Re-torquing head question

M

MurphyJ

Senior Member
I just replaced the head gasket on my 31 pickup and torqued the head nuts to 55 pounds as per les andrews and others on this forum. It is my understanding that it is necessary to retorque the nuts after 500 miles of driving. Like others, i usually drive 15 to 25 miles everytime i take it out and won't see putting 500 miles on my truck for probably 5 to 6 months. Driving on shorter trips rather than doing the 500 miles in a couple of longer trips, is it still best to wait until i hit the 500 mile mark or should i be retorquing at earliers intervals? Any help, direction, or words of wisdom to my question will be most appreciated. Thank you.
 
Retorque them COLD the next day and several times after that, until they will take NO further torqueing. Don't loosen the nuts when re-checking! Bill W.
 
I agree with Bill. I re-torqued mine three times before I drove it. I ran it 20 minutes to give it a good deep heat, then didn't touch it until the next day.
 
Last edited:
Retorque as soon as you go through a heat cycle. Torque only cold engine and only to 55lb. The last thing you want is to leak water into the engine. Its easy and cheap to retorque a headgasket.
 
If your are installing a head gasket with the silicone ring around the cylinder you need to retorque it many times . The instruction say two times . It took about five times for mine to settle in . Always torque this gasket when engine is stone cold .
 

Attachments

  • Head Wrench.jpg
    Head Wrench.jpg
    138.5 KB · Views: 44
As a side note to Bill's comment and it may sound like I'm splitting hairs but, a crow's foot works great. Just be aware that if you position the adapter in the 3 or 9 O'clock positions you are torqueing to the value that is dialed in on the wrench. If you position it at 12 O'clock you are increasing your leverage and applying more torque, and the inverse is true if positioned at 6 O'clock. It might be negligible to some but it does make a difference. See the discussion in the link below for more clarity. :confused:

http://www.finishing.com/118/94_crows_foot_torque.shtml :D
 
Ct, Common sense reasoning tells me that if each end has the same offset, it wouldn't make any difference. Besides, a hair ain't much, so why are you splittin' hairs to confuse folks on a simple head retorqueing? Even if it did make a difference, it would be about this (-) MUCH! Bill W.
 
Last edited:
Hey Bill, I don't think I confused anyone except those who didn't look at the link I provided. Did you? As the diagram shows just adding a crows foot straight out and not at 90 degrees makes a setting of 100 ft lbs 111 ft lbs. So, for our head torque settings about 6 ft lbs difference. You can torque to 61 or so if you like. I was just letting some know that it makes a difference. :)
 
Ct, No I didn't look at the link, can't always believe everything you read anyhow. Seems everyone has their own opinions, "science", & "theories"! I always do what is PRACTICAL, this ain't ROCKET SCIENCE.
My dear nieve Mother thought that anything in print was "GOSPEL" truth, I wish that were really true.
An example of a debatable question is the fact that ordinary folks & scientific folks can't even agree on which way D.C. current flows! Chief taught me it goes from + to -, he said "nothing" can't go to "something"! First you have to have "something" to flow to where the vacant "nothing" resides! WORKS FOR ME! All my electrical stuff functions very well! Bill W.
 
disagree about not breaking the nuts loose before re-torquing.
per Larry Brumfield, I back them off 1/8 turn (one at a time, not all at once!) before re-torquing.
if there's a bit of rust or paint sticking them to the head, you will get an inaccutrate torque value if you do not break them loose.....
j.m.h.o.....
 
hello
what is the torquing seaquance for the head do you start in middle or corners
kevin
1930 model a tudor
1923 model t roadster p/u
 
Chris,
But if it's a CLEAN proper installation, there will be NO rust or paint stickin' the nuts to the head, just a light oil film on the threads & nut surfaces. Bill W.

Kwisor,
General rule is start in the middle & work out to the sides & end. Sorta' in a circular pattern. There is an exact sequence also, in some manuals, maybe it's shown in some parts catalogs?? Bill W.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top