

[rs899]

So, thinking back decades, I can recall setting three 11mm 1.6 heads with the original bolts and never had any problems, yet everyone rags on them and wants to go off and buy studs.  I was careful everytime to clean everything and torque to the book.  Is it just that there's no margin of error if you don't do it right, or do bolt failures "just happen" with 11mm bolts?

[maxfax]

So, thinking back decades,

Less metal fatigue     Actually maybe there is something to that..  All the ones I've personally cracked had crap loads of miles on them. The one I welded had 446K on the clock when the clock stopped.. I tapped the holes, used a die on the bolts, yet it still cracked.... I replaced HG's in a '79 1.5 and an '82 1.6 (yes it was original and 11mm) and they lived..  Neither of those cars were over 150K.. Otherwise I think it's like you said, no margin of error...

[CRSMP5]

i am one of the gasser 11mm headbolt people.. from 1.8 8v... tends to start fights so do not discuss it much..

longitivity... well.. 20+ years to current never a issue... shop i worked for back then had been doing it for long time.. but how many 11mm 1.6 left no idea... mine i quit driving back in 02.. modded that head for 12mm in 07.. that head now resides on my 1.6td in my b3 wagon... been using that head since 89... did valve job with p&p on turkey day 96 when i added a bae turbo to it in my caddy i retired in 02..

[maxfax]

i am one of the gasser 11mm headbolt people.. from 1.8 8v... tends to start fights so do not discuss it much..

That's why I usually don't mention it..  That and I've not personally done it to see how it worked.. I pulled a few engines apart that had used them..  But I can't necessarily blame the bolts for the HG failure on any of them..  Did you just use the tightening spec for the 1.8???