Can you retorque headbolts

[93talontsifwd]

Heres a ? I believe I have a blown headgasket but compression test shows 160 across the board but the spark plugs on 3 and 4 have really white tips. I am asking this cause I am burning coolant can smell it in the exhaust and it is brought up to me by my instructor that sometimes you can retq the headbolts with cast iron blocks mated to aluminum heads even since they are tqed in the final stages in angles I wonder how that would work out. Any help is appreciated thanks.

 

[tsunari]

From what I was told by the guy that did my headwork about 6months ago, some bolts are designed to stretch when you're torquing them down and so can not be used again (ford uses this approach from what he said, amongst others . . .)

I personally took my head bolts and measured them to see if they were within factory spec . . . everything checked out fine. Also, while talking to this guy, I showed him a few of my bolts and he said they hadn't been stretched at all and most likely wouldn't unless the engine were subjected to extreme temperatures & torture.

So I lubed them up with some engine oil and put them back in, torqued them down and haven't had a problem yet.

 

[GTM]

Originally posted by 93talontsifwd
Heres a ? I believe I have a blown headgasket but compression test shows 160 across the board but the spark plugs on 3 and 4 have really white tips. I am asking this cause I am burning coolant can smell it in the exhaust and it is brought up to me by my instructor that sometimes you can retq the headbolts with cast iron blocks mated to aluminum heads even since they are tqed in the final stages in angles I wonder how that would work out. Any help is appreciated thanks.

Acutally there is probably no harm to be done in retorquing headbolts no matter what metals are involved. He like I _ain't_ gonna sitck our neck out when some lawyer is there to cut it off. Unless you have info to the contrary then I see no reason to not follow the "last" torque procedure designated for your engine. E.G. back off 1/4 turn and bring to torque etc. then there is little to be lost in doing this. There are so many conditions imposed I cannot begin to address them without fearing some jerk will take me to task as has been done on this list. The world doesn't need people like that a.. hole but I'll bail out if he shows up here.

Email is ok.PM so so for I don't visit site because of that sh.t.
Cheers,
GTM

 

[Defiant]

You need to check the bolts for stretch. If they're longer than 3.91 inches, the have to be replaced.