Header bolt help!!
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Header bolt help!! I need to order header bolts ASAP but don't know what to get. I've been looking into ARP 1 in. bolts, but the thing I'm concerned about is the alternator bracket that mounts to one of the manifold bolts. What do I do there? Do I just not run the bracket or do I reuse the factory bolt in that location??
Alt. bracket which bolts to exhaust manifold= Under thought/over engineered.
It is not needed. You wouldn't be able to use it anyway on headers unless you fix up some sort of shim. ARP bolts are the way to go. The 5/16" bolts will yield the best access. The 3/8" aren't bad. Don't ever get a 7/16. Too bookoo for the primaries and you'll hate yourself in trying to torque them down.
It is not needed. You wouldn't be able to use it anyway on headers unless you fix up some sort of shim. ARP bolts are the way to go. The 5/16" bolts will yield the best access. The 3/8" aren't bad. Don't ever get a 7/16. Too bookoo for the primaries and you'll hate yourself in trying to torque them down.
Last edited by SS RRR; Mar 20, 2015 at 11:13 AM.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,985
Likes: 112
or you can just buy a longer grade 8 stainless bolt and a spacer if you want to maintain the rear bracket and use the front hole on the head since the header bolts to the one closer to the exhaust port. You bolt the headers up using the ARP bolts and just use a longer bolt w/spacer on the front hole for the bracket
Many chose to run without the rear bracket though.
Many chose to run without the rear bracket though.
Without running the brackets off of the alternator to the intake stud and manifold stud, I have seen my accessory bracket and my friend's 700hp monster crack the accessory bracket. When you rev the motor, you can see it flex. I'm certain it would have broken if I didn't replace it. The other posters have more experience than me so I would listen to them instead.
One should absolutely run the bracket which bolts from the inake manifold to the alternator. The bracket from the exhaust manifold to the alternator is in no way needed. Makes for shitty plug access too. Fixed my original post to make it more clear.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?
Pouria Savadkouei
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo TECH Veteran
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,985
Likes: 112
Without running the brackets off of the alternator to the intake stud and manifold stud, I have seen my accessory bracket and my friend's 700hp monster crack the accessory bracket. When you rev the motor, you can see it flex. I'm certain it would have broken if I didn't replace it. The other posters have more experience than me so I would listen to them instead.
I also saw first hand on a H/C B-body that ran 12's crack his accessory bracket to the point you could just move it back & forth when he did not have any of the 3 rear brackets installed
My $02 is GM would not spend a penny more on anything they felt was not needed to support the accessory bracket. On motors making more HP/TQ this becomes more important IMHO.
My headers did come with the rear bracket that would be attached to the #4 cyl header/exhaust manifold bolt hole. I use a longer bolt for that
few pics of my rear alt brackets and how the one that uses the front head bolt hole on PS is installed for that bracket support.
