ARP Ultra-Torque Fastener Assembly Lube?

CCI

Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
371
Location
New Mexico USA
Automotive Racing Products (ARP) sells a specialty lubricant for use with their head bolts called Ultra-Torque, the way they present it this stuff is essential. They send a little package of it with a set of bolts, but if you need more you buy it. I am wondering how much different this stuff could be from moly grease or anti-seize?

7/16" fine thread bolts torqued to 70 foot pounds in three steps.

Thinking seriously about roughing up the head side of the washer on a piece of 60 grit and using a little bit of anti-seize on the threads and a touch of moly between the head of the bolt and the washer.

Anyone know anything about this stuff? How much better could it be?
 
That's about the most useful response I could have asked for. I will be buying what will probably be a lifetime supply of the stuff today.

0.5 oz. is $2.99
1.69 oz. is $8.99
1/2 pint is $24.99
Pint is $$27.99

The cost of another blown head gasket on this machine is a real lot more than that.
Now I have to wonder what else this stuff is good for?
 
It's worth the money IMHO. I've used it with their 2K head studs for years, it doesn't take much of it, put it on both sides of the washer and the bottom of the nut.
 
Follow-up: Definitely worth it. After two blown head gaskets and a melted mating surface on an aluminum head, now using the ARP rolled thread 180Kpsi bolts with ample application of their lubricant (hey, good deal, I've got a pint minus an ounce or so left over for next time) with a three step progressive torque pattern and Cometic head gaskets the motor has held together perfectly so far, two re-torque checks and no indication whatsoever of further bolt stretch or gasket movement, the torque values stayed dead-on.

Worth every dime.
 
If you are building a motor with high quality and expensive hardware incl ARP fasteners, use the supplied lube. TYPICALLY ARP fasteners are used in high performance engines where achieving consistant and accurate torque specs are critical. Its foolish to build a $10K, $20K, $30K engine and not use the supplied torque lube and have an engine grenade itself because the builder tried to save a few pennies. If you watch any youtube vids like Papadakis racing, Horsepower TV you will always see those guys using ARP lube with ARP hardware.
 
If you are building a motor with high quality and expensive hardware incl ARP fasteners, use the supplied lube. TYPICALLY ARP fasteners are used in high performance engines where achieving consistant and accurate torque specs are critical. Its foolish to build a $10K, $20K, $30K engine and not use the supplied torque lube and have an engine grenade itself because the builder tried to save a few pennies. If you watch any youtube vids like Papadakis racing, Horsepower TV you will always see those guys using ARP lube with ARP hardware.
I'm sold. After years of building engines and never having a problem using regular old anti-seize on cleaned head bolts and threads I finally built a motor I'd been thinking about for a while (pushing things a bit but the result is fun) and as I mentioned above things didn't go quite like I had in mind. That result was not cheap. The Cometic gaskets are a little more and worth every dime, the bolts are maybe about $10 each and worth every dime, the $27.99 for the pint of ARP lube didn't break me, and the engine stayed together this time.

If you look at the torque studies on the ARP website they are surprising, but the feel during assembly and the way the bolts stretched properly and held torque suggests what they represent is true and accurate.
 
I just use engine assembly lube on the threads... Oh well.
ARP is real specific about where they want their assembly lube. There are specific sides to the washers if they are smooth or rough. I try to always use ARP where it matters. Their HQ is about a half hour south of me and I was like a kid in a candy store when I went there the first time.
 
ARP is real specific about where they want their assembly lube. There are specific sides to the washers if they are smooth or rough. I try to always use ARP where it matters. Their HQ is about a half hour south of me and I was like a kid in a candy store when I went there the first time.
I'd be banned from that place by my SO, just like I got banned from ever going to Sumitt Racing here in Arlington TX.
 
ARP is real specific about where they want their assembly lube. There are specific sides to the washers if they are smooth or rough. I try to always use ARP where it matters. Their HQ is about a half hour south of me and I was like a kid in a candy store when I went there the first time.
I roughed up the washers on the engine side with 60 grit and left them clean and dry, on the chamfered (bolt head) side of the washer I used the ARP lube, and of course on the threads that had been chased.

I was as skeptical as could be and now I am convinced. You can feel the difference in the torque wrench.
 
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