First, as has been pointed out, avoid the hardware store grade 2 stainless bolts. Totally Stainless, GMC Pauls and others sell graded SS bolts. Do a web search and you will find many. Early on I bought a SS bolt dress-up kit from one of the board sponsors, and had problems with non-graded bolts with no heat-treatment.
Stainless steel threads gall, which is where the metal transfers from on thread to another under load. A stainless nut on a stainless bolt will soon be a joint you cannot unscrew. The bolts can be loose in the nut, but with a portion of threads on the other part, all you end up with is a bolt that turns but you cannot get out of the nut.
Ways to prevent galling: The best is to use carbon steel nuts on stainless bolts. That's what we used on aircraft until titanium bolts were widely used. Anti-sieze compound works, but it also helps the bolt loosen over time. Threadlocking compounds also have anti-galling properties, but all of the threads in contact must be coated. Other methods used include using gooey sealant and dipping the bolt threads in paint before assembly. Both are sloppy.
Another problem with SS is contact with non-ferrous metals. Aluminum, copper, brass and magnesium are examples. The contact area is subject to galvanic corrosion, where a mini electrical field is formed and causes the metal to corrode. Again, sealants and paints help, but avoidance is best. This is one place where my opinion differs from the hot rod industry, I will not use SS bolts on an aluminum head, intake or block. I've had to work too many aircraft corrosion issues to trust the procedure.
