Head bolt retorque after head gasket

[dpuckett]

I have a . 020" over thick head gasket I am going to (maybe) put on the 92 this weekend. I ahve been reading up on retorquing after a heat cycle and such, and was wondering what is the specific procedure for htis? I dont have any studs, just going to use the bolts for now. I know I need to torque in steps, and end up at 120ft-lbs, but when do I need to retorque? I assume I dont need to loosen the bolts to retorque? Or do I? Anything else I need to be aware of?



Thanks,

Daniel

 

[bgilbert]

I think 120ftlbs and retorques are only for studs. I would do it per the manual. I think it says 89ftlbs in the last step then another 90*... I guess some folks say that comes to 120ftlbs. I would be interested to hear how much those stock headbolts can go up to.

 

[MMiller]

Bill will like my answer to this question. Call up and talk with Mark at PDR. I can't remember what the final torque was when I did my headgasket last time. I remember going by the manual for the first few steps of torque, maybe up to 90 ft lbs. Then instead of going the sequence in the book Mark advised a different pattern starting at the back of the head and doing each line of head bolts to the front. Then after letting it warm up to operating temp and cool completely down, torque them again, don't loosen. Just remember this has been at least 3 years ago, call em up and they will talk to you.



Michael

 

[dpuckett]

Thanks, guys. I'll try to give them a call today or tomorrow.



DP

 

[CSchafer]

I believe the manuel has the torque to yield procedure but I remember reading a post awhile back that just said to torque stock head bolts to 120lbs and he would reuse them.

 

[dpuckett]

I just got the gasket, not the kit (valve cover gaskets are good, and I have leftovers from the last head gasket job). Does anyone know off hand what the maximum lengths are for the short, medium, and long bolts?



DP

 

[DValentine]

Daniel,



Short- 71. 5mm or 2. 815 in



Med. 122. 1mm or 4. 807 in



Long. 182. 9mm or 7. 201 in



Dave

 

[sdstriper]

Boy oh boy Daniel, you better hurry if your working outside! This weather will be there tomorrow I bet, Brrrrrrrrr! Supposed to be -20 here this weekend :--)

 

[JLEONARD]

This weather will be there tomorrow I bet, Brrrrrrrrr!

Daniel,

Measure your bolts after the cold front gets there... . then they might be in spec.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I torque the head bolts 30-60-90-120-re-check 120. I went back once to retorque and found it wasn't needed, so didn't do it in subsequent head gasket replacements. I don't care for the torque plus turn method as I found some bolts got to 120 quickly and others needed more of a turn to get there. I preferred to have the same tension on all bolts. Maybe it works fine with new bolts, but I re-used my old bolts.

 

[dpuckett]

Ok, got the head on, and after taking a 4hr detour yesterday afternoon to haul some hay for my mom (her truck), I got the truck back together and running. Sort of. I torqued the head bolts to 120ft-lbs, then started it up and got this ticking noise, I took it down the road to the next driveway, and it is load related. I rechecked the head bolts, and a few of them needed another 45-135deg to click at 120ft-lbs. I limped it home at 50mph, and am now wondering what I need to check. The head had to be milled . 009", (and did seem a lot roughter/ coarser than the block) and I installed the . 020 washers, with the . 020 over gasket. The only problem I can think of is the block being warped (nothing I can do now if it is, and it wasnt checked), or something got under the head when I installed it, and I missed it, and it didnt seal. I am not driving it anymore til I get this figured out. I am about to the point of just letting my g/f's boss do it and put the (ouch- big) tab on my credit card.



Daniel

 

[PToombs]

Did you double check the valve clearance? Load related? Exhaust manifold leaking? Head gasket? Head will usually chirp, exhaust will tick. Hope you can find it!

 

[dpuckett]

It almost sounds like it's metal on metal, like a worn alternator bearing or AC compressor. But is gets worse with load, not RPM, so I ruled that out. It starts out as a squeal then graduates to the tick, then almost a rattle under moderate load. Could it be the turbo? When I had the blades hit the impellar housing before, it made a low pitched moan, no rattle or squeal. Maybe something in the exhaust housing?



Thanks,

DP

 

[PToombs]

Very, very possible. Could be almost any thing stuck in it. Screw, carbon, metal chunk. Pull the inlet hose and see if it turns free.

Whatever you do don't let the Butcher of the Cape work on it!

 

[dpuckett]

I wouldnt call him the butcher of Cape- just not as particular about stuff as I am.



Anyway, Roger took a look at it, and called the house (g/f took the afternoon off to look at another house) and told her it was a problem on the #7 cylinder :-laf. I busted up laughing, then she got it- "But he only has a 6 cylinder. " Anyway, he said the #5 exhaust manifold gasket was hanging out to the side, so it turned out to be a simple fix, if a little embarassing. I will correct it and see if that fizes the noise.



Other than that, it runs much smoother than it did before.



DP

 

[TBowles]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger; I did the same thing on # 6

 

[MMiller]

Kinda like last summer when I worked on my truck and left the clamp of the exhaust of the turbo loose, and went for a test drive. What a weird noise under load... ... :-laf



Michael

 

[PToombs]

Daniel, told ya so!

 

[dpuckett]

New problem

Yesterday, just for S&Gs, I rechecked the torque on the head bolts. Most of them clicked without moving. 3 of them moved a little (<30deg) to click, but 3 of them took more than 90deg before clicking. One I just left be for fear of breaking something or stripping the hole. I ordered new bolts, as some of them were just barely within spec when I had them out, and I figure those are the ones I cant get to torque correctly.



Now, I know some install studs by removing one bolt at a time, and torquing it; can the same be done for OEM bolts? Any certain order I need to go in? I'd think not, as there will be at least 3 other bolts within a few inches to hold it all down while the one is out, but then again..... I hate to sound paranoid, but I'd like to get this straightened out and be done with it for a LONG time.



Daniel

 

[bgilbert]

I would do one at a time in the Cummins order. Some guys say do them in lines one at a time. Your choice, but I think Cummins had their stuff right way back when.



Paranoid?? Must be that Southern Missouri moonshine you guys be drinking:-laf!!