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Torque-To-Yield
Torque-To-Yield (TTY) is a term that you should be familiar with because it describes a type of head bolt that is used on many late model engines. Unlike ordinary head bolts, TTY head bolts are designed to deform - but do it in a controlled way. Like a standard head bolt, a TTY bolt will stretch and spring back up to its yield point. But once the yield point is passed, the bolt becomes permanently stretched and does not return to its original length. Because of this, TTY bolts should not be reused.

Why intentionally stretch the head bolts? Engineers discovered they can get much more even clamping on the head gasket if all the bolts are evenly loaded. Since variations in friction between bolts always causes some uneven loading, stretching the bolts guarantees all the bolts will exert the same clamping force regardless of the torque reading on the wrench. The result is improved cylinder sealing, longer head gasket durability and less cylinder bore distortion (for reduced blowby and more power).

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2. Do I need head bolts or studs for my engine?

This depends on the installation. On many street-driven vehicles, where the master cylinders and other items protrude into the engine compartment, it’s probably necessary to use head bolts so that the cylinder heads can be removed with the engine in the car. For most applications, however, studs are recommended. Using studs will make it much easier to assemble an engine with the cylinder head and gasket assured of proper alignment. Studs also provide more accurate and consistent torque loading.

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