littlebill31
Smells of Raw Fuel
Just wondering here. My head bolts are 17mm, not 10mm.
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head bolt retorque.
- Thread starter CDNTX650
- Start date
Your nuts are 17mm the studs are 10mm HTH!
littlebill31
Smells of Raw Fuel
Ahhhhh, okey dokey.
I'll go sit in the corner now.
I'll go sit in the corner now.
Sorry lilbil Grin.
littlebill31
Smells of Raw Fuel
Lol, I'm a little slow today.
pat_in_the_hat
In the learning stage
Wow this thread is helpful. I know very little about engines, so this is helping me learn. I got my bike together and running for the first time since to PO rebuilt the engine. There is an oil leak on the left side. I emailed him and asked him how he did the torquing. And it sounds like he may have over torqued these. If I back the nuts off and apply the proper toque to them, will it be good enough? Or will overtorquing cause more serious problems deep within the engine. (I really hope not). And bear with me, im not the most mechanically savvy guy out there.
Paulrxs650
XS650 Enthusiast
If he's over torqued it you'll soon find out. Torque it up to the relevant spec and see. If the head gaskets been squished, you'll need to pull the head.
Paulrxs650
XS650 Enthusiast
I normally do one at a time, loosen then retorque
If you've never had them off then you should pull them, one at a time, clean and lube the threads (anti-seize), then torque. If you still have the rubber washers on the 4 outside acorn nuts, replace them with brass or copper. If you don't, those 4 nuts will constantly come loose and leaking gaskets will eventually occur.
Dirrrty79
XS650 Member
Bringing back this old thread with a question...
Was doing a retorque and adding the new brass washers from Mikes.
Got to bolt #7 and for some reason the torque setting was never reached (never clicked) and before i knew it the stud came through the top of the crown nut!
After backing the nut off it appears there is more of the stud showing then there was before (can see where threads end)....but it still feels snug (can't turn it or anything).
What happened!? Am i screwed here?? Have I pull the stud from its threads in the base?
Suggestions on how to proceed?
Was doing a retorque and adding the new brass washers from Mikes.
Got to bolt #7 and for some reason the torque setting was never reached (never clicked) and before i knew it the stud came through the top of the crown nut!
After backing the nut off it appears there is more of the stud showing then there was before (can see where threads end)....but it still feels snug (can't turn it or anything).
What happened!? Am i screwed here?? Have I pull the stud from its threads in the base?
Suggestions on how to proceed?
I suggest you take some careful measurements. Remove a domed nut and its washers from one of the other normal studs. Measure the amount of the stud that protrudes above the head surface. Now do the same with the questionable stud. How do they compare? A vernier caliper would be handy for this.
You need to find out if the questionable stud has stripped its threads in the engine block. Install a washer and a regular nut (not domed). Torque the regular nut up to 30 ft-lbs, to see if the wrench "clicks". If it clicks, then remove the nut and washer, and re-measure the stud to compare to your previous measurement. If you keep cranking on the torque wrench and it does not click, then the threads are stripped. Remove the nut and washer and again measure the stud to see how much you have pulled the stud out.
If the stud's threads are stripped in the block, then you'll have to pull the engine and remove the cylinders in order to do a repair. You just never know what a ham fisted PO may have done in the past.
Dirrrty79
XS650 Member
Thanks for the reply retiredgentleman....
so I took some measurements.
The corresponding bolt on the opposite side has 19.5mm exposed.
The one that came through the top of the nut is now at 23.5mm.
yikes.
I was able to get the acorn nut (with top missing) and washer to reach torque now....but the rod is poking through the top of the nut.
Lastly, I should mention the rod was not this exposed when i took the old nut rubber/steel washer off. This was a result of me doing the retorque... I must have missed the click or something.
So I fear I may be the ham fist here ...
so I took some measurements.
The corresponding bolt on the opposite side has 19.5mm exposed.
The one that came through the top of the nut is now at 23.5mm.
yikes.
I was able to get the acorn nut (with top missing) and washer to reach torque now....but the rod is poking through the top of the nut.
Lastly, I should mention the rod was not this exposed when i took the old nut rubber/steel washer off. This was a result of me doing the retorque... I must have missed the click or something.
So I fear I may be the ham fist here ...
Perhaps your torque wrench is not accurate/repeatable.
4 mm is quite a large difference. Its possible that a PO replaced a stud at some time in the past, and never returned it to its proper depth in the block. Then again its also possible that the PO cranked on the stud or the nut so hard that he stripped the threads in the aluminum block.
If the nut torques consistently at 30 ft-lbs, and the protruding amount does not exceed the 23.5 mm, then maybe its not stripped?? If so, just add another washer or 2 to give more clearance, and get a new nut.
4 mm is quite a large difference. Its possible that a PO replaced a stud at some time in the past, and never returned it to its proper depth in the block. Then again its also possible that the PO cranked on the stud or the nut so hard that he stripped the threads in the aluminum block.
If the nut torques consistently at 30 ft-lbs, and the protruding amount does not exceed the 23.5 mm, then maybe its not stripped?? If so, just add another washer or 2 to give more clearance, and get a new nut.
Dirrrty79
XS650 Member
fair enough.
and i assume once i get it running again i'll know pretty quickly if something else is wrong....
thanks for your help.
and i assume once i get it running again i'll know pretty quickly if something else is wrong....
thanks for your help.
The outer stud holes drain oil back to the bottom end so you would want a good acorn nut there. The 4 inner studs don't drain oil and are dry. I would put that poked through acorn nut on one of them and move that good one to the outside.
Dirrrty79
XS650 Member
Thanks 5twins.
I've been trying to dig around and find examples of this happening to anyone before but am coming up with nothing.
The fact that it never made any cracking noise leads me to believe the rod must have been messed with by a PO...and the longer i think about it...that rod corresponds with the side i was having some seepage on.
I will post once i get this reassembled and running to see if i've done any further damage...in which case i guess I'm looking at a complete rebuild..pulling the rods, helicoil etc.
UGH...
Again thanks for the feedback all. If anyone has any further insight I'm all ears...
I've been trying to dig around and find examples of this happening to anyone before but am coming up with nothing.
The fact that it never made any cracking noise leads me to believe the rod must have been messed with by a PO...and the longer i think about it...that rod corresponds with the side i was having some seepage on.
I will post once i get this reassembled and running to see if i've done any further damage...in which case i guess I'm looking at a complete rebuild..pulling the rods, helicoil etc.
UGH...
Again thanks for the feedback all. If anyone has any further insight I'm all ears...
Being so old, yes, sometimes head nuts get stuck on the studs. They usually break free before turning the stud with them though. You should re-install them lubed (I use anti-seize) to avoid the sticking in the future. You might try installing a double nut on that high stud to see if you can screw it back in some.
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