I'm in the middle of doing my head gaskets on my 3VZE and I'm planning on ordering a pair of OEM head gaskets from Toyota and also an ebay set to use for all the other gaskets (intake, exhaust, etc..) but I'm stuck on what head bolts to use.

I read in another thread that Toyota doesn't recommend replacing the head bolts on the 3VZE unless they don't come up to torque during the final 90 degree sequence. Someone posted an official TSB as proof.

I'm on the fence on that one... it's against what I've always done. If they put out a TSB though they probably mean it.

I was also looking at what head bolts are out there (if I do replace them) other than the pricey $160 OEM set. NAPA has Fel-pro head bolts for $70 but they look pretty crappy, they're all rough and the heads aren't evenly cut. I saw head bolts of all sorts on ebay from companies I've never heard of for prices ranging from $25 to $50 but they all looked like the same two types of bolts rebranded (probably are). I could even get a set of bolts added in for $15 if I buy them with the cheap ebay gasket set I'm buying.

What sort of head bolts is everyone else using or are you reusing the originals? I'm not sure if those aftermarket bolts are actually different quality levels or just different markup levels... hard to say anymore with so many companies reboxing stuff. I doubt Fel-pro is even making their own bolts.

 

What do the ones you took out look like??

Have you thought of going the stud route instead of bolts To help the 3.0 head gasket problems

Planning on keeping this for awhile??

The Tacoma is great !!

 

No matter what the old ones look like replace them as they are torque-to-yield and will never torque the same.......or at least I would never trust them to

 

that tsb was put out for all the head gaskets that were being replaced under warranty. the less head bolts that were replaced, the less money toyota had to shell out. its cheap insurance, just put new ones in.

 

The 3VZE head bolts aren't TTY bolts though. They use an angle tightening sequence but that doesn't mean they're TTY. Toyota marks all their TTY bolts with a diamond on the bolt head and the 3VZE head bolts don't have that mark.

If they were TTY I'd replace them for sure, but all the solid evidence I can find says these are regular head bolts. I'd still have to check them for necking though of course.

 

As an FYI, the FSM does not flag the 3VZE head bolts as a "do not reuse" item. It simply notes that if any bolts are broken or deformed, replace them. Otherwise the FSM assumes reuse.

 

I'd certainly reuse the factory ones before I used no names from the internet.

 

Iv always just re used them..

 

Well I guess it's all a moot point now anyway cause after I cleaned them and checked them all but two bolts are necked right around the top part of the threads. So no good. I found out that the Napa Altrom head bolt set is reboxed OEM Toyota bolts though (similar to Beck-Arnley it seems they buy from OEM suppliers and rebox the stuff), so I ordered those for $40. I thought they were no-name junk bolts but I guess I was wrong.

 

glad your search didn't show up DOA racing headbolts.
I know a guy that ordered a set and all the head bolts were different lengths.
there used to be a thread about it on this forum but it was deleted for some reason.

 

Lol, DOA... appropriate name then.