# Head Bolts



## hayes68gto (Jun 19, 2012)

Never changed a head bolt. The engine came with head bolts that look like they have an allen key center. I want to pull these so I can install the head bolts that allow me to attached the heat shield and negative wire. Can I pull these nuts off or do I have to replace with the others. See attached. First photo shows what I have now. The second one shows what someone recommended I change them to. Any help would be much appreciated.


----------



## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

What you have appears to be head studs, these have superior clamping to head bolts and I would keep them. You can attach a ground strap or the negative wire almost anywhere, but do *not* put them under the nuts on these studs. The Allen in the center is used to install the stud and then the head is placed over the studs and the nuts and washers are installed and torqued down. 

I suppose you could install the bolts you show in your second pic and leave the rest studs but I personally wouldn't.


----------



## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

:agree What he said. What you already have is superior to any bolt.

For a ground connection, you can use just about anywhere. I'm "current"ly using a valve cover bolt on my car for ground. As for the exhaust heat shrouds, you can modify the shroud by welding tabs to it and then use the bolt holes in the side of the head above the spark plugs. Done right, it'll take a very keen eye to notice that it's not stock.

Bear


----------

