Head torque
- Thread starter Vern1030
- Start date
KMBeers
Senior Member
Assuming you had someone rebuild your engine they should have given you those instructions. The process will depend on the gasket used in your build.
For my engine the instructions for retorquing the head is to use the normal sequence (i.e. found in Les Andrew’s book) and do it after the first 3 hours of break in running. My engine has the standard head so the amount is 55 ft pounds and it should be done cold. A high compression head should be torqued to a higher amount. Torque again with the same sequence and amount after 200 miles of driving. Again have it done cold.
Keep us posted on how you make out with your engine.
For my engine the instructions for retorquing the head is to use the normal sequence (i.e. found in Les Andrew’s book) and do it after the first 3 hours of break in running. My engine has the standard head so the amount is 55 ft pounds and it should be done cold. A high compression head should be torqued to a higher amount. Torque again with the same sequence and amount after 200 miles of driving. Again have it done cold.
Keep us posted on how you make out with your engine.
nkaminar
Well-known member
You will get different values for when to retorque from different Barn members. All instructions say to do it cold, after the engine has sat overnight. The instructions I follow say to torque it down after 15 minutes of run time when the head has been re installed then after 100 and 500 miles. Some instructions say to retorque every year and I follow that advice.
Another thing to retorque are the nuts for the manifolds. The recommended torque depends on who you talk to but ranges from 30 to 55 foot-pounds. Make sure both manifold surfaces are co planer and flat.
If you have flat surfaces on the block and head and good gaskets, 55 foot-pounds should do it, even with higher compression heads. I have found the best gaskets are the Best brand graphite gaskets with the copper spray gasket sealer on both sides.
Most instructions say to bring the torque up in 10 foot-pound increments, starting at about 35 foot-pounds.
Another thing to retorque are the nuts for the manifolds. The recommended torque depends on who you talk to but ranges from 30 to 55 foot-pounds. Make sure both manifold surfaces are co planer and flat.
If you have flat surfaces on the block and head and good gaskets, 55 foot-pounds should do it, even with higher compression heads. I have found the best gaskets are the Best brand graphite gaskets with the copper spray gasket sealer on both sides.
Most instructions say to bring the torque up in 10 foot-pound increments, starting at about 35 foot-pounds.
Doug Linden
Senior Member
If you used a copper head gasket you might have to re-torque 3 or 4 times before the torque is set. I have found that using the graphite gasket the torque is set after checking 2 twice.
alexiskai
Well-known member
When I did my new head with a 509G gasket, I marked the head nuts to see how much they actually changed position on re-tightening. They had all turned after the first heat cycle. On the second re-tightening, only the nuts on the water outlet turned very slightly. On the third re-tightening there were no changes, so I stopped.