Arghh! Got back from Vegas last night and had new back plate from DK and proper head gaskets waiting. This morning went to go finish the heads and when torquing one of the head bolts sheared off. Strangely this was at 35 ft lbs. at least it wasn't a stud so I suppose I should be happy. Local dealer does not have any so guess I'll have to travel as I'd like to finish up the bike on Monday (friend is lending me a swamp cooler).

Also in a "Pay it forward" kind of way, I now have the .040 head gaskets. If any of my fellow lurkers could use them (not sell them), I'd be happy to offer them up to you.

Going to go for a drive perhaps.

 

ive been replacing all that hardware. You got lucky there.

 

Hey Robby, I just replaced my head bolts with fresh ones, but my builder says he reuses them all the time... I think my originals are perfectly serviceable. If you like, I would be happy to throw them in an envelope and express mail them to you on Monday, If they're the same from my earlier engine and yours (Ronnie's microfiche would answer that - they look the same).

Are you sure about 35ft lbs? Mine were specified as a three-stage process: 10-12lbs, 15-17lbs, 1/4 turn more...

 

Thanks so much Tariq that's super nice! I've actually already headed off to the dealer in Loma Linda but I'll let you know if that doesn't work out. I didn't realize that it was normal to replace and of course this is the second time these have been removed and re installed.

I was working on the torque of 14 then 35 then 42 ft lbs based on cometics specs. I wonder if this is wrong...

 

i did s&s specs.

 

How do those go? Looks like I'm going to pick up the bolt on Tuesday on my way to LA for a meeting

 

https://www.sscycle.com/docs/default...6.pdf?sfvrsn=2

 

It's interesting that the torque specs are so different... The S&S MLS gasket is a totally different design from the Cometic, as far as I know... But it's still the same head, case, stud and bolt. Of course, I don't really know how different it is, because I don't know the final torque after the 1/4 turn. But I would be surprised if it was close to 35... I would guess mid to high 20s.

I wonder whether that isn't even why it broke... One of the videos I watched (maybe it was Shane Conley) cautioned against using too much lubrication on the threads, citing the possibility of breaking/stripping something if oil pooling in the bolt prevented it from being tightened properly... I dunno.

 

I could be TOTALLY wrong!!! ...but 42 really sounds like a lot to me... I followed the exact same info posted by cvaria.

If you decide for any reason that you would like another used set (which have only been installed once), just shoot me your address in a PM...