Head Re-torquing opinions please
Turbo Mini Forums

So then,

I have had my engine running now for a few months, (not continuously!) but have not as yet re-torqued the head bolts, this is because it hasn't actually driven anywhere yet, as the rest of the car isn't finished, no doors on it etc.

It has been through a number of heat cycles, e.g. up to full temp and then cool down again, do you think that is sufficient to now retorque the head studs?

What is opinion on doing temp wise, hot? Or cold?

Its been so long since I have had to do this I can't remember, all the head gaskets I have done in recent years have been on modern stuff with stretch bolts where you wince like hell doing them up, but once they are done that is it.

just a thought tom, are you using arp head studs? if so, is a re-torque still required?

Good point dan, yes, I am using ARP studs.

I thought that no matter what studs you used, a retorque was needed to allow for the gasket settling etc........

I stand to be advised, I am sure if I am wrong Vegard will be more than pleased to tell me so!!!!! LOL!!!!!

over the years tom it had been the norm for me to re torque the head when at normal temp & then reset the valve clearences.

this stemmed from whatwaswriten in the manuals as gospel in the 60s 70s 80s....
i have only had two head gaskets go down on me and that was due to det:

on the N/A stuff not one!

other peeps opinions may differ ?

I would never re torque a hot engine...

Cold is a possibilty, but I have done some personal expermentation and never found a new h/g to blow either with or without re-torqueing.

Alex

AlexF

HAHA! :)
I retorque my heads after half a dozen heat cycles. I do it cold.
I've never had head gasket problems either.

i was wondering if the re-torque was needed due to permanent elongation of the bolts generated through thermal expansion etc, hence losing torque

i guess further settling from the gasket would cause the same effect

i mentioned about the arp's because they might not suffer elongation through cycling due to superior material properties

just a thought..

Interestingly - I always used to re-torque my studs, but haven't in the past 5 years. Basically I forgot one time, and never had a problem - so thought I'd try it the next time, and the next time, and....

I never retorque mine, but if I was goiung to it'd deffo be cold.

I'd be interested to know if thay are no longer what you originally torqued them at.

Wil

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

I re-did mine a couple of weeks after building the engine, they hardly moved at all.

Hmm in that case then I think I will try re-torquing them, when cold, and see if they give at all.

I'll try and remember to post up my findings, although I am due to move house in the next couple of weeks, so may be after I have moved before I do it.

i always retorque at running temp.
lots of different opinions there then Tom,

carl

Edited by fastcarl on 6th Apr, 2006.

WWW.FORCE-RACING.CO.UK PLEASE CLICK HERE

I always retorque mine after the engines been run up to temp a few times. I always found on the standard head studs they would need a little tweek, on the ARP ones i found they hardly moved at all, but still enough to warrant a check.

Phil.

WWW.TURBO-MINI.COM

Same as turbo phil, but use the uprated minispares studs/nuts and retorque when cold after a few warm up cycles.

-MINI CLUBMAN 1380 TURBO-

i also re-torque which seemed to sort a nagging h/g problem i was having on an NA motor. Unsurprisingly when i went to retorque the last time after i had bought a snap-on torquewrench they didnt move one bit - stock studs/nuts

I've seen the future and tbh its Pie

the rover manual says...

run the engine for at least 15 Min's and allow it to cool. then working in the order shown, slacken and tighten each head nut in turn; slackening half a turn and tightening to the torque figure given in the spec (75nm).

Hope you find this useful

Slacken and tighten!

Holy cow - We must have a half-dozen different answers now!!!

I thought the retorque = slacken re tighten was the generaly accepted 'Correct method' to check torque settings. Consider if the nut was actualy tighter than it should be, if you did not slacken it off, how would you know it was correct??

if you retorque somthing than you always slacken then retorque as stated above.

but i have never bothered thou whether thats right or night fuck no's.

always looking for them bigger bunches of bannanas

I must admit that when I have done it in the past I have generally slackened and then retightened as well..........

God knows what to do now.

Ian Avonbar if you are watching any opinion on the subject perhaps??

Mr Fenton, is that McGyver in your avatar, cant wholey tell as its a bit pixley and squashed/stretched????????

I thought it was you, lol, but Your signature is very interesting, hypnotic more like.

Yes, it is indeed McGyver.....as I am also very good at conjuring acts with only a penknife and some string.

Good point about valve springs:

http://www.minimania.com/web/threadid/7601...2/msgthread.cfm