Tightening head bolts on engine stand?

[drew at scirocco.cs.uoguelph.ca (Drew MacPherson)]

First off, use a long breaker bar for the 180 degree stage - and it also 
helps to do this in two 90 degree stages (per the Bentley.)  It is worth 
purchasing a long breaker (30 inch or better) if you do not have one 
already.

If you have a friend available get them to hold the stand in a corner.  If 
you don't have a friend available, you should still be able to position 
the stand in a spot where it can't roll around easily, then brace it with 
your foot or leg.

I use a 30 inch breaker and have no issues with torquing on the stand - it
goes like butter.  Do NOT use a cheater pipe on a shorter breaker bar
unless it is a snug fit with no slop, or it will throw off your torque
angle.

Also, clear the holes in the block with a tap (I think gassers are 11X1,5 
- diesels have been 12x1,75 for a long time) and make sure all oil and 
coolant has been removed from the holes.  If the bolts can not be spun by 
hand until bottomed out in the block you need to go at it again.  The 
Bentley says that 16V and diesel engines MUST use new bolts - but they're 
cheap enough that I use new ones on 8V gassers as well.

Drew

On Tue, 3 Feb 2004, Jeff Toomasson wrote:

> This maybe completely obvious, but I keep thinking about it and worry that it's not going to turn out as if it were done in the engine bay.
> 
> So - you have your cylinder head sitting on a block on a stand - that stand has _wheels_ on it.  How does one get enough torque to cinch the bolts down on a base that's nowhere near as sturdy as being installed in the car...?
> 
> I figured I could just pin the base of the stand against the garage door threshold, but I sitll worry that I wouldn't be able to get the _exact_ right torque including the 180' turn... especially if I'm having to use one foot for leverage on the stand...
> 
> Is it something you just need a strong friend for? Should it be tightened to the right torque and then hoisted into the engine bay and then torqued the 180'? (this method seems the _most_ plausible, but still sketchy in my mind...)
> 
> I just don't want to get it done and then realize I f*cked it up....   :)
> 
> Thanks, JT
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