Surprising Fel Pro instructions

enkeivette

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
990
So I called AFR this morning to find out the max torque for my cyl head bolts, they told me to call Fel Pro, and they told me to call ARP. ARP says 75 ft lbs with sealer. 85 ft lbs with oil.

That's not what surprised me. Before I hung up with Fel Pro he told me to make sure to torque the head bolts in a 3 part process:

1) First take them to max torque.

2) Then, BREAK THEM 1/2 A TURN LOOSE ONE AT A TIME, then take them back to max torque.

3) Then go through one heat cycle, and retorque. Has anyone heard of this before? He said it's to flatten out the gasket.
 
I dunno, I been using FelPro for decades now, and never had any issues....I did overheat this engine pretty bad once with the Edel heads on there, and so lost a water seal into #8....water out the header gasket....UH OH>>>>:gurney:

but other than that, between the iron heads, then the Edels, then back to the iron heads, now the #113 GM alum heads....which have been on there for some 4? years now....everything fine....

old PONTIAC engines from daze of yore used 1/2 inch head bolts...and so took some 50,000 ft lbs of torque....

WAY higher than any SBC I ever heard of....course it weighed some 800 lbs filled with hydrogen .....:shocking:
 
Yeah I think I'm going to stick to 70 ft lbs.

But isn't that strange? Break them loose after max torque, then take them back to max torque. From what I've learned, that's a big no no.
 
It could be due to the particular gasket you're using. All the Fel-Pro gaskets I've used are the PermaTorque and don't need any additional steps. I remember they did have gaskets that needed retorque but that' has been a while back.

Fel=Pro should know their product. If they say there is a procedure needed to correctly install their product, I'd bet there is a reason behind it.
 
It could be due to the particular gasket you're using. All the Fel-Pro gaskets I've used are the PermaTorque and don't need any additional steps. I remember they did have gaskets that needed retorque but that' has been a while back.

Fel=Pro should know their product. If they say there is a procedure needed to correctly install their product, I'd bet there is a reason behind it.

These are Perma Torque MLS.
 
I always do it in 20 or 25lbs.ft steps to max tq, then loosen and tighten them once more. Never found one needing a retorque after heat cycling.
 
Yeah I think I'm going to stick to 70 ft lbs.

But isn't that strange? Break them loose after max torque, then take them back to max torque. From what I've learned, that's a big no no.

I've done it that way with rod bolts on the scat rods. I like to take it to full torque just to run the threads one time. Then back off to retorque. I see no reason not to do the same on the head bolts. Re-torque the headgasket should not be a problem if you don't loosen all the bolts at one time. Three step torque has been used for a hundred years on head bolts.:zzz:
 
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