Looking at doing replacement rocket box gaskets due to the rear leaking badly. Purchased cometic gasket kit. The question I have is that my HD manual says to torque the head bolts from 18-22 foot lbs. Reading the instructions on the cometic kit it says to torque the head bolts to 42 ft lbs in sequence. Can anyone who has installed the Cometic kit chime in on the correct ft. lbs of torque and what your experience has been. Little confusing and don't want to strip anything. Thanks in advance.

 

I used the Cometic gaskets when I last fixed my lifters. For the torque, I used HD's instructions. All is well and I check every now and then to make sure the top is still torqued properly.

 

Use the Cometic Torque specs.

 

 

Yeah that's the sequence I follow as well, Never had a problem.

 

Just got home from work. Thanks to apache snow, Madnss, jackddg22 and lewk. . I will use the sequence as set out on the cometic kit instructions as you have suggested. I was initially a little afraid of the higher torque values but if it has worked for your sportsters with no problems then it will certainly work for me. Many thanks

 

The head bolts do not need to be touched to change the rocker box gaskets.

Don't confuse head bolts with rocker box bolts. None of the rocker box bolts takes anywhere near 42ft-lbs, you'll twist it right off.

 

Yikes ... good "Save" ?

Hopefully 45 mins wasn't "Too Late"

 

 

Reading in my old age must be escaping me. LOL