Just realized I'd been torquing head bolts wrong for 7 years

Was helping a buddy rebuild a 6.0 Powerstroke last month and he watched me start torquing. He stopped me and asked if I'd ever read the TSB on bolt stretch. Turns out I was going too fast and not letting the bolt relax between passes. Probably explains why I had two head gasket failures I blamed on tuning. Has anyone else found out they've been skipping steps on basic stuff for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat7818d ago

Wait, you mean you're supposed to let the bolt relax between passes? Like actually stop and wait a few seconds? I've been going full speed through all my torque sequences for 10 years, chasing numbers without thinking about what the bolt is doing inside there. That explains why my 6.4 kept pushing coolant out even after I did the gaskets twice. I always figured it was the block or the studs, not that I was rushing it like a maniac.

blair_nguyen8d ago

Seen guys run air ratchets through torque sequences for years with zero issues.

caseythompson8d agoTop Commenter

Yeah @pat781, you're supposed to let the bolt settle or it'll never hold right.