Re: Head Torque

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2009/7/1 7:15:46

A 36 120 engine should be a 282, not a 288; it became a 288 in 1948 when they rationalized the bores of all 3 engine sizes to 3-1/2 inches.

Many folks do not use any sealant on head gaskets, yet I've always used the aerosol form of Permatex copper spray sealant with excellent results, and would suggest same.

Torque in 3 steps, perhaps in the range of 30 lb-ft the first time, 50 the second time, and 63 the final time, and then after the engine has run for a couple of hours and is cool, retorque at least one more time.

EDIT: Don't forget that the stud threads should be clean and dry to get a valid torque measurement. You can use a chaser die or a wire brush as you just want to remove carbon and rust, thread size is 7/16-20 as I recall.