WHEN TO USE WASHERS DURING AN ENGINE BUILD

I have often seen lock washers placed between bolt head and a flat washer which makes no sense what so ever. The point of a lock washer is to retard a bolt from backing off by biting into both the head of the bolt which is movable and a solid immovable surface such as a block or such.

Use the correct holding strength of Locktite or comparable product to secure bolts where vibration is present. For bolting down heads that have been shaved and or the top of a block shaved that reduces the depth of a blind hole, using a grade 8 washer that closely matches the diameter of the bolt would be OK as long as the correct lubrication is applied per torquing specs. One must not get too much oil or lube into a blind bolt hole, because as the bolt is sent home and contacts that puddle of lube, great hydraulic pressure is built up that may break something, or prevent correct torque and clamping pressure being applied.