Old timer in Bakersfield told me to re-torque head bolts twice, I thought he was full of it

Tbh I skipped the second pass on a 6.0 rebuild and blew a head gasket 400 miles later. He laughed when I called him, said the block shifts after the first heat cycle. Anyone else learn that lesson the expensive way?

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grant82629d ago

Damn right he was right! That second pass is the difference between a motor that lasts and a motor that leaks. The cast iron and the block gotta settle and find their happy place after the first heat cycle. I know guys who torque em once and get away with it on fresh blocks, but on a rebuild with a used deck surface you're begging for trouble. The old timers in this hobby learned that from blowing up engines before we were born. Save yourself the headache, do the second pass, it takes like an hour tops.