I have about 200 miles on my GMC 228 valve job and think it is time to re-torque the head bolts and set the valve clearance again. I know I am supposed to set the valves hot. Does it make any difference if the head bolts are torqued hot or cold? Santa brought me a new torque wrench (the old one intermittently didn't "click" although was very accurate when it did) and I have the special 3/4" wrench.
I received a new torque wrench for Christmas too. Will need it when I replace the rear main seal. I'm pretty sure the head bolts get torqued cold. Just like when you install the head. I would have jumped at the chance to go 'inspect' a truck with you if I had been available, Bill. Take Care.
Gonna' try and get them done before Jan. 27th, as that's the day I get a new left knee. I suspect it will be difficult to work on the truck for a while after that. I want to do the rear main seal first, as I'm not looking forward to that job, and want to get it out of the way first. Mayhaps the week of Jan 13th?
Will let you know when I think I'm gonna' start, Bill. Russ, I've already got my latches.... from You (Bill Brubaker) A couple of weeks ago. Thanks.
Re Torquing Head Bolts Or any other bolts for that matter ! . Always do them DEAD COLD , then warm it up and re check & adjust the valves . I just bought a brandy new Proto Torque Wrench , no more Chinese crap for me .
Hey Bill, Do you have the torque specs for the head, main bearings, and rod bearings for the 235? I'll be needing to do some of that myself soon. Side Bar: How often do you need to add a little water to a typical non-pressurized system like ours? I put a recovery tank on mine, and it seems to almost always be empty. I put just enough in it cold to see a level, (about an inch) and when it comes up to temperature it mostly fills up the tank. After cooling, it's empty again. I've always had a full radiator when I check it though, so Maybe I just need to leave it alone...
Bill, here is where I got my info. Nate advised me to torque my cylinder head in steps, so that's what I did. I think I started at 30 ft. lbs., then moved up 10-15 ft. lbs. at a time til I got to the final specification. http://www.hotrodreference.com/1209/chevy-stovebolt-216-235-six-cylinder-torque-specifications/ Damon
Sorry Bill, all I have is GMC specs. I'll bet Ken can point you to an online Chevy Shop Manual. My system is running a 7 pound cap with a recovery bottle. I have about an inch of coolant in the bottle when cold. The bottle fills about 4 inches when hot, then siphons back down to about an inch as the engine cools off. I don't need to add coolant.
