Headbolts? TTY or 3 step??
 

Guys, most of you are painfully aware that Im about to throw these Vortecs back on the block soon. Now, Ive read two different ways to run these head bolts.

1) 22 ftlbs, 80 degrees on the long and 67 degrees on the short

or

2) 3 stages of torquing, starting with 25 lbs, 60, then 70 ftlbs.

Which is correct?

well, what bolts are you using? are you using tty bolts or standard head bolts? if you are using stand head bolts, ive always stepped the torque 25, 45, 70. thats how i was taught from guys who had been building race engines since the creation of dirt. some people have different preferences, but always follow what the manufacturer suggest you to do.

Well Im using a set of brand new 'vortec' head bolts, but they dont specify which ones they are. How can I tell the difference between a standard and a TTY bolt?

I looked at the bolts that came out of the original heads, my new ones do look different. They have what looks like a built in washer and the 'body' of the bolt appears just a tad thinner. Im pretty sure they are TTY bolts.

can you measure the difference between the old and new bolts? im not as famliar with the vortec motors, but are do they use tty bolts from the factory?

'Old' head bolt= 4 inches OAL, .395 diameter

'Old' Vortec headbolt (the guy gave me the take offs) APPROX 4.30 (my cheapo dig micrometer only goes to 4.10, and it looks like the bolt is about .020 further out) .390 dia

'New' (uninstalled) Vortec headbolts= 4 inches OAL, .390 diameter.

The old 'stock' head bolts look like an ordinary bolt and have a .622 head (9/16th I think) , the Vortecs have a .5 (1/2 inc) head that flares into a .765 washer base.

Id grab the camera and take pics but its lost in the xmas shuffle.

The "correct" torque specs to follow depends on the type of bolts you're using. TTY bolts are used primarily on aluminum heads, but in more recent years they can and have been used on iron heads as well.
By your description, your old ones are a conventional bolt. You can tell by the "normal" looking head and the thick shank between the threads and head. TTY bolts have a smaller hex with a "washered" head, and the shank between head and threads is stepped down to a smaller diameter than the threaded part.
Because of the torquing procedure, TTY bolts can give a more accurate and even clamping force. Torquing conventional head bolts can be less accurate due to torque wrench inaccuracies or bolt head/thread resistance at higher torque numbers.
If you have TTY bolts, use the torque/degree procedure.
Here is a torque angle tool, AutoZone carries it too: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/OTC-4554/

Well, TTY it is.

So I scrubbed the top of the deck with a brown biscuit to remove all traces of gasket material. I can still see all my swirl/polish marks. How smooth or rough do I want this surface?

I like to use a 600 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper, without water, till the deck is clean. Don't use regular sandpaper, as that will leave behind grit that the rings and cylinders won't like.
Before you slap the heads on, it wouldn't be a bad idea to run the new head bolts into the block by hand to see if there is any resistance. From the old bolts, there could be some thread distortion or thread sealer/RTV left behind which could throw off the torque readings. A thread chaser (not tap) will clean up the threads nicely, then blow out any crap with air. Also, when bolting down the heads, don't forget to coat the threads of the bolts that enter a water jacket with RTV.

Yeah I ran one of the old bolts last night and it was stiff from the original thread sealant. Now I have to find a thread chaser in this one horse town.....

Summit has them: http://www.summitracing.com/search/?...20chaser&dds=1
If you're in a hurry, you may have problems if your one horse town doesn't have any. I don't know if AutoZone carries chasers, or maybe has them in their tool loaner supply? Might wanna give them a call, if you have an AutoZone near you. As a last resort, you could make your own.