Loading…
23
PSA: I was torquing head bolts in the wrong sequence for years
An old guy at a shop in Spokane watched me do it once and just said 'you're gonna warp that block, kid.' Anyone else have a basic thing they were messing up for way too long?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_michael7mo ago
Hold up, you're telling me the sequence actually matters? I've been slapping head bolts on in a circle pattern for a decade and never had a comeback. My old man taught me that way. If the torque is even, it should seat flat. That old guy sounds like he's just repeating shop class theory without any real world proof. You ever actually seen a warped block from it, or is it just something people say?
4
rubyshah7mo ago
Yeah @the_michael, "slapping head bolts on in a circle" is exactly how you get a comeback. Seen it. The head doesn't crush the gasket down even, it rocks. You get a small leak that gets worse. Your old man's way works until it doesn't, and then you're pulling the head again. That sequence is there for a reason.
3
anthony1297mo ago
Ever check the old gasket after a circle pattern torque? The crush marks are never even, it's always lighter on one side. That's the rock rubyshah mentioned. You might get lucky for a while, but it's a gamble on every build. Why risk a comeback on a customer's car just to save two minutes following the right sequence?
9