Can You Re-Use Honda Head Bolts? (Let’s See)

A Honda assembling process halts if there is any slight mistake, including nuts and head bolts issues.

When assembling its vehicle, it goes a long way to tell how relevant the Honda head bolts are.

The head bolts are designed differently with a limited usage period. They are not very expensive to get, and still, many people would love to re-use head bolts.

But can it be re-used?

Sure, you can re-use Honda head bolts. However, to guarantee the re-use of a Honda head bolt, the head bolt must still be in its stretch period. Honda head bolts stretch once you remove them after the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) fastened them. So, it must not exceed its limit.

Should You Re-use Head Bolts?

No, you should not re-use head bolts. However, it is possible to re-use head bolts. I would recommend you shouldn’t re-use them.

Head bolts have elastic limits and would no longer be able to hold when they exceed their limits.

Notwithstanding, head bolts are only used once during the assembly process. So there is no way they would exceed the elastic limit that one time of use.

So in a way, it is safe for those that purchased a brand car to re-use head bolts. However, in contrast with the stock head bolts car, do not re-use head bolts with old vehicles.

The person you bought the vehicle from may have never unscrewed the head bolt. It is also very possible that he has unfastened and fastened it to exceed the elastic limit.

It is an even probability, so you should avoid re-using head bolts instead of taking chances.

Why should you even think of re-using head bolts? Head bolts are considerably cheap to purchase and last for a long time.

However, the cash will cost you if your car develops a fault because re-using a head bolt is more than getting a new one.

Therefore, you should not re-use head bolts to prevent additional spending.

What Happens if You Re-use Head Bolts?

If you re-use head bolts, they might lose their elasticity or, worse, break. Since the original equipment manufacturers made head bolts to hold very tightly, re-using them becomes an issue.

On a better end, when you re-use them, they lose elasticity. They also break when their elastic ability has been outstretched.

I want you to bring to your notice that re-using head bolts poses a great danger to life though indirectly. It is your vehicle that feels the touch of the issues directly.

However, being the car owner, you feel it either as a treat to your life or your pocket. A re-used head bolt does not hold as tight as it should.

So, whenever any part of your vehicle is screwed using that head bolt, it is prone to fall off easily. Do not be surprised if just one bolt that fell off your car costs you a repair worth a couple of dollars.

Regarding what I mentioned in the preamble,” A Honda assembling process halts if there is any slight mistake which includes both nuts and head bolts issues.

Can You Use Head Bolts More Than Once?

Yes, you can use head bolts more than once. The only thing is that the more you use head bolts, the more they deteriorate.

As you are using your head bolts, they lose value gradually. It is what most mechanics call “wash.” It can no longer perfectly fit and hold in the nut.

Also, using a head bolt more than once depends on the head bolt in question. Some head bolts are stock head bolts, while others are torque to yield (TTY).

When talking of re-using head bolts, you can not use torque to yield head bolts more than once. But you can use a stock head bolt as many times as you want.

As you can use a stock head bolt more than once does not mean you should be careless with how to use them.

Ensure to change your stock head bolts if you begin to notice these changes;

• When it begins to turn brown. It signifies rusting
• When the threads used in making it starts going bad

All these are the natural things that can happen to any head bolt. And it is also the replacement criteria for a stock head bolt.

You do not have to wait for the changes mentioned above before replacing your torque to yield head bolts. Those are the high-performance kind of bolts we have.

Can you reuse head bolts? Or why can’t you?

Are Honda Head Bolts Torque to Yield?

Yes, the head bolts used for Honda vehicles are torque to yield (TTY). Their designs reach maximum level once.

After that one time of reaching their maximum stretch, they become weak and perform less.

Torque head bolts are very reliable, and that is why Honda uses that kind of head bolts.

The make-up of torque to yield head bolt is unique. Its ability to stretch helps your car in certain ways.

For example, it can prevent the blocks, heads, and valves from cracking, bending, and breaking.

Since Honda vehicles are high-performance cars, the head bolt is made to torque to yield.

The Honda repair manual specifies that you should use the head bolt once. And get a new cylinder head bolt during the repair or after loosening it.

It is because of the torque to yield nature of the Honda bolt, and it could be a different case entirely when re-used.

So remember that your Honda vehicle has the torque to yield head bolt. 

Can You Re-use Honda D Series Head Bolts?

You can re-use a D series head bolt. However, it is not advisable to do so. A D series head bolt also stretches and, by recommendations, should not be used more than once.

It is a Honda bolt, and it has this one-time use directive. Although you can re-use a D series, it should be the last option for you.

A bolt that stretches like the D series is a torque to yield kind of bolt. This category of the bolt passes through a lot of strain which makes it unfit to use twice.

If the stress applied to the bolt has not caused it to reach its elastic limit, you can still re-use it.

You should save yourself the danger of re-using head bolts and get yourself a new one.

Can You Re-use B18 Head Bolts?

You shouldn’t re-use B18 head bolts. From the entire bolts that stretch, it has the highest elasticity and makes it unfit to re-use.

Re-using head bolts has been a major issue for car owners because they feel it is a waste of cash.

However, you are doing yourself a favor by not re-using head bolts, especially a b18 head bolt. The b18 bolt”s design is for high-performance cars.

Since they hold best and prevent some issues experienced by premium vehicles, this kind of bolt applies a considerable amount of torque to the cylinder head bolt.

However, it is a factory bolt, and unlike the regular stock head bolts, it is okay to use it once.

Conclusion 

A Honda head bolt is a torque-to-yield (TTY) kind of head bolt that should be used once, unlike stock head bolts.

The reason is that these head bolts are elastic and have a limit they can stretch, after which it becomes unfit for use.

However, you can re-use the head bolt provided it has not reached its elastic limit.