Re: [alfa] Alfa Head Gasket

[bearbvd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Greg Hermann)]

At 11:15 PM 2/18/04, AlfaNeely@domain.elided wrote:
>In a message dated 2/18/2004 7:48:42 PM Central Standard Time,
>owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:
>Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 18:26:52 +0000
>From: webb.p@domain.elided
>Subject: [alfa] Head Gasket
>
>Alfisti,
>
>Last week coolant started leaking into the combustion chamber on the Spider.
> This motor has about 500 miles on it since the head was redone.   Neither my
>mechanic or I remember if the head was retorqued after the first warm up and
>I know I haven't retorqued since.
>

>
>TIA for any experience with this.
>
>- -Peter

>
>    I did torque my head cold and again hot after the first warm up.  I do
>not think I retorqued it again cold after the racing equivalent of 500 miles.
>After checking everything, I have concluded that the liner projection is
>reasonable and the head is flat.  Thus, I think I just failed to torque
>the head
>again.  I do not think you can torque the head too often.  Be sure to back
>each
>head nut off, apply oil and torque each in turn.
>    You can try to retorque the head.  If it does the same thing, the gasket
>is gone.  The metal on top of the gasket that surrounds the cylinders was
>deformed into both the two front cylinders.  I suspect the pop was the metal
>letting go and subsequent running of the car further deformed the metal rings.
>    I bought a genuine Alfa Romeo head gasket which has a better ring
>surrounding the cylinders.  It appears better quality than the aftermarket
>gasket I
>used before.
>

>Ciao,
>Russ Neely

ASSuming you are talking about a 4 cyl.

My experience with this is that you might as well just start pulling the
head once this has happened.

Got lots of practice at it until I figured out the magic cure, as detailed
below:

1. Use 'Never-Seize' (the copper colored type), not oil, on the threads.

2. Torque ONLY using a HIGH quality, known to be accurately calibrated,
torque wrench.

3. Torque the head per the usual sequence in 10 ft. lb. steps to 30 ft. lbs.

4. Continue torquing the head, still per the usual sequence, in _5_ ft. lb.
steps up to _60_ (!!!!!) ft. lbs. !!!

5. When ready, start the engine, and, still working per the usual sequence,
MAINTAIN the torque on the nuts at 60 ft. lbs. AS the engine warms up.
This will generally require about 4 circuits around the nuts with the
torque wrench. Trust me, the nuts WILL let you know (via the torque wrench)
when the tension on the studs relaxes a bit as things are warming up !!

6. Once the engine is fully warmed up and the stud tension has ceased to
relax, leave it alone. PERIOD !!!

7. After several sessions rechecking the torque on the head nuts after
running an engine (both for just a few and for MANY miles, and with many
hot/cold cycles) whose head had been torqued per the above procedure, I
determined that there is NO NEED to ever re-torque a head which has been
installed per the above procedure. The stud tensions simply STAY PUT !!

I _NEVER_ lost, blew, or had any drizzly dribbles from a head gasket
torqued per the above procedure. NOR did I ever damage a head stud or a
block doing it this way. This method was successfully applied on several
highly abnormale engines, some with compression ratios as high as 11.5 : 1
.

Bon appetit !!

Greg
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