I'm about to tear into a 2000 V10 that was run without oil pressure to replace the main and rod bearings.
The the main and rod caps along with the heads are all TTY bolts.

Is it safe to reuse them if non of them are streched or do I have to replace them all?
I can't have the engine come apart becuase of reusing a part I should not have, but I can't just spend money on this stuff unless I really do need it.

In the past I have just replaced them like Ford says to be safe, but money is tight and I have two modulars waiting for me to go through them. All new bolts for both is costly.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

IMO, I would go ahead and replace them. They aren't designed to be used again and the cost to replace them is cheaper than the cost of an engine coming apart when you need it the most. They may not look streched, but there is a good possibility that there are minor stress fractures in them.

 

It would be smart to replace them. Although you might be able to get away with it, you'll REALLY be kicking yourself if you have problems as a result. Do it right the first time; replace the bolts.

 

I wouldn't.

 

TTY studs get stretched when they are torqued properly. They are designed to be tightened once only.

 

This is interesting. The question isn't whether they "should" be replaced because the answer is "yes". The question is, what are the odds of things working out poorly if they are not replaced.

If there is a problem with a re-used bolt, will it fail immediately, or simply have a reduced life or reduced strength? I.e., the vehicle is a 2000, so if the re-built engine has a reduced life of 5 years, would that be acceptible? If you're afraid to pull a heavy load, is that okay because you never do it anyway?


It would seem to me that the question is whether the re-built engine using the old bolts is likely to last, maybe three years in moderate use.


The best answer would be from someone who in the "inexperience of their youth" rebuilt engines and re-used the bolts, and subsequently experienced problems, or experienced no problems.


I understand bedbolts are torque-to-yield, yet many people re-use them because they're so expensive. Has anyone really had one fail?


Beats the hell out of me.

 

Unless somebody that knows there stuff comes in and says I can reuse them then replacement is what I'm leaning towards.

Both these engine I'm about to do will see hard use. The V10 won't see a ton of miles but will tow and off road almost every time its driven. Its also going to be running the 1/4 mile and maybe some tractor pulls.
The other is a 4.6 for my DD. I'm pulling it to bump the performance up some. Its going to be running higher than stock commpresion and it must be 100% reliable. Taking it to school its going to see 200k before it can come out of the car agian. Its going to auto cross and run the 1/4 mile along with hard driving on the road.

The TTY bolts need to not be the failure point. I need to be able wear it out without the bolts ever becoming a problem.

I'm about to check parts guy ed and see how much they would cost.

 

You may want to consider replacing them with bolts that are not TTY.

 

You've just answered yourself.

The theory goes that TTY bolts stretch and STAY stretched to a certain point. During the torquing process, you torque them to a certain value, and then rotate them a certain amount of degrees and LEAVE them.

The number of degrees (based on thread pitch) is crucial, because that's the stretch that must be used to create a certain amount of clamping force using the elasticity of the bolt.

If they are reused, that elasticity is not only different, but the clamping force would be different unless you measure it and change the number of degrees necessary.

ARP bolts & studs for Ford modular engines

It's going to be difficult to find aftermarket bolts for the V10 I think, mostly because of the four-bolt AND cross-bolted mains. Not sure if the 5.4L ever came with the same exact bolts in a 6-bolt main configuration.

But studs do sound nice to have. If I were doing a V10, I'd be sure to check into it.

Check with Ed the parts guy in the sponsor list, and see what he can get the studs for. And of course, check with your local parts stores to see what you can find. Rockauto.com has three different brands.

I would not be afraid of aftermarket bolts, as long as they are a reasonable brand-name like Felpro.

 

Bill, I don't know how to do a link but Google TTY head bolts,your answer is there. Don't reuse them.

 

Don't you love these forums...... Ask a question, get an answer. No BS.

 

Looks like the cheapsest I can get the head bolts is $119 for the V10 and $73 for the 4.6.
Thats Felpro from a local parts store.
EDIT: Just checked rock auto and they are cheaper.
Since I really do need to change them it sounds like I will do that. I don't really have much use for head studds on the V10 and it will be years before I will be able to benifit from them being on the 4.6.

What about the Rod and main cap bolts? Can I use them or is that a bad idea too?

Thanks guys

 

Other than ARP, what else can I use?

 

I know
This forum has saved me tons of time and cash.
I can not say enough about how great the help here is.

 

Bill, the rod, main and head bolts are ALL TTY bolts. You MUST replace them if they are removed for any reason. It is impossible to get the proper "stretch" and the resulting max allowable bolt length to get clamping force correct.Check your PM's.
JL