Question for 5-90, or anyone else with head bolt experience

I'm working on an '89 XJ for my Nephew. The engine is a remanned 4.0 (don't know how long ago it was rebuilt, but that's a moot point). I'm replacing the head gasket and from everything I've seen I'm supposed to replace the head bolts after their second use. I don't know if they were replaced during the rebuild, but just to be safe I'm going to go ahead and replace them. So this leads to my question. Where do you buy them, other than a dealership? I've been to 3 different parts stores today and they all had the same thing to say: "Hmm...that's weird. I can't get them. I can get them for almost anything else, just not that engine." Am I going to be stuck with paying the dealership's over inflated prices, or ARP's $100 price, or is there another stock replacement alternative for us low performance guys out here?

"A new set of cylinder head bolts are $17.00 from Mopar Performance (Part #: 4529204). "

Found in Google search. Hard to believe. The little door stopper pin I just bought was $7. Worth $0.39. Worth checking on I guess

i would say there's a pretty strong possibility that the bolts were replaced when it was remanned. i can't imagine an engine builder cheaping out on a box of head bolts, if only for warranty purposes.

I think most remanners will use new head screws, main screws, and con rod bolts at the very least - I know I would (and mention such.)

Then again, I'm cranky - and I'd probably use new screws everywhere...

However, I'd think it fairly safe that your reman has new head screws - so be sure to put paint marks on the head after you torque them down (so you know to replace them next time.)

I snapped one of my bolts on the head gasket, what a pain having to take everything off again too...I learned my lesson. (although I still have just a regular bolt I had lying around in the head) Good call replacing them!


~Scott

Spend time getting the treads clean. (IMO) 99 percent of blown head gasket is do to dirt in the treads. Giving a false torque reading. Soft or bad bolts are all but unheard of. But I did get 3 bad ones in a factory set just two year ago. (non-XJ)
The factory use head bolts only 2 times. When grade 8 bolts are good for 5 torques. Not 5 uses but 5 torques. If you retorque you head count that as a torque.
So why does the factory only use them 2 times? Because they have no way of keeping track of more then 2 times. They paint the head of the bolts after one use and disposes of them if removed again.
I seldom replace bolts unless requsted.

If they are in fact only $17 for a set I'll definately spring for them if nothing more for the peace of mind. After seeing the Hesco & ARP prices I was certain that the dealership would be right along the same price, so I admit I didn't even check. :dunce: Thanks for the tip guys!

Okay, here's an update:

I searched the "4529204" part number and came up with nothing. I talked with a friend that works for a local Jeep dealership and he told me that MOPAR Performance part numbers always start with "P", so we added that to the number and came up with the correct head bolt set. Unfortunately, MOPAR no longer offers them, so the $17 cost for a set is out the window, at least for my year engine.

I checked with the parts department to see how much they would be for the regular "over-the-counter" head bolts and the studded head bolts list for $34. EACH! :huh: So that would put the total for all 14 head bolts well over $200.

I went back to a local parts store/machine shop and talked with a guy that told me to make certain that I cleaned the used bolts' threads with a wire brush, lube them with oil and put them in. As long as they held torque they should be good. He checked with 4 major suppliers in the Atlanta area and no one listed them, either.

I guess I'll give the used bolts a shot. If they don't hold torque I'll address the issue then.

Thanks for the help, guys!

http://headbolts.com/amc.html looks like they have the entire Renix headbolt set for about $50 shipped. A much better option than the $195 I was quoted from the dealership for the set.

Wow Mike does this mean I need to start saving all the head bolts on xj's I part? How come i have a feeling that since the 4.0 was canned in 07 we are going to start to have a hard time finding anythig for it in the future.

Here's a trackback to another thread on the same:

http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=983028

I'm posting this mostly in response to the parts guy who said to lube the bolt. From what I remember all the bolts (except the one with RTV) are supposed to go in dry - otherwise the torque readings are going to be off (you'll over torque the bolts). In general all bolt torque specs are for dry bolts.

Hellbent said:

i would say there's a pretty strong possibility that the bolts were replaced when it was remanned. i can't imagine an engine builder cheaping out on a box of head bolts, if only for warranty purposes.

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Quality shop doing quality work and charging for it? Sure.

Most shops? Not likely. Because they are bad shops? No, because most customers won't pay the extra money.

Any customer that wouldn't pay for new head bolts I would require that they sign the work order that they understood that a blown head gasket would not be covered under warranty. Had a few go elsewhere, had most pay for the new head bolts.

By the way, paint comes off of a head bolts, stamping them is better.

joe_peters said:

Quality shop doing quality work and charging for it? Sure.

Most shops? Not likely. Because they are bad shops? No, because most customers won't pay the extra money.

Any customer that wouldn't pay for new head bolts I would require that they sign the work order that they understood that a blown head gasket would not be covered under warranty. Had a few go elsewhere, had most pay for the new head bolts.

By the way, paint comes off of a head bolts, stamping them is better.

Click to expand...

I know - I'm just passing along what FSM sez. FSM sez paint, I say paint.

I'd rather punch them than paint them - a centre punch on each head is pretty unmistakable...

89Daytona said:

http://headbolts.com/amc.html looks like they have the entire Renix headbolt set for about $50 shipped. A much better option than the $195 I was quoted from the dealership for the set.

Click to expand...

That is where I bought mine last year. They were the only ones that had them too!