Engineering Commons^™

On The Reuse Of Bolts Which Have Been Torqued To Yield, Dal B. Lee, Joseph Foyos, Martin L. Smith, Omar S. Es-Said, Otto Kossuth

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Works

Bolts are torqued to yield in automotive engines to fasten aluminum alloy cylinder heads to cast iron cylinder blocks. This tightening method provides a reliable, even, and controllable clamping force that prevents warping of the soft cylinder head and ensures a leak-tight joint. It has one drawback: Since the bolts yield during engine assembly, they work harden even as their ultimate strength decreases. Upon reuse, yield stress more closely approaches ultimate strength. Fastener geometry and mechanical properties, now changed, supply changed joint-clamping force. For reasons such as these. Ford Motor Company recommends that bolts torqued to yield be replaced each …