Old timer told me I was overtorquing head bolts wrong for 5 years

Back in 2019 a retired fleet mechanic watched me torque a 6.0 Powerstroke head and said I was doing it all backward. He showed me the three-step sequence with a specific 85 lb-ft method that broke things down into smaller increments. Any of you guys ever get a piece of advice that made you realize you'd been doing a basic task wrong for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_andrew8d agoMost Upvoted

You ever get that feeling where someone shows you a trick and you just stand there wondering how many engines you've messed up over the years? lol. The 85 lb-ft method is legit because it lets the gasket seat evenly instead of just slamming it down in one shot. I learned the hard way on a old Chevy 350 where I kept blowing head gaskets until a guy at the parts counter asked me how I was torquing them. Now I always do small increments and let the bolts sit for a minute between steps, saves a ton of headaches on aluminum blocks especially.

perez.mia7d ago

Wait, you really think that 85 lb-ft method is the only way? I've been torquing heads for over 20 years and I've never done that small increment thing. On a 6.0 Powerstroke I just go straight to 90 lb-ft in one smooth pull, never had a gasket fail on me. I figure if you're using good quality bolts and a clean surface, the gasket seats fine without all that fussing around. That whole "let the bolts sit" thing feels like overthinking it to me. You ever just try the old school one-shot torque and see if it actually holds up?