2.3L ('83-'97) Head bolt torque -- how bad did I screw up?

[SenseAmidMadness]

Made a silly mistake in swapping my 1995 2.3 head gasket.

New Fel-Pro head bolts and head gasket. Threads were dry with no sealant though the bolt holes weren't perfectly dry.

I accidentally read an older service manual and torqued all the head bolts in 2 stages to 50 and then 90 foot-pounds.

Looked it up, and Fel-Pro as well as a ton of other places say I should have done the revised torque spec of 51 foot-pounds and then 90 degrees.

How big of a whoopsie? Do I need to get another set of head bolts and another head gasket and try again?

 

[SenorNoob]

So the real question is why was the spec changed?

Are different bolts listed for the earlier spec?

 

[SenseAmidMadness]

So the real question is why was the spec changed?

Are different bolts listed for the earlier spec?

I believe so, yes. Forum wisdom says that the original bolts were not torque to yield and could be reused, and sometime in the 90's a new TTY bolt replaced it.

 

[pentode]

If they are indeed TTY, I'm sure most people would say get a new set and try again.
This is probably terrible advice so take it with a full pinch of salt. I'm thinking that with 90 degrees, your final torque is going to be a fair amount higher than 90 pound feet. My gut tells me those bolts are probably still fine. If I were in a pinch or feeling brave, I'd be tempted to just do the procedure again. I usually chicken out though. Let's get some guru feedback here.

Edit: unless the procedure specifically forbids it, I'd definitely very lightly oil the threads and under the bolt heads.

 

[scotts90ranger]

It's probably a wash either way considering if you're staying stock power output... but if you're worried you could back the bolts out one at a time until they're loose then just go to the TTY spec... if I had to guess the TTY spec is tighter than standard so you're most likely safe using the bolts again...