Contrary to popular belief the Northstar head bolts are really not torque to yield fasteners..... The bolts will stretch very slightly (permanently) but they are good for probably 10 rundowns before any perceptable yield would occur that would render them unusable.

In fact, new bolts are run down and then loosened in the plant in the normal operation tensioning the head bolts. The pre-tensioning step actuall subjects the bolts to more tension then the final tightening step.... This is done to burnish the threads in the block as they have never seen bolts in them before the heads are installed and the head bolts tensioned. The aluminum threads need to be "worked" once before the final tensioning step so the head bolts are run down, loosened and then re-tensioned. If you started with new bolts on your reassembly then you have only done the equivalent of the first pre-tensioning step on the bolts. Use them, they will be fine. Re-using a new bolt that has been run down one time is not the same as re-using a bolt that was in the engine for 100K.......

The instructions to not reuse old head bolts is primarily because the bolts when new have a special microencapsulated coating on the threads and under the head of the bolt. The coatings act as a high pressure lubricant during tensioning and then a thread locker once installed. On a simple run down and loosening without running the engine the bolts can be "used" several times. Once the bolts see a lot of time and thermal cycling in the engine the coatings are rendered unusable again so the bolts have to be replaced as there is no repeatable means or reapplying the special coatings in the field.

If you simply installed the head with a new gasket and new bolts and pulled a timesert out and dissassembled the head the bolts are fine to use again and so is the gasket. If the head gasket was not used in the running engine and subjected to any thermal cycles it is fine. The gasket will compress permanently somewhat when torqued into place....that does not ruin it. I have seen LOTS of head gaskets run down and loosened and re-run down and continued on test fine. As long as the gasket did not stick and tear when dissassembly the gasket is perfectly fine to re-use. It has just been "pre-compressed" much as it is done in the above mentioned pre-tensioning step to condition the head bolt holes. That is done with the gasket in place so the gasket sees the compression and then relaxation in production.

With the compacted graphite gaskets it is sometimes necessary to pre-compress the gasket and even heat it during compression prior to installing it into the engine. So, simply compressing the gasket to the installed load does not hurt or ruin it. If, however, the gasket is held under load and thermal cycled in the engine it will not be reusable. That is because the thermal cycling subjects the gasket to even more load that would cause it to be deformed beyond recovery if relaxed.

This engine has been run, just not very much. A total of about 100 miles in 15-20 minute test drives. How does that affect the bolt coatings?

The head gaskets did tear when I tore them down. They also had some oil creep in with them, so I wouldn't have wanted to reuse them anyway.

Images of the piss poor hone job that the first shop did... Don't take your Northstars to 9 Mile Machine in Pensacola, FL
Now that I know what I'm looking at, I'm amazed that he let this block out the door. Certainly not the way to give himself a good reputation...

Now it's at a GOOD shop. Paul Mauzy Engines in Timberville, VA. Mauzy's shop was a hell of a lot better than Clint's in FL... Mauzy had 15K-35K engines sitting on palettes waiting... Aluminum big block with Enderle tunnel ram, pair of BIG quads, lots of nitrous, dizzy driven by cog belt off the front of the cam, dry sump lubrication...
Aluminum Hemi with a giant blower on top... the teflon strips on the rotors were so snug you could barely turn it by hand...
Aluminum BBC block on the stand with less than 3/8" between cylinders...

Gonna go on a ship for two weeks and the block should be done when I get back. Paul is pretty busy this time of year as everyone's building their engines for the upcoming season.

Send them a registered letter showing your documentation of the problems, explain that you will be filing a small claims action against them, that you are giving them this one, limited time only, offer to reimburse you for what you paid them.

Total cost? A couple of bucks postage plus an hour to type up a letter. Upside is they cut you a check for the full amount, worst case is you get nothing and you're only out a cuople of bucks and an hour of your time.

Just a thought...

Much Gooder.

Finished bore size ended up at 3.667. Ross has this information and should have my pistons ready by the end of the month.

If you're in the area, Mauzy Engines is a GOOD shop.
http://www.mauzyengines.com/