# Broken headbolt **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-headbolt/25777 "2009-01-30T06:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![downtown186](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@downtown186](https://community.cartalk.com/u/downtown186)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-headbolt/25777/1 "2009-01-30T06:02:19Z")
i was doing a valve job on a geo all was good till i started… tourqen down the headbolts. i broke the last one after doing the three steps in order. Now do i have to replace the head gasket again cuz the head has to come off ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-headbolt/25777/2 "2009-01-30T06:15:02Z")
If you remove the cylinder head the gasket will have to be replaced again. While it may not be required, I always coat head gaskets on aluminum head engines with aerosol CopperCoat (both sides). This helps to provide a better seal, fills in any minute pitting that may exist, and helps with heat transfer a little bit. If it were me, I’d replace all of the head bolts. If one cracked others may not be far behind. (I don’t know if a Geo uses head bolts of varying lengths but it would be a good idea to verify this and make sure a long bolt is not going into a shallow hole.) ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-headbolt/25777/3 "2009-01-30T16:32:30Z")
It would be interesting to see if the gasket does fail to seal because it was used twice,the text books say don’t use them twice,I never have,but you can conduct a experiment and try,if you have more time then money. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-headbolt/25777/4 "2009-01-30T23:19:20Z")
You should check to see if the bolts are stretch bolts, a one time use item! If so get all new ones next time.