I decided to get rid of every single regular 6 point bolt and put stainless allenheads there instead, maybe regular 12.9 grade allenheads as well, I love allen bolts . Figured out it wouldn't cost me but $50 to do the whole engine. Some bolts have rusted and I want them out of there as well as getting some good antisieze to put on every single bolt. As a side effect, I will be making a list of every single bolt size on the truck. I still have to do some counting and I think the timing cover has 2 different sizes but I couldn't remember which one I needed to pull out that was the other size so I gotta go out and keep playing with it. Here is what I got so far. When you buy these bolts, they will be using the same units as the threads, as in since all of these are metric, the length you need will be in mm as well. If for some reason you need to convert the length to inches, just take mm / 25.4, to convert back to mm, take inches x 25.4.

This thing resizes it automatically so if it is too small or I guess it is even a little blurry, here is the original format.

the long timing cover bolts are the ones that go through the cover into the block, the short ones are the ones around the edge by the IP.I believe there are 2-3 short bolts in the block pattern. I have a timing housing off the engine if you need me to count short vs long for ya. And if you know anyone with a 98.5+ truck who had the KDP take out their timing gear housing.... I have one off the engine!

the long timing cover bolts are the ones that go through the cover into the block, the short ones are the ones around the edge by the IP. I believe there are 2-3 short bolts in the block pattern. I have a timing housing off the engine if you need me to count short vs long for ya. And if you know anyone with a 98.5+ truck who had the KDP take out their timing gear housing.... I have one off the engine!

If you could count them that would be awesome! I have just been taking bolts out 1 at a time so I don't break the seal on anything.

I'm going to try and remember to do that for ya today. I was too deep into couch potato status when you posted last night to go look

I'm going to try and remember to do that for ya today. I was too deep into couch potato status when you posted last night to go look

I had that status as well so I didn't manage to go out and pull the long one and measure it

I like the idea of this. I too like the SS allen bolts... a guy after my own heart!

I like the idea of this. I too like the SS allen bolts... a guy after my own heart!

I've been looking into this a whole bunch and it's becoming a tossup between ss allenhead and regular 12.9 black oil allenheads. I would like to use the SS ones everywhere I can, but they are not as strong as the 12.9 ones, and some bolts such as the damper bolts use 12.9 so that will be a no go with SS. Some areas might get the bolt replaced with just the SS version, like the oil pan since I am not sure about getting at the bolts over the crossmember thinger with an allen wrench, though if I can get it in there I will make them all allen. As for stripping, I have read countless times that hitting the center of the allen bolt with a punch will make it easily unscrewable, though I plan on using some good antisieze. Then there is the exhaust manifold.... Would love to change those rusted pieces of crap out before it becomes too late, though it might already be too late. I don't know what grade they are or if SS will work there. Not sure why it wouldn't but need to do more research. Just found this site http://arp-bolts.com/ They have high strength SS bolts! Not allenhead but 12 point will work, anything but the 6 point Only problem is I have to take 1 bolt out of the manifold to get a size :banghead: Guess I got all day.

I wonder how much heat affects the exhaust manifold bolts... Marine Exhausts are water jacketed, of course... but I used to see stainless studs on the better brands, sometimes with brass nuts. Older ChrisCrafts used to be like this. I used to abuse my Craftsman metric 6 point sockets... driving an undersized socket on a badly rusted nut... go down one size at a time until I could get a bite. I always advocated rust resistant hardware when we replaced it... sometimes, I just did it...

I am not so sure it does have much effect on it anymore. I just took one out with nothing but penetrating oil and my 1/4" drive set. Figured I would be pretty safe with no leverage since the ratchet is only like 6" long. Measured the bolt, wire wheeled it, put some antiseize on it, stuck it back in. Can't believe it's only 32ft lbs. The bolt was a little warped though. I took out the top one on #3.

I don't know what sort of magic goes on, but I've not had issues with manifold bolts yet, thankfully.Finally took a look at my timing cover for you. There are a total of 27 bolts on that pup. 5 are internal, 22 exposed.Of the 22 exposed ones, 11 thread into the cover (7 in a row around the IP, the 2 lowest ones in the cover at the bottom of the crank and 2 straight above those at the top of the crank) and 11 thread into the block (9 though the cover, 2 at the bottom corners of the housing against the oil pan). I can't swear to it, but I'd be willing to bet that the 5 internal bolts match the 11 externally accessible shorties. Maybe Quickserve will help here, come to think of it?Yeah, that would have been the easy way to go Better info, and it shows the stud locations too. Free quickserve access doesn't give dimensions or part numbers but it's a good base to go from.

I don't know poo from shinola regarding bolts, but I have noticed that stainless is a seems to be a softer metal than regular steel and tends to break off easier. I really love using them myself, but have to be very careful to use a torque wrench. I tend to gorilla grip them as my wife says. I wonder if the stainless has the same hardness rating as the steel?

I have also seen this in SS screws we use in retaraunt equipment. the heads tend to strip more easily. I am sure this has to do with the hardnes of the metal. You can buy differant grades of stainless just like differant grades of steel bolts. Bolts are marked on the head as to grade, but I cannot cypher it with out some form of document to tell me what the markings mean. I have seen them before but do not pocess one. Structural stell bolts are marked in this manner, but I very seldom have to deal with it with the buildings i construct. I have never seen these markings on the small SS steel screw we use, but they must be soft considering how many i can strip.

I spent a while back when this thread was made looking at them and most are a lower grade bolt. Allen bolts are 12.9 but the stainless variant was lower. I couldn't really find anything better. Still haven't done any of this.

Most of the SS screws I buy come from Lowe's and I have never paid any attention to there grading. WE ussually use them to attach misc items in the kitchen wher structural concerns do not exist.