OK, I finally give up on this one.

I just don't understand.  The head sealant has been dried on your heads
and gaskets for several years now, why wouldn't re-torqueing just twist up
the gasket and sealant?  This only seems like  bad idea to me.

In addition to that, how are you going to retorque the heads when the
engine is *hot*.  I can't remember exactly where the head nuts are, but it
seems like it would require at least

taking off some accessories (air flow meter and air filter at least).  You
would also have to take off all the valve covers.  Admittedly, not a huge
deal, but you are going to poking around there with a really hot engine,
burning your knuckles and elbows.  But the time you get to the 16th head
nut, the engine has cooled down unevenly and now what do the torque
numbers mean.

I'm just confused how any of this can be a good thing.

blake

On Wed, 20 Mar 2002, DaveC wrote:

> >  >Subject: WBX head re-torque?
> >>
> >>I want to see if I can easily stop a head gasket coolant leak on a
> >>'86 2.1L WBX engine before I buy it from a friend. Don't want to
> >>invest in a Bently until (unless) I buy it.
> >>
> >>Torque hot or cold? How many lbs-ft? What pattern?
> >>
> >>If someone could e-mail me the pattern
> >>
> >>      1   3   5
> >>      4   2   6
> >>
> >>or something like this, I'd appreciate it.
>
> -=-=-=-
>
> >Huh? 5? 6?
> >
> >You know sumthin we don't?
>
> -=-=-=-
>
> Yeah, and 7 and 8:
>
> 8    1 3    5
>    cyl    cyl
> 6    4 2    7
>
> (or somethin' like this).
>
> This is an ascii diagram of one head and 8 head nuts (originally I
> thought there were only 6).
>
> Would someone please send me torque spec and pattern? Hot or cold?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
> --
> Dave Carpenter
>
> Whatever you wish for me,
> May you have twice as much.
>