Theoretically, yes. However, note that the SAE8 standard is a minimum - reputable manufacturers typically exceed it (for fasteners made here, England, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, and even Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland.)
Also, when you cold-bend steel there's some work hardening (which entails a certain amount of embrittlement.) Bending and hardening can be done a few different ways...
- The stock is H&T to SAE8. Then threads are rolled, but the stock is still a straight bar. It gets bent - the bent section is slightly harder and slightly more brittle.
- The stock is hardened as the first part of H&T to SAE8, then threads rolled, then the stick is cold-bent. Then, it gets tempered - which removes most of the work hardening.
- The stock is formed, rolled, and cold-bent. Then it gets H&T to SAE8.
- The stock is formed, rolled, and hot-bent. Then it gets H&T to SAE8.
This last method is preferable, since hot-bending reduces work-hardening (if not eliminating it outright.) The first method is least preferable (and most common,) they increase in order of desirability.
It's also possible for a shop to cold-bend straight stock and temper it afterwards - this usually results in SAE5/6 strength. Hot-bending stock usually wrecks the heat-treatment outright.
NB: Heat-treatment (hardening and/or tempering) requires reasonably precise control of heat over time, and does require some specialist equipment. It can be approximated by the hobbyist, although not well. I've done some torch-hardening, case-hardening, and I've tempered a few parts in the kitchen oven - but it wasn't anything I'd hang my arse on...
I'm not sure who makes the stuff for Help!, but I know that Motormite got bought out by Dorman a few years back - and I've not been horribly impressed with Dorman over the last 15-20 years (most of their stuff is either Chinese or made in Hong Kong. Chinese can reliably be considered "counterfeit," and Hong Kong approaches utility. Taiwanese is far superior to either, and it's the low end of "acceptable" for me.)
I've been told that Chinese metalworking is picking up, but I don't believe it. Just had a job where I had to replace an oil pump, and I had to replace the screws. OSH had changed their line over to one that was predominantly made in China, and the threads pulled right off of their SAE5 screws (going into a cast iron block!) with minimal effort. I guess I'm going to have to get used to going to Fastenal up on Brokaw - pity Fastenal only keeps banker's hours...
