Header bolts/part 2

Okay,
We all know the header bolt story. Some guys have them stay tight. Some have them loosen every drive. Some tighten once, then it's fine.
What is the true story of the dynamics here? Does the gasket compress? Do the bolts stretch? Do they back out? What's the REAL deal? Anyone know the defenitive answer?

Never had that issue, use studs and adab of RTV on them, works every time.

I matched the stainless headers with stainless bolts. Thermal expansion of stainless steel is greater than carbon steel, I'd expect stainless bolts with mild steel headers to be a problem... so far mine don't leak... knock on wood

Go figger, these headers have been with a set of Edel heads, stock iron heads, and now L98 heads for 3 years....

this time I got disgusted and used Locktite RED on them....

been some 3? years now...not one tick or leak....

tmrw is another day, I know that....ordinary iron bolts/steel headers/1/4 inch flange thickness....

:gurney::3rd:

making a single saw cut between the cylinders (except the center two) made a world of difference on my old Hooker race headers....between the heat and just getting old headers warp and the gaskets leak.

My thought was the header flanges expand/contract at a different rate than the heads. I've never had any issue with Ol' Red, but on a SBC I got the joy of replacing gaskets about every other week until I figured out that I needed to tighten the bolts often. When I put the Jet-Hot headers on Red last winter, I checked the bolts everytime I cycled it for about 3 weeks and never did find one that was even thinking about being loose. But I check the intake bolts too.