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Rant: My uncle told me to always torque head bolts cold, never warm
He was a fleet mechanic for 30 years in Spokane and swore by it, said warm metal gives a false reading. I did it his way on a 6.7 Powerstroke rebuild last month and the head gasket blew after 80 miles. Turns out the manual for that specific year says to torque at operating temp. Has anyone else run into this with newer engines? I'm sticking to the book from now on.
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kim_mason551mo ago
Yeah, that "torque cold" advice was gospel for a lot of old school guys. I read a tech article a while back that said modern engines with aluminum heads and composite gaskets often need that warm torque sequence because everything expands so much. The book is usually right, even when it goes against the old rules.
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danielowens1mo ago
Oh man, a buddy of mine learned that the hard way on his rebuilt Civic. He torqued it cold and it leaked like crazy after the first drive.
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william_nguyen231mo ago
My uncle swore by the old way until his head gasket blew on a cold start, lol.
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