First head retorque

[Guest]

I did my first head retorque a couple days ago sooner than I expected, oil was seeping out around the sealing surface.
The four outer head nuts needed a fair amount of torque, all the rest except for one inner nut took 50 ft/lbs and no movement. Tried loosening them and still took 50 to move them. I dont know how accurate my torque wrench is at these lower torque ranges I torqued them to 30 with the same wrench when I assembled it
My 3/8 drive wrench only goes to 20 lb/ft and most 1/2" dont even start until 20 or 30 lb/ft.
What kind of torque wrench is recommended?

[tkent02]

Most 3/8" torque wrenches go to 80 or 90 ft/lbs or so...

[gearhead13]

Most 3/8" torque wrenches go to 80 or 90 ft/lbs or so...

Really? mine is in inch/lbs, goes up to 20 lb/ft max, maybe I will look for a different 3/8 drive torque wrench.

[mike_of_bbg]

The torque necessary to loosen a bolt/nut is not necessarily related to the amount of torque that was put on it! Static friction coefficients are always higher than dynamic friction. That's why it's recommended to loosen them a bit before re-torquing - so you can hit your target torque on the move.

Good luck. Not to be a pessimist but my reading and my one personal experience says that once the head gasket starts weeping, re-torquing is unlikely to stop it. Here's hoping yours is one of the rarer cases Is your gasket OEM?

[bwringer]

Really? mine is in inch/lbs, goes up to 20 lb/ft max, maybe I will look for a different 3/8 drive torque wrench.

You can get a nice beam-type 3/8" drive torque wrench at Sears for only $25.

[gearhead13]

You can get a nice beam-type 3/8" drive torque wrench at Sears for only $25.

They have that kind at Canadian tire for $20, goes up to 50lb/ft, might have to get one.
The current head gasket is copper.
I am already looking for a regular type gasket for it. I would like to get a composite one for it. The one I got for the 750 from Suzuki was a MLS.

[chef1366]

You'll get a little weepage with the copper gasket.
Get some APE studs and go to 40#

[vladdmd]

WEEPING??

Maybe that's what's happening to me...

I installed a copper head gasket on my 77 gs 750 and added arias high compression forged pistons. I have a oil leak from the top right and left end... (where the oil passages are) at 5000+ rpm at about 70+ mph.... Not sure y.... Do I torque it a bit past spec? How do I stop it??? I am soooo close to getting this bike on the road....

Thanks...

-Vlad


Oh by the way... the machine shop told me to add a copper spray (which I did) but nothing about "ringing". Just a plain copper gasket.... cometic made it..

[gearhead13]

WEEPING??

Maybe that's what's happening to me...

I installed a copper head gasket on my 77 gs 750 and added arias high compression forged pistons. I have a oil leak from the top right and left end... (where the oil passages are) at 5000+ rpm at about 70+ mph.... Not sure y.... Do I torque it a bit past spec? How do I stop it??? I am soooo close to getting this bike on the road....

Thanks...

-Vlad


Oh by the way... the machine shop told me to add a copper spray (which I did) but nothing about "ringing". Just a plain copper gasket.... cometic made it..

My machine shop said they install copper head gaskets with no sealer when both mating surfaces have been machined. I bought some spray stuff they recommended. It didnt work.
Bought a Suzuki gasket for it, a little sealer around the oil passages, torqued down to 30#, went to do a retorque and only one nut needed a little more, and no leaking at all
My thought is that for forced induction or REAL high compression then copper is the way to go when you have the head and block machined, but for the street, not for me.

[vladdmd]

Before I change the gasket, Would it be grossly unwise to retorq the bolt heads... maybe 10 ft/lbs more than spec to see if it stops the leak. The damn leak is only at 5000k rpm or above at 70+. I would imagine that it must be close... right? When did yours leak?

-Vlad

[gearhead13]

Before I change the gasket, Would it be grossly unwise to retorq the bolt heads... maybe 10 ft/lbs more than spec to see if it stops the leak. The damn leak is only at 5000k rpm or above at 70+. I would imagine that it must be close... right? When did yours leak?

-Vlad

I don't know what speed/rpm it leaked at, just noticed oil coming from both sides of the head after stopping and taking a look.
10 lb/ft isnt much I would give it a try. It didnt work on mine even close to 50 lb/ft. I have heard stories of the studs snapping/twisting off, so don't go too much and make sure the threads are lubed.

[vladdmd]

OMG what a pain in the ass.... I HOPE that adding a bit more torq might fix it. I actually didnt retorq after rebuilding the top end. I put on 700 miles since then. I'm going to try to retorq tomorrow. Worst case, I might just go back to stock. I just didnt want to deal with the pain in the ass. .... close to 50 ft/lbs on yours huh.... $%&*&^$&$%!!!!!

Thanks!

-Vlad

[chef1366]

I would not tourque that high unless you have APE cylinder studs.
I'm going with 40# with the studs. All mating parts have been cleaned (machined). We'll see if I leak.

[rapidray]

OMG what a pain in the ass.... I HOPE that adding a bit more torq might fix it. I actually didnt retorq after rebuilding the top end. I put on 700 miles since then. I'm going to try to retorq tomorrow. Worst case, I might just go back to stock. I just didnt want to deal with the pain in the ass. .... close to 50 ft/lbs on yours huh.... $%&*&^$&$%!!!!!

Thanks!

-Vlad

The big APE studs only go to a MAX of 42 ft lbs on 1100s & 1150s. Ray.

[Nessism]

OE spec is 27 ft-lbs. I can see going to 30 but no way I'd go above say 32.