Hi

I have bought a 1998 1.2 wagon R with the the suzuki engine K12A I believe. Crys of shame I hear but it was dirt cheap because it had a blown head gasket so I am hoping to make a profit on it.

There is no manual available for this engine but have found a manual for the M13 engine that appears very similar apart from that the M13 has variable valve timing.

I have had the head skimmed and am now in the process of reassembling the engine but have come across a difference in head bolt torques and wondered if anyone knows which is correct.

The M13 manual sequence is 4 stage and is 14.5 ftlb, 29ftlb, +60 degrees and +60 degrees.

The slip that came with the head gasket is a 5 stage sequence and is 18ftlb, 36ftlb, -180 degrees, 22ftlb, 43ftlb.

Now this could be a similar setting but don't know what torque the degree thing gives.

I have assembled using the M13 settings but they seemed very tight compared to the amount of force need when undoing the head bolts when I stripped it down. Will there be any problems if the bolts are to tight?

Regards John

So long as none of the bolts broke while you were tightening them I'd leave it alone.

I would have chosen the 4 stage 'torque+angle' set up if I'd have been doing it myself

personally I would go with the slip that came with the headgasget as these may be tunned to gasget material.

OVer time guidence on how to do things changes

Just my 2 pence worth as long ass all the bolt are too tight dont think it will doo any damage but could be wrong

regards

Agriv8

[Edited on 15/9/10 by Agriv8]

I'm no real expert having done a total of 0.5 head swaps (still in progress), but that second spec doesn't even make sense as a head-bolt final torquing procedure to me. You torque it two stages (not very much either), undo it 180 degrees, then torque a little higher??? A final figure of 43lbft with no angle is nothing for a head bolt - forget blowing exhausts - you'll have a blowing cylinder head as it separates with every bang . First spec makes much more sense to me. It ought to feel tighter than dissasembly, as the assembly torque permanently stretches the head bolts. Perhaps that procedure that came with the gasket is some sort of ritual they want you to go through for that gasket before the final torquing procedure?

difficult to say but they may well be equivalent, 29 lbft then less than 1/2 a turn may end up as 43 lbft.