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This matter concerns “How to Make a Complete Speciality TTY Head Bolt Set for the L-32 V6 Engine in The F-Body Car Line Series” and the short version using visual images can be found here:
Unlike it was “Way Back When” in the Old Days when mechanics unbolted their engine heads and just wire brushed their fasteners a bit and after chasing the bolt holes in the block and applying either just a few drops of oil or a dollop of water and oil proof sealer, they put on new head gaskets and re-installed the original bolts, tightening them down to pattern by following the factory fastener specifications. But as we all know, “Cost Controls” along with the automation that evolved in Detroit to replace human beings with robotic engine building machines that might not be as thoughtful and precise in their tightening mechanisms as we humans can adapt to, they would naturally wear down or lose their tolerances. Thus enter the invention of TTY “Torque To Yield” fasteners which made their way into the automotive industry and brought with them their own brand of headaches.
The original idea might seem sound if you consider that the idea here was to create fasteners that act a bit like rubber-bands just as they reach their final tightening and therefore be more forgiving should one bolt be slightly looser or perhaps too snug for their intended purposes. But the problem is that these “stretch” bolts actually do stretch along their length but in doing so, it not only permanently changes their end length but “inside” the steel metal changes its structure by compressing the crystalline atomic layout of the metal...turning a large set of semi-flexible crystals into smaller ones...and this “work hardening” process makes them harder and more brittle as this occurs. And so if they are re-used, the chances of them snapping off are great. TTY Bolts are a one-way ticket to ride when it comes time to re-use them in bolting back on parts they once “held so dearly” in place.
If like me... you own F-Body cars (one of which sports the L-32 3.4L V6 Engine) that use these fasteners, you'll find difficult to get your hands on the two unusual “double duty” fasteners that also just happen to be part of the eight [8] bolt sets per head that require brand new replacements. But recently I discovered a way around this agony by combining
two sets of bolts made by two different manufacturers and allow you to come up with a complete set of new head bolts and solve the problem.
The link above and the images attached below display one set made by Dana (Victor Reinz) listed as Dana Kit # 216-7051 with a model number of GS33232 and within this eight [8] bolt set is the one special "Female on Top" Hex Bolt needed to act as the support the attachment for the Alternator Bracket Hold Down Bolt on the passenger side of the V6 engine, The other set of seventeen (17) bolts comes from FelPro Model Number ES72857 (Future Part # will be 21-1122) which includes that special “Post Bolt” with an exposed upper threaded stud portion that serves also to hold down the front of the engine head on the driver's side of the V6 engine when properly torqued. You can see from the images that while the Dana Bolt set and the FelPro Bolt Set are identical in their short and long bolt lengths as well as having the proper 11.9 Hardness Level... the Dana set are threaded to a greater length than required in the L32 engine block. By simply swapping in the Dana Alternator Bracket Bolt for one of the shorter bolts from the FelPro Bolt Set... and Voila!... now you have everything available for a brand new and complete set of speciality head bolts to do this job right!
One word of caution here for the F-Body owners...about this final "Mix-Master" set of head bolts you wind up with... use the original factory torque instructions for your specific engine to tighten these down and NOT the ones listed on the bottom of the Dana Product Instruction sheet... those only apply to W-Body and T-Body Car Line series of vehicles. For those who don't want to muck around with doing it this way, there is another alternative in just buying the 17 bolt set from FelPro and then hunting down either one or both of the speciality bolts via these GM Part Numbers:
GM P# 14097629 - Stud on Top
GM P# 10065500 - Extended Hex on Top
Here is a parallel DIY Thread on this problem with some VERY interesting diagnostic ideas, too:
There are always doubters to the idea that all of this is unnecessary overkill... but have a look at this article about TTY bolts and realise how many repairs can fail when not done properly:
Unlike it was “Way Back When” in the Old Days when mechanics unbolted their engine heads and just wire brushed their fasteners a bit and after chasing the bolt holes in the block and applying either just a few drops of oil or a dollop of water and oil proof sealer, they put on new head gaskets and re-installed the original bolts, tightening them down to pattern by following the factory fastener specifications. But as we all know, “Cost Controls” along with the automation that evolved in Detroit to replace human beings with robotic engine building machines that might not be as thoughtful and precise in their tightening mechanisms as we humans can adapt to, they would naturally wear down or lose their tolerances. Thus enter the invention of TTY “Torque To Yield” fasteners which made their way into the automotive industry and brought with them their own brand of headaches.
The original idea might seem sound if you consider that the idea here was to create fasteners that act a bit like rubber-bands just as they reach their final tightening and therefore be more forgiving should one bolt be slightly looser or perhaps too snug for their intended purposes. But the problem is that these “stretch” bolts actually do stretch along their length but in doing so, it not only permanently changes their end length but “inside” the steel metal changes its structure by compressing the crystalline atomic layout of the metal...turning a large set of semi-flexible crystals into smaller ones...and this “work hardening” process makes them harder and more brittle as this occurs. And so if they are re-used, the chances of them snapping off are great. TTY Bolts are a one-way ticket to ride when it comes time to re-use them in bolting back on parts they once “held so dearly” in place.
If like me... you own F-Body cars (one of which sports the L-32 3.4L V6 Engine) that use these fasteners, you'll find difficult to get your hands on the two unusual “double duty” fasteners that also just happen to be part of the eight [8] bolt sets per head that require brand new replacements. But recently I discovered a way around this agony by combining
two sets of bolts made by two different manufacturers and allow you to come up with a complete set of new head bolts and solve the problem.
The link above and the images attached below display one set made by Dana (Victor Reinz) listed as Dana Kit # 216-7051 with a model number of GS33232 and within this eight [8] bolt set is the one special "Female on Top" Hex Bolt needed to act as the support the attachment for the Alternator Bracket Hold Down Bolt on the passenger side of the V6 engine, The other set of seventeen (17) bolts comes from FelPro Model Number ES72857 (Future Part # will be 21-1122) which includes that special “Post Bolt” with an exposed upper threaded stud portion that serves also to hold down the front of the engine head on the driver's side of the V6 engine when properly torqued. You can see from the images that while the Dana Bolt set and the FelPro Bolt Set are identical in their short and long bolt lengths as well as having the proper 11.9 Hardness Level... the Dana set are threaded to a greater length than required in the L32 engine block. By simply swapping in the Dana Alternator Bracket Bolt for one of the shorter bolts from the FelPro Bolt Set... and Voila!... now you have everything available for a brand new and complete set of speciality head bolts to do this job right!
One word of caution here for the F-Body owners...about this final "Mix-Master" set of head bolts you wind up with... use the original factory torque instructions for your specific engine to tighten these down and NOT the ones listed on the bottom of the Dana Product Instruction sheet... those only apply to W-Body and T-Body Car Line series of vehicles. For those who don't want to muck around with doing it this way, there is another alternative in just buying the 17 bolt set from FelPro and then hunting down either one or both of the speciality bolts via these GM Part Numbers:GM P# 14097629 - Stud on Top
GM P# 10065500 - Extended Hex on Top
Here is a parallel DIY Thread on this problem with some VERY interesting diagnostic ideas, too:
There are always doubters to the idea that all of this is unnecessary overkill... but have a look at this article about TTY bolts and realise how many repairs can fail when not done properly:
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