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Questions on replacing cylinder head.


Wishin2BMowin

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The cylinder head gasket was leaking when I got my 3212H tractor and I tried doing a repair on the head surface with JB Weld. Only lasted for one snow storm then the JB Weld melted and the gasket blew again! I'm buying a used head from one of the guys here and have a few questions. Should I use some Loctight sealent on the head bolts to keep them from loosening? What is the torque setting for the head bolts? It's a 12HP Briggs & Stration model 300421. I have a torque wrench that only does foot pounds. Should I torque the head bolts again after running the engine for a while? If so should I wait till the engine cools down before I do this? Thanks for any help...
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First off, run a tap into the holes in the block to thoroughly clean the threads, and clean the threads of the bolt with a die. Torque the head with the engine cold. Run it for several hours, then re-torque. It should also be cold when you do the torqueing. The aluminum head expands more as it heats up than the steel bolts do. If you torque it hot, then the torque value will be less when things cool down. Factory specs are normally cold values. I don't know the specs off the top of my head. You should look it up.
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The cylinder head could be warped. A warped cylinder head can cause a head gasket to blow. These heads can be machined straight again at your local machine shop. Karl
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I would look for a inch pound torque wrench. You can find a beam type wrench at most auto or engine supply shops. This would help you get the correct torque when you install the head. They are fairly cheap.
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For the convertion of inch pounds from foot pounds, just divide the figure. 190"# / 12=15.83'#. Or just do what I do, A steady even hand on a good rachet.
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One time I overlooked the INCH pounds part and torqued a head bolt to FOOT pounds. After I wrung off the head bolt and cursed I relooked at the specs and saw that it was INCH pounds. Luckily the broken bolt was easy to remove. JH
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