re-use a torqued head gasket?

McAruthur escaped the Phillipines on a PT boat that had been rebuilt using the old gaskets.

Just a piece of history thrown in. Roy

Yep, he and his family and close officers all escaped in four PT boats. The soldiers and nurses he left behind were captured by enemy forces.

Of course, the history books claim Dugout Doug was ordered to leave...... at any rate, he was later awarded the congressional medal of honor for a campaign that ended with him running like a jack rabbit. Some of us found that a little hard to take. I assume he had his ears plugged to not hear the tens of thousands at Arlington rolling over in their graves when they pinned the CMH on....

So what is the correct process for re-torqueing a head gasket after a new replacement?
Just put the torque wrench on and torque until it clicks again. Or loosen the bolt a half a turn and re-torque to spec.
Mine torques to 30 ft-lbs, retorque doesn't change this value, correct?
Thanks.

blue75kz900 wrote:

So what is the correct process for re-torqueing a head gasket after a new replacement?
Just put the torque wrench on and torque until it clicks again. Or loosen the bolt a half a turn and re-torque to spec.
Mine torques to 30 ft-lbs, retorque doesn't change this value, correct?
Thanks.

Same value. I do a progressive torque. I set the wrench to 50% of the full value and torque all bolts. Then go to 75% and torque all bolts. Set wrench to 100% spec and final torque. Run the engine to get it full hot (at least 30 minutes) and retorque to 100% spec.

So, I've run the bike for 250 miles without re-torqueing the heads.
SO I should just set the torque wrench to 30 ft-lbs and torque them?
I did the progressive torque when I tightened the head the first time.
Thanks.

Yes, just set the wrench and nip them up in the correct sequence the manual recommends (working diagonally outwards).
Don't loosen before re-torquing.
All you really needed to do was get the motor hot then leave overnight to cool then re-torque the next day (This is all what the manufacturers do).
Then after 100 miles i give them another check just to be on the safe side but i've never found them to have loosened at the 100 mile check.
After all you don't see the factorys running up 100's of miles on each new bike they churn out do you.

blue75kz900 wrote:

So, I've run the bike for 250 miles without re-torqueing the heads.
SO I should just set the torque wrench to 30 ft-lbs and torque them?
I did the progressive torque when I tightened the head the first time.
Thanks.

Yes.
i personally take 1 nut off at a time and put Permatex engine silicone sealant under it, then retorque it following the proper sequince.

many guys just retorque, without backing it off.

i just feel that i dont want oil coming up around the nuts, so i seal them, and the sealant acts as a lubricant to aid in the torque. The copper washers are supposed to seal it but they have been reused many times. Overkill? probably. but thats what i do.
Good luck.

Torque ft/lbs on the nuts depends on your build stock vs. APE cylinder studs....

Here's what Larry & Plum taught me...

Cold engine, don't back off and as others mentioned, follow spec'd sequence...

zed1015 wrote:

After all you don't see the factorys running up 100's of miles on each new bike they churn out do you.

Maybe they should. On my new '79 KZ750 a short time after I bought it, one of the outer head bolts got so loose it was almost finger tight before I noticed it. The 500 mile service on mine was changing oil, checking valves and retorqueing the head.

roy-b-boy-b wrote:

McAruthur escaped the Phillipines on a PT boat that had been rebuilt using the old gaskets.

Just a piece of history thrown in. Roy

they should of turned him over to the americans he left behind when he returned!

i take 1 nut off per night nad bring it inside for an episode of chips...but not one where they crash or don't catch bad guys....and then the next day after iv'e soaked it in a cup of imported coffee...i say a small non denominational blessing and return it to the motor ,where i torque it down with a gold plated torque wrench,while whistling "like bridge over troubled water", or, " she's a brick house"...and repeat this untill all the nuts are karmically blessed and torqued....

re-use it and torque it with a garage sale wrench.....

PLUMMEN wrote:

roy-b-boy-b wrote:

McAruthur escaped the Phillipines on a PT boat that had been rebuilt using the old gaskets.

Just a piece of history thrown in. Roy

they should of turned him over to the americans he left behind when he returned!

They were either dead or in POW camps by then.