Originally Posted by RSPTex

I got in touch with the guys at BPUtah and was able to pick up a set of new gaskets and bolts for about 100 this evening. They don't have a storefront, but the guy who runs it met me at the storage facility that the parts are kept at and I bought them from him that way. Easy way to get needed parts ASAP.

I have the In-laws staying with me 'til Sunday, and they are already questioning why an engine is in the living room, exhaust is on the dryer, and transmission is in the dining room (they didn't see it disassembled on the dining room table, though!), so I'm trying not to do too much of the engine work while they're in town. I just want to get this sucker assembled and going, though, so we'll see how long my patience holds out.

End of the day conclusion: I do need to put the pistons in their correct order and orientation, so I already disassembled it all this afternoon. I probably could reuse the bolts and gasket and not have an issue for a good while. The strain in the bolts would make them a harder(that's what taking a material beyond yield does, plastic deformation) to get the full 90 degrees out of the last stage, so maybe 60 degrees instead, but I've just spent 3 months and almost 4k on this vehicle being rebuilt, and I can't pull the engine in December if an issue does come up. I need reliability from this thing. for the extra $100, it is worth my peace of mind, even if the stress strain/curve can tell me where I should expect the bolt to properly deform, and the gasket is almost certainly usable. Let's hope the threads on this block don't mind another good torquing tomorrow!

Originally Posted by RoverMasterTech

Just install the engine backwards.