The lead mechanic who showed me a better way to torque cylinder head bolts

2 comments

2 Comments

Did he show you the torque sequence too, or just the torque spec itself? I had a mechanic once skip the sequence on my lawnmower engine and it warped the head bad. The right torque number means nothing if you don't tighten them in the right order, especially on an aluminum head. Torque specs are important but the sequence and the angle matter just as much if not more. Did he mention anything about running it to operating temp and then retorquing? Some engines need that extra step with head gaskets.

foster.charles28d ago

Wait, you're saying some engines need a hot retorque after getting up to temp? I always thought torque specs were the only thing that mattered, but hearing that from @eva908 makes total sense now with how aluminum expands and contracts. That totally changed my mind about skipping the sequence stuff.