Retorque headgasket

[jdub]

went toighnt to back the first bolt off. Gave it some tension and it didn't budge. I stopped and closed the hood. got cold feet. Something about backing the bolts off doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

so maybe there fine.

1st - You're not "backing the bolts off"...when all the experienced guys are telling you to "crack the bolt and re-torque", you're moving the bolt a 1/4 turn max. The bolt is still under tension and the HG will stay sealed.

2nd - Do you want to risk uneven clamping force due to bolts backing off from heat expansion? Is doing this job (replacing a HG) again worth the risk/your time to prove to yourself what the experienced guys already know.

But back on topic I'd like to hear some members who havn't done a retorque and how there cars are running?

3rd - Seems like you didn't want to re-torque from the beginning and are looking for reassurance it's fine not to. Doing or not doing a re-torque is your choice...the view of every experienced guy here is to do it. It does not hurt anything, it does not risk the HG seal, and takes little effort. I'll tell ya though, it's frustrating to watch some of you guys ask questions like this just looking for confirmation of a poor decision/technique.

That's it for me...I give up too.

 

[supra_ed]

wats the big deal here? cant believe this thread is 5 pages. it only takes 15min to do. if ive learned one thing from this forum, its to shut up and listen to the experts, even if one of them is from australia. but im just a dumbass kid from ohio......now excuse me, i have to go put the new bungies on my supra

 

[jdub]

even if one of them is from australia.

No Respect!

 

[KicknAsphlt]

I know everyone is saying to take the ARP hardware up to 85ft/lbs, but what about OEM bolts? Is 85 ok, or do I need to go with a lower value?

 

[MadNad]

I just retorqued mine. Its really a pretty simple and fairly quick procedure. Especially since you should be familiar with the car by doing a head gasket job. I must say that the crack sound when loosening a head bolt was a pretty scary sound when I first heard it. I thought i broke a socket!

 

[GrimJack]

I know everyone is saying to take the ARP hardware up to 85ft/lbs, but what about OEM bolts? Is 85 ok, or do I need to go with a lower value?

OEM bolts are 72 foot pounds.

 

[KicknAsphlt]

Roger that, thanks Grim! I'll knock that out tomorrow.

 

[CyFi6]

OEM bolts are 72 foot pounds.

The tsrm says 58 ft/lbs? Or is 72 the number you guys have come up with because the tsrm torque spec is not sufficient?

 

[jdub]

Not a number "we just came up with"

Reg Riemer had the stock head bolts tested a number of years ago....72 ft/lbs are within torque limits for the OEM bolts.

 

[IJ.]

58 ft/lbs was correct for the original HG material

they changed the material and the correct spec for it is 72 ft/lbs...

 

[KicknAsphlt]

What about stock bolts and a MHG? Will it still be 72? I'm assuming that they used stock bolts when they installed the MHG...I mean, they took shortcuts with a bunch of other shit, why not the bolts too?? LOL! Oh, and by 'they', I mean the previous owner.

 

[Alan]

Personally? I re-torque ARP hardware (both bolts and studs) and OEM bolts. The danger with going longer than 5 heat cycles is you *can* (does not mean "you will") get coolant under the HG if the bolts/studs loosen up...*if* that happens, it's only a matter of time. At 1500 miles, I would re-torque if not done previously.

This just happened to me and I ended up replacing the head gasket and foud out that the bolts were not even tight. The previous owner reused the old factory bolts that were almost rounded off inside.