Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 07:56 PM |
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X16XE head bolt torquing (Tigra head gasket woes)
Evening all.
I am putting the head back on SWMBO's Tigra tomorrow and I am concerned about the held bolt tightening.
Haynes says: 25Nm/90deg/90deg/90deg/45deg. This sound like a lot to me - is it?
The reason I am nervous is that 3/10 of the head bolts needed drilling out as the heads broke off while dismantling and I would hate to break them on
the way back in. After the first one broke I was very careful incase misalignment/bad workmanship caused it. The next two broke as well.
Pictures of broken head in archive - they all broke at the base of the star bit of the head.
Thanks, David.
P.S. Why cant I attach pictures anymore.
Edit - link to picture in my archive.
http://locostbuilders.co.uk/photos.php?action=showphoto&photo=P9130002.jpg
[Edited on 14/9/07 by Mansfield]
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repper
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:21 PM |
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hi mate
what is the year and engine code ill have a look on auto data for you
just notise it on your post give me 10 min
new bolts
stage1 tighten 25NM
stage2 tighten 90'
stage3 tighten 90'
stage4 tighten 90'
stage5 tighten 45'
10, 6, 2, 3, 7,
9, 5, 1, 4, 8,
front
[Edited on 14/9/07 by repper]
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adithorp
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:22 PM |
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Sounds right and yes it is tight! Make sure that the holes in the block are clean and don't have oil or water in them or the bolts will
hydraulic lock. Grease the bolts on the threads and under the heads. Go through the torque phase twice. Make each 90' turn in one movement.
Not as bad as 180,180,180,90. Now that is scary!
adrian
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ned
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:23 PM |
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sounds like these are stretch bolts with stage tightening, you'll need to use new bolts as it's generally not advisable to reuse the old
ones.
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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adithorp
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:24 PM |
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Defo use new bolts. Have you had the head skimmed?
adrian
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Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:32 PM |
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Answers in order.
repper - 97 R 1.6.
adithorp - I hadn't thought of greasing the heads - cant believe I didn't think of that. I have a syringe to get out oil if required.
ned - new bolts already bought.
adithorp - head welded due to corrosion, skimmed, valve seats recut etc. Looks to be a good job and reasonably priced too.
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Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:35 PM |
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Repper - thanks, that is what the Haynes says. The whole job has been a nightmare and I would hate the reassembly to start badly with drilling out a
load more broken head bolts.
[Edited on 14/9/07 by Mansfield]
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Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:40 PM |
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Thanks to everyone - you have confirmed my fears. I have done a few head jobs and I really hate the stretching of the bolts bit.
180,180,180,90 would freak me right out - no, I dont like that at all!
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repper
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:41 PM |
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no sorry the specs are correct as from auto data for your car x16xe 1995 -2000
new bolts
stage1 tighten 25NM
stage2 tighten 90'
stage3 tighten 90'
stage4 tighten 90'
stage5 tighten 45'
10, 6, 2, 3, 7,
9, 5, 1, 4, 8,
front
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Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:43 PM |
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Just to add it was three of the last four bolts that went on the first 90deg undoing, the first six went thru 90deg just fine.
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Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:45 PM |
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Thanks again Repper.
More progress misery posted tomorrow no doubt.
David.
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repper
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:50 PM |
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you must have just been well unlucky ive done moor head jobs over the years than i care to rember and have only broke one bolt
and that was on a crappy metro with the 1.4 16v engine with the stupid 2 ft head bolts
hope it goes ok
jim
if you get stuck ive got auto data on my home pc to so just send me a u2u and ill get back as soon as notice the message
looking at your picks off the head it looks like you had no coolant in it and the alloys been eaten a way the coolant system holds about 6L's so
i would do a 50/50 mix when back together
[Edited on 14/9/07 by repper]
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Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 08:59 PM |
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Unlucky or hamfisted - I cant decide. The heads felt quite brittle as they span off though.
I will be missing the Donnington show to do this so I hope it goes well.
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Mansfield
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| posted on 14/9/07 at 09:04 PM |
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It did have a good strong mix but the coolant was about 5 years old. Up until 6 months ago it was perfect. It had only rotted away around one
cylinder - I am wondering if the casting was any good, the guy who welded it up had not seen one (X16 head) as bad as that before.
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Mansfield
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| posted on 15/9/07 at 05:53 PM |
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Update if anyone is interested.
Didn't go too bad, still have to bolt up the timing gear, DIS, bolt the cams in etc. The car is a complete bitch to work on, everything is
battle.
One of the head bolts (number 3)tightened up on the fourth stage of five and then with a small bang carried on going through the rest of the turn. A
noise very much like the bangs when you undo very tight wheel nuts, the last stage (45 deg) felt the same as all the other 9 so I am not going to
worry about that.
Hopefully fire her up tomorrow so this nightmare can end.
David
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