TTY head bolts - replace?

Agreed, a torque plate should be used for best results in any application. IMO, the engine should be at operating temperature when the boring is done ("hot boring"), as this further simulates the stresses on the engine under presumed operating conditions.

My question was not the above, but rather if I must use studs on the torque plate if I intend to stud the engine, or if bolts would give the same distortion pattern during boring and still allow me to use studs during assembly.

My opinion is that it will be close enough for a good street rebuild.

I have a couple of old buddies who are Railroad nuts.

Ordinary auto engines though,I have rebuiilt a few of them before and I always reused the same old bolts.I never had a problem with them later on either.But,if you want to buy new bolts,studs,whatever.Go for it. cuhulin

Torque plates are used for keeping the block cylinder area flat and straight,while you are doing other things.I did not cheat and look it up first on the internet.I am only recalling from memory (if you can call it that?) from an old magazine article I have somewhere around here. cuhulin

Well, plates allow you to induce a similar level and pattern of stress into the block as you would expect with a head bolted in place. This lets you bore through the stress distortion, more or less.

It is very common to set up the boring bar with no torque plates at all, and that is probably good enough for some rebuilds.

When you circulate hot water through the block as you bore, it helps balance another possible source of stress distortion.

That is how I understand it, at any rate.

In my case, I had the block bored, all the parts balanced and matched, but had intended to put it together with studs. Was told I couldnt do it. But Im do not intend to take it back to the machine shop at this point and have them do it over again (unless powerful evidence surfaces that I MUST.;>)

I wont be racing this little demon anyway.

The thing is; some engines are different than others. That is why specific information is essential.

No problem using studs that I can see. Be aware that studs can make it a PIA if you ever need to pull a head off from an engine that is installed in a vehicle. Just use a good set of studs (ARP has some of the best) And make sure you use sealer on them if required.

Alco 2-51 & GM 8-238's. Had some Fairbanks 10 cyl OP's that had some stretch specs. Nothing like working on something big enough you can find it when you drop it! Our apps were marine - not actual loco except in yard duty equipment.

Lugnut

Not really, flatness has little to do with boring plate's function. Its real job is to put the correct TWISTING stresses on the bores, which are caused by the head bolts. Torquing the bolts pre-distorts the block, you bore a round hole, take the plate off and the hole goes un-round. Assemble the engine, and then torque the heads on and the cylinder goes BACK to being as close to perfectly round as possible.

The Alco 251 is still in production for marine use. So is the Fairbanks-Morse OP- the us Navy uses a lot of them for auxiliary powerplant. Actually, F-M and Alco are both part of the same company now- interstingly called "FM-Alco" :-)

My experience with them was USCG. Loved the ALCO's and F-M. They have both been thru several owners since I trained at the ALCO plant for several months in 1967. The feeling of brute power standing between a pair of V16 ALCO's at full power is incredible. You can feel the turbos sucking everything in from 6 feet away from the intake. It is almost unreal the wear and abuse the things can take and still do their job at full power as long as you keep oil and water in them. It was like old home week about 10 years ago when I got an opportunity to spend some time at the throttle of some Locos with CSX that had the Alco's. Most of the newer locos are running the EMD's. Automobile technology is incredible these days but, to me, no more awsome than those big bruisers even after I lived with them a few years.

Lugnut

I own a big old cast iron Leo number 3 Railroad Depot heater,it was made in Chattanooga.It is sitting on my front porch,it must be at least one hundred years old.A couple of my buddies are Railroad nuts,they own a bunch of old Railroad related things.Things such as lights,signs,switches,insulators,speeders,lots of other Railroad things. cuhulin