Always retorque the head bolts!

[a_sesshoumaru]

One month ago i replaced my head gasket, i torqued it to 70lb/feet. yesterday i retorqued it and it had 45lb/feet. i put it back to 70 and was concerned how it got that loose. I guess there should be a sticky about retorquing the head after a rebuild or BHG. NEVER FORGET TO RETORQUE

 

[robbo185]

yea its nearly said in every post about bhg....you have to retorque after like 3 heat cycles

 

[suprahero]

Robbo, just beat it...............:icon_bigg

 

[drbowser3]

I checked mine 9k miles later. Did not change from the day I torqued them...

 

[IJ.]

Well DUH

 

[bigaaron]

People usually do the initial torque in too few passes.

 

[gilberjj]

when i did my retorque, they hadn't budged. they were all just as solid as i had set them. im useing arp studs

 

[IJ.]

Did you backcrack them first or just pull at the same Tq?

 

[bigaaron]

backcrack.....what does that even mean? :biglaugh:

 

[IJ.]

To pull enough tension off the Nut to where it cracks loose but no more then you can retorque accurately.

If you don't do this the stiction (static friction) will prevent you getting anything even near an accurate reading on the tq Wrench...

 

[Jeff Lange]

I think Aaron was making fun of your crazy Aussie sayings again. Haha.

 

[IJ.]

Figured as much Jeff

Also thought an explanation of what I mean might help some of the guys running around saying that they didn't need to retorque as it hasn't moved from where they set it.

If they did it right I'd be just about certain it'll move, you take note of where the wrench is before you backcrack it and then when you pull it back to the same Tq setting the wrench will be xx degrees from where you started.

If it hadn't loosened it would go back to the exact same place.

 

[7MGTEsup]

IJ would you recomend doing this on a stock composit gasket? or is this only for MHG.

 

[IJ.]

DBNO: I do it for any and every motor I build
(I'm old enough to remember when MonoTorque head gaskets were a new thing on the market and I never bought into the hype)