Re-torquing Head Gasket On Rb26... Help!

[Antimatter]

I have just (in my brilliance...) backed off all the cylinder head bolts on a S/H rb26 with the ambition to re torque them... which is fine - have re torqued them all to nissan specs and gained a little rotation on the heads bolt which I am satisfied with.

Ok - heres the thing. I did back them all off at once - and there was some residual oil from the head that has tracked out while the head was backed off. Should I have done them one by one? (if I had thought about it a little more before I threw myself at the job this is what I would have done I think). Should I now take the head off and replace the gasket / clean the surfaces as a precaution? The inlet manifold etc is on - I would need to take this off again, But I am yet to put the turbos / exhaust side on.

I am pretty embarresed to be asking about this guys - feel like a major screw up at the moment (what was I THINKING!).... please go easy on me....

Edited March 2, 2008 by Antimatter

[Jmaac]

I have no idea, maybe just torque it up and let it run in on idle for a while, that way any oil should burn off? I know what you mean, theoretically im thinking it should be perfectly clean for best result... does it really make much of a difference if you do it now or if it fails later? just leave it and give it a shot, you might even save yourself an afternoon - just keep an eye on those sensors!

Remember when your torquing it up try not to stop until you hear that click or start/stop. It can take up to 30% more torque just to get it moving again and potentially give you a misleading reading

Edited March 2, 2008 by Jmaac

[Antimatter]

My paranoia has got the better of me.... cylinder head is off... What was I THINKING... "undo all the head bolts at once" ... duh.

Now the question is - do I have a bit of a play with the combustion chambers and give it a nice 3 angle valve cut....

I have no idea, maybe just torque it up and let it run in on idle for a while, that way any oil should burn off? I know what you mean, theoretically im thinking it should be perfectly clean for best result... does it really make much of a difference if you do it now or if it fails later? just leave it and give it a shot, you might even save yourself an afternoon - just keep an eye on those sensors!

Remember when your torquing it up try not to stop until you hear that click or start/stop. It can take up to 30% more torque just to get it moving again and potentially give you a misleading reading

[BOZ22N]

Why not it is only money, lol.

[GTRgeoff]

After the gasket is compressed, retorquing should only be a slight backoff and retourque.

since you have the head off then look at the valve seats, down the bores, under the head in the squish zones for damage. If nothing needs to be done get a competic metal gasket and put it back together with new head bolts if any of them are different lengths.

[OFENSV]

Remember when your torquing it up try not to stop until you hear that click or start/stop. It can take up to 30% more torque just to get it moving again and potentially give you a misleading reading

That’s why the degree method using a degree wheel is more accurate than using a torque wrench.