head bolts???

[gti fly bye]

do they need to be replaced when ya change the head gasket!!!!

[golfvr6]

YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!
NEVER RE-USE OLD HEAD BOLTS!
 

[gti fly bye]

How much are they, they were v exspencive for my 299 turbo last year

[golfvr6]

Always use VW for headgaskets and head bolts, try giving the dealer a ring.
It won't be cheap, but fitting anything else will prove to be a false economy in the long run.

[modulater]

be silly going to the trouble of a need headgasket and fitting your old bolts.

[gti fly bye]

Cool, cheers, i aint tight, just poor :'(

[richandhazel]

You should always replace the head bolts as they are 'stretch' bolts.  
The final part of the torqueing consists of turning through a certain angle, for example 90 deg. This (as I understand it) is the stretch part and if you reuse your old bolts you're very likely to damage your block.........I've seen it done, the whole side of the block came away, resulting in a new engine being required.
Bolts should only be about ?1 each, need I say more

[gti fly bye]

coll, for some reason i imagened they would be ?100's like on my rover a few years back, cheers

[mk1]

Just as important, make sure the threaded holes in the engine block are clean and have no fluid (oil or antifreeze) at the bottom. I have seen a block damaged in the same way as rich said, caused by some oil left at the btm of one bolt hole. When the head bolts were tightend down a hydraulic lock was caused, cracking the block .
Steve.

[modulater]

coll, for some reason i imagened they would be ?100's like on my rover a few years back, cheers

Rovers and head gasket failures go together like fish 'n' chips.