Chevy Hardcore Video: The Technology Behind Proform's Stay-Tight Header Bolts

Hear that noise coming from under the hood of your muscle car? You know the one. The rapid “Tick – Tick – Tick – Tick” that means your header bolts are loose…again…and you’d better get them taken care of before that annoying noise turns into an expensive repair bill for burnt exhaust valves. It’s not all that hard to do, and honestly, most of us have gotten our system for tightening header bolts down to a science. However, it’s annoying, and takes away valuable time from other projects we’d rather be working on.

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Tightening header bolts may not be that hard, but getting them to stay tight can be a real challenge.

In this YouTube video from Proform ^[2], we learn that constantly re-tightening your header bolts doesn’t necessarily have to be a part of your automotive routines. In the video, we get a detailed look at their Stay-Tight header bolts, which feature a unique locking washer system that prevents them from vibrating loose.

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The cam-lock teeth on the inside face of both the washers engage when the Stat-Tight header bolts are tightened.

The Stay-Tight header bolts use two specially designed washers with opposing cam-lock steps that engage and lock together as the bolt are tightened. Vibration actually increases the tension on the bolt as the wedge effect creates an “uphill climb” against the bolt. Teeth on the top and bottom of the washers also bite into the bolt head and the header flange as they are tightened and help to increase the bolts stay-put power. Another cool feature of the bolts is that oil has no effect on their tension, and Proform says a little lubrication can actually help facilitate the wedge effect.

For more info on Proform’s inventive Stay-Tight header bolts, check them out here ^[2].