cylinder head,final torque/s

[dave friday]

well,for one reason or another i have'nt done the last two quater turns with the breaker! bar[the first just after you run the engine for the first time after replacing the head gasket]. the second after 1000 miles, should i still do this now?
ta.

[jtanguay]

not sure but some people say that it will make it leak if you do the extra turns...

[Barry W]

Yep most people say it'll leak after you torque em down more.

[745 turbogreasel]

I say it will leak if you don't :twisted: but at least your bolts should be reusable :shock:...
I've given up on stretch bolts for now.

[dave friday]

thanks,all, when i changed the head gasket i used new stretch bolts.the van has done 1500 miles since the h g change seems ok,so maybe i'll just do one 90 deg pull on the breaker bar. the engine is standard but old.
what do you's all think?

[935racer]

I never re torque the head bolts after the engine has been started, never had a failure either. I have fixed lots of botched HG jobs because people re torqued the head bolts after the engine warmed up and after 1000miles, often when you do this the gasket shifts and can make for a leak, not always, but often enough that I don't!

[burn_your_money]

I usually warm the car up to temp and then retorque, I've never done the after 1000 miles deal

[dave friday]

well,i guess i'll pack a head gasket and bolts, when we go to africa in september along with a million other bits.
cheers.

[MattRabbit]

I didn't retorque the head the last time I replaced the head gasket.  It leaked.  This time, I torqued the head.  It's not leaking.

YMMV.