TOPIC:

The last head install, I went beyond Kawasaki torque specification to 42 ft. lbs., which (as I understood then) was not excessive for the APE studs I had put in.

I now wonder if that amount of torque application is too much, at least initially. I have little concern about stretch since replacing the original studs a couple years ago, but could the extra torque have squashed the OEM gaskets a bit too much? Perhaps I'm over analyzing, but I want to go into the next re-do better prepared, and do it correctly.

My riding style: I don't baby it...but rather like to work fast through the gears, more often than not. And I enjoy pushing the power-band, for the music she makes. Waw!
Thanks again...

Don't overthink it and create a problem where there is none.
42lbs is correct for the HD cylinder studs, just torque them down in stages , once again when cold after the first heat cycle then a check after a few hundred miles.
No damage will occur to the gaskets if fitted correctly.

Won't hurt the gaskets if they are good gaskets. Just make sure to re torque it after a couple of run cycles.

zed1015 wrote: Don't overthink it and create a problem where there is none.
42lbs is correct for the HD cylinder studs, just torque them down in stages , once again when cold after the first heat cycle then a check after a few hundred miles.
No damage will occur to the gaskets if fitted correctly.

Is 42 lbs the limit, or can we go further without breaking something?

Will that leave room for further tightening at a later date, to help seal an oil leak, or something? From what I've experienced, once oil seepage starts, there is really no stopping it without replacing the gasket, which is where I'm at currently.
There is not much riding weather left around here, so I plan to ride until snow shows, and re-do the top-end while stored.

No need to go any tighter.
Over tightening risks distortion of the block and head and possible stripping the studs out of the case.
If 42lb is good enough for my 250 horsepower Orient Express turbo funny bike then it's good enough for any road bike.

zed1015 wrote: No need to go any tighter.
Over tightening risks distortion of the block and head and possible stripping the studs out of the case.
If 42lb is good enough for my 250 horsepower Orient Express turbo funny bike then it's good enough for any road bike.

Starting fresh with the torque spec in the service manual (29 ft. lbs.) would leave room to tighten further if an oil leak develops later, or would that just be an exercise in futility?

where is the oil leak? 1 or 2 piece head gasket ?

daveo wrote:

zed1015 wrote: No need to go any tighter.
Over tightening risks distortion of the block and head and possible stripping the studs out of the case.
If 42lb is good enough for my 250 horsepower Orient Express turbo funny bike then it's good enough for any road bike.

Starting fresh with the torque spec in the service manual (29 ft. lbs.) would leave room to tighten further if an oil leak develops later, or would that just be an exercise in futility?

Once you have an oil leak etc it's usually too late and tightening rarely makes a difference.
If you have HD studs on an otherwise stock motor then you should have no problems torqueing anywhere from 29 to 42lb .
If you have higher comp performance pistons etc then go for the higher figure.

gpz1170 wrote: where is the oil leak? 1 or 2 piece head gasket ?

As I understand the query is hypothetical and there is no oil leak.... Yet.

gpz1170 wrote: where is the oil leak? 1 or 2 piece head gasket ?

Front right corner. I figure oil pressure blew the seal at the O-ring there. Oil shows up at the edge of the head gasket on the right side, and flows down onto the top two fins of the cylinder block.
It's worse now than over the summer, and I tried re-torque about a month ago. It did not help, nor did it make it worse.
It is a small amount of oil seeping, after a hard ride around town, or steady run on the highway...and I just wipe it off with the edge of a paper towel. If I go midway with the rpms (below 5000), it doesn't seem to leak.

I've determined the head is coming off, and I'm going in with NOS pistons and rings (OEM Std.).
In 2008 installed an 11,000 mile jug, and matched set of pistons w/new rings (36,000 miles ago), and have been sitting on the brand new pistons/rings for a few years. At this point, I'm just getting mentally prepared for the project, which will likely happen between jobs at my shop, while the snow blows around outside.

...but I ain't done riding quite yet. A lot of leaves are still on the trees, and those curvy, winding outskirt roads are still calling.

Great suggestions guy's!