Tightening head bolts and gasket protocall

[Jonah D'Avella]

I am putting a new head gasket on my t and I had a few questions:

1. What order do I tighten them in?

2. How much do I tighten them?

3. Do I put anything on the head gasket before installation?

[Mopar_man]

It's in the engine Book. But here is a video of what we did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p220qHzTJRw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8jDPK04Cgk

Using the torque wrench. We did 20 then 30 then 55 pounds per the book.

After you run the car you will have to torque them again. Make sure that you clean out the holes and put the gasket on correctly. It has a front and a back that can fool you.

[RajoRacer]

I prefer 45 lbs. - 55 seems high for steel threads into a cast iron block !

[DanTreace]

After cleaning the block holes very well, to be sure they are free of carbon debris, then spray the gasket with Copper Gasket coat, or use a high metallic content alum. spray paint.

Most important is the sequence to torque to squeeze the laminated gasket for best sealing against leak. Must do 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 first as the cylinder walls are the closest and the gasket is the narrowest there.

45 ft/lbs is safe bet to prevent a sheared off used head bolt, better to use new head bolts.

[Mopar_man]

I used new bolts as well.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

If you're using a copper gasket, then also use this...

https://www.amazon.com/401612-Copper-Co ... 527&sr=8-3

I use 2 or 3 heavy coats on each side of the gasket. Install the gasket while the Copper Coat is still tacky.

[Dan McEachern]

Not only clean out the bottom of the holes with a drill bit, but run a bottoming tap in each hole to make sure the threads are clean as well.
Might want to have the head boiled out and possibly surfaced if corroded around the steam holes on the corners or the larger water passages. If this is a budget job the at least run a large flat file over the head.

[Art M]

Check to make sure the bolts don't bottom out by putting the head on without a gasket and run all the bolts down to make sure the bolt shoulder meets the head. If the bolt bottoms out in the block, grind some off the end of the bolt.

Art Mirtes

[Norman Kling]

If you clean out with a drill bit, be sure not to turn it in a drill but use your hand. It is very important not to damage the threads or drill through the block into the water jacket.
Norm

[RajoRacer]

This is the proper tool to clean out block threads !

[GG Gregory]

RajoRacer, where did you purchase that tap?

[Ned L]

I would also check the head for flatness before re-installing it. (block too, but heads are the worst offenders for warping.)

[RajoRacer]

Goodson Engine Supply, I believe.

[DarkLeftArm]

It's in the engine Book. But here is a video of what we did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p220qHzTJRw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8jDPK04Cgk

Using the torque wrench. We did 20 then 30 then 55 pounds per the book.

After you run the car you will have to torque them again. Make sure that you clean out the holes and put the gasket on correctly. It has a front and a back that can fool you.

I'm replacing my head gasket currently, and came here for procedures and torque values when I saw this. I've been staring at my old gasket, a copper one without a makers mark, but it says "made in England" on it, and for the life of me, I can't detect a difference from front to back. Every single feature is identical as a mirror image, as far as I can tell. Have I got an oddball gasket? I haven't bought a new one yet.
Cheers!
Bert

[RVA23T]

The 2 oblong water passages are very close in size but the passage at the radiator/front is smaller than the rear/firewall passage.

[Norman Kling]

In the back and front of the block and head are holes which go through the gasket to the water jacket. the one in back is larger than the one in front. There are two very small holes in each end of the block and head on the side by the manifolds. I like to put a bit of high temperature permatex type sealer around both top and bottom, because those are areas in which the gasket is very thin and easily will blow out if the engine overheats. Before you install everything, put the head in place without the gasket. tighten all bolts to where they contact the head. If one or more are too long and bottom out, grind off the end of the bolt just enough so it goes all the way to the head. Then grind all the bolts to the same length. so they are interchangeable. Then follow the instructions above for placing the gasket and tightening. If you are using a steel head, torque while hot and after you drive it a bit, check the torque again. do this after each time you drive a short distance until it will hold torque. If you have an aluminum head tighten cold and then warm up the engine and let it cool off. When completely cold re-torque. Aluminum expands at a greater rate than steel so you torque while cold and it will get tighter as it warms up, but steel or iron will expand more at the same rate as the block. The bolts will stretch slightly, so re-torque iron or steel when hot.
I think I have covered all which was not covered above.

Norm

[Charlie B in N.J.]

I have never heard or torquing a hot head. Never. The head will shrink and lose the torque. Frankly it sounds a bit crazy. You install and torque the head then run it to normal heat and when it cools down, usually overnight, you retorque it and then put your torque wrench back in the tool box. Another ridiculous method involves torqueong and retorqueing the head until it “holds torque”. Bunk. That’s how you strip out bolts. Ive done dozens and dozens of heads over the past 50+ years and have never retorque a head after that initial cool down torque.

[Craig Leach]

I prefer using the oldest bottoming tap in the draw, a nice new one may remove metal that you will need.
Craig.

[RajoRacer]

I concur Charlie - I was taught to re-torque AFTER cool down no matter what material. I normally do 2 or 3 heating & cooling cycles on a new head.

Craig - that tool I posted the photo of above does not remove metal - only carbon.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Another one in the retorque cold camp. I will recheck the torque a couple of times after subsequent cool downs. It usually stays where I leave it after the first cold torque. Can't see any detriment in mutli-retorques, since mostly there is no additional tightening that occurs anyway. What does occur is a little more peace-of-mind. Not gonna say what torque I use. It'll be "too much" and at the same time "not enough". For me, it's "just right".

[DarkLeftArm]

After reading about the difference between the front and back of the head gasket, I walked out there and stared at it some more. Sure as the world, the coolant passage in the back is a little bigger than the one in front. And yup, the passage through the gasket is also bigger on one end. Here's the thing though.... That gasket was on there backwards!
So, what will that cause to happen? Overheating? My dad always struggled with the thing running hot, but we mostly wrote it off to living where it's hot.

Another question- what about the "steam holes" in the block? The one in the front was plugged up with mineral deposits, and I was able to clear it pretty easily with a little baling wire. But the one in the back, that's another story. I've poked at it quite a bit, and squirted wd40 and carb cleaner in there, but it feels like a bottoming hole in the iron about 1/4" deep. Is that hole supposed to go through to the water jacket? No more poking at it until I run it by you fellas.

[RajoRacer]

I drill the steam holes out with a 1/4" drill bit - it's most likely plugged up !

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

I drill the steam holes out with a 1/4" drill bit - it's most likely plugged up !

Isn't 1/4" a bit large???

[RajoRacer]

Not really - if you remove the built-up scale, a 1/4" bit smooths it out.

[Craig Leach]

Sorry Steve,
I didn't intend to step on your tap, I just wanted to caution guys on using a new sharp tap to clean out the threads in the block because some
taps will remove more than just carbon from the thread taking away precious metal. For those that don't know that tap pictured is a GOODSON
BCT-7/16 head-bolt hole clean-out tap specially designed for that purpose. It's used lubed ( not dry) to lift rust, dirt, chips & other debris as you remove the tool they will repair minor damage with out re cutting the threads. In my 2 year old catalog they are $60 I would think they are a
must have for anyone that builds a lot of engines.
Craig.

[RajoRacer]

No worries my friend !

[Jim11787]

This is what I bought to clean head bolt holes. Going to replace head in next 2 weeks.