That's a good point. My heads practically slide off when the last bolt is out. No prying required.

I'm reliving the back pain of doing this job... ugh.

 

Hi

Yes, you were right... that's what happens when you work by flashlight... you miss the two important buried bolts.

Lord, that back one was a @#$% to get out, working on my own it took a couple of hours of struggling before it gave way. I have attached a photo of the head and the blown gasket... I need to check head and block for signs of damage from the escaping combustion.

These stretchy bolts are something else... never in my life have I needed the effort these took to undo them. It's not like this is a particularly high performance engine either. I have worked on several all aluminium overhead cam engines, designed originally by Coventry Climax as fire pump motors designed to work flat out constantly.

They were also used in cars made by what was Rootes Group and also used in racing cars and even racing sidecars.

But I used a regular socket set with a 12" bar to loosen all those engine fasteners. I believe the issue is that they all used studs while the Rover uses the stretchy bolts. I see you can buy studs for these engines although I worry about how easy it would be to slide these heads over long studs with all the things that interfere.

Just a thought though... there has to be a better way!

 

Clearly, blown gasket on 3. Have you found a reputable local shop to machine the heads?

Keep at it. You're doing a great job.

 

Hi

These guys are one mile from me....

United Machine Shop - Performance Expert Machinists in Los Angeles, La Canada, Sunland, Sun Valley, and Tujunga

I am still pondering studs and nuts you apply a specific torque to rather than a flimsy torque and two 90 degree extra twists...

For instance....

http://arp-bolts.mobi/p/kitdetail.php?RecordID=4560

 

The gasket looks terrible but the head looks better than I would expect from that gasket.

I am poised to put heads on an engine I have in the shop and read quite a bit about stretch bolts versus studs, and the info I have found is contradictory. But a slim plurality favors stretch bolts for our engines due to heat expansion.

I'm still on the fence but I already bought the stretch bolts. Please announce your conclusions and reasons.

 

From all the opinions and advice I have gathered, it sounds like this is the consensus:

Both stretch bolts and studs work equally as well on stock compression motors. But, studs are re-usable so depending on how many times you do your gaskets, they could save you money.

Studs are mandatory if you are raising the compression and building a high performance motor, like a 4.6 with. 4.0 Pistons.

 

Hi

I'm leaning towards using studs based on previous experience with high performance ohc all aluminium engines that needed care torquing correctly to ensure no likelyhood of warping the head.

Once pulled down they needed no further attention. The Web site for the Rover studs recommended 100ftlb torque that sounded about right and would be easier to undo than these stretching studs.

Call me old fashioned but I will stick with technology I am used to!

 

I am a firm believer in studs. Son had an 07 Dodge 3500 dually with the 6.7 cummins, and the head gasket went 1000 miles after warranty. We replaced the head gasket and installed ARP studs. It was a bear, and we had to take turns, because our arms would give out. The sequence of tightning then untightning then retightning was very tedious and exhausting, but we both felt better in the end. Not sure if the sequence is the same with all motors, but will find out when it is time to do mine.

 

I've done an hour or so more reading on th studs versus bolts controversy and am convinced that it comes down to personal preference. The optimist in me say I will never have to replace th head gaskets again. The realist in me knows that I am not the most accurate torqued. The pessimist in me tells m that I will have to replace them again and that I will strip the threads with studs. I'll just flip a coin.

 

If the issue were down to thermal expansion/running hot, wouldn't the 180 T stat mod take care of that as you would be running a good 20 degrees cooler than stock?