Stainless steel nuts and bolts for a 65 fury
- Thread starter Tylerjr
- Start date
I assume you're talking about exhaust manifolds. You're best to have each bolt and nut matched in length at a local fastener supply store. I did that for my LA318. Exhaust manifolds, the 2 bolts on each side for the exhaust pipe flange connection, the motor mount bolts. Nuts, bolts, washers and lock washers. Couldn't get the manifold studs in stainless though. Not cheap. A big-box like home despot will have some that match in size.
68PK21 440.6bbl
Old Man with a Hat
Stainless Steel? Depends if you want Nuclear Grade Stainless or Chinese Grade Stainless, there is a difference and I would suspect Home Depot would be Chinese Grade.
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Everything I've read says that SS fasteners from a box store like Home Depot are going to be sub-par. Usually too soft with no rating. They would probably work for the pipe flange as that's not really stressed that much. For the manifold, I would want to go to a specialty fastener vendor.
That said, I can't say I'm a fan of using the SS fasteners in cast iron. I've read that it's OK, but I've also read that it's not. Which is it? I don't know, but I'd stay away from SS bolts here myself, especially a stud. YMMV.
I know that stanless steel might look nice and shiny and not rust, BUT I suspect such fasteners are harder than normal iron is . . . which is where the problems might arise, to me. All torque specs are formulated to have a certain amount of "stretch" in the bolt/stud to hold against the threads the fastener is screwed into. If the SS fastener is harder, that can chunk all of the factory OEM torque specs out the window into the river, I suspect, as it will stretch less (even the off-shore stuff) than the iron/steel fasteners it was designed for.
Then there might be concerns about heat expansion characteristics between the SS and iron/steel items. Which might make the SS items snap during the hot/cold cycles. Not good.
NOW . . . for some reality issues. The fastener should be softer than the metal it screws into. Not from a "wear" issue, but from the "sacrificial" orientation. Better to drill out a broken soft fastener than to have to re-drill and heli-coil the HOLE itself.
Your judgment call.
CBODY67
Then there might be concerns about heat expansion characteristics between the SS and iron/steel items. Which might make the SS items snap during the hot/cold cycles. Not good.
NOW . . . for some reality issues. The fastener should be softer than the metal it screws into. Not from a "wear" issue, but from the "sacrificial" orientation. Better to drill out a broken soft fastener than to have to re-drill and heli-coil the HOLE itself.
Your judgment call.
CBODY67
Padre4art
New Member
The Surplus City store in our area has an amazing supply of grade 8 bolts, all for less than $5 per pound.
Not necessarily. It depends on the alloy and how the threads were formed. Stainless steel isn't everything that people seem to think it is.
Some light reading on the subject of alloys and SS bolt grades.
Stainless Steel Bolt Grades Chart Explained
I went with SS on the manifolds because the original bolts looked like rusty sh1t. I wasn't concerned with strength. I know there's a marine grade SS that is what you need to absolutely stop rust. Then there are a couple grades down from that that don't rust if not in constant salt-water immersion. The marine grades (304 and 316) are not ferromagnetic (not attracted to magnets) but other lesser grades are.
volksworld
Well-Known Member
my go-to place is Totally Stainless in Pa...although they don't have a specific bolt kit for a 318 poly , I'm sure they'll have whatever sizes you need
If it's exhaust fasteners, don't use stainless, at least not with store bought (i.e. not nuclear-grade stuff 68PK21 mentioned, but maybe they still gall...who knows) ones - the threads will gall up and make it very difficult to remove. Studs might come out with the nuts due to the galling. Try to find copper plated nuts and use them with the regular steel studs - the nuts will dull with the heat cycling and time, but they'll always break loose when you want them to.
volksworld
Well-Known Member
Permatex makes a 2400 degree nickel anti seize for exhaust...OReillys has little tubes of it
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