Re: [Amc-list] And he was a goober-tronic! (pushrod wasn't quite pushing)

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

The guide pins area great idea, and the studs just might alleviate re-torquing the head. Only thing is I wouldn't want to risk it, and would re-torque every other year/10-15K miles just to be safe anyway! Might go another year or two if it were a collector car with minimal miles put on it, but would still re-torque by or before 10K miles. Spare heads are at a premium, ya know!!

If you went with studs, I don't think they'd need to be 1/2", 7/16" should work fine. The only problem is lifting the head off that many studs! The L-head has studs -- 22 of them (OHV only has 15 head bolts). I still remember taking the head off my first Rambler -- half an old lock washer sneaked into a spark plug hole when I was changing them, and banged into the top of the piston. Luckily nothing broke, just a few small dents, but sounded like someone going crazy with a hammer in there!! Anyway, I had to use a steel wedge to get that #$%$%^ head off! Trash and such had worked under the washers and into the bolt holes... it was STUCK!! It's not something I look forward to again, especially not without pulling the engine. Of course it had been on for 18 years. 

The L-head studs didn't need re-torquing though. At least I never did, and I've never heard of anyone who has, or had a problem with blowing the head gasket. The TSMs say to check torque the same as the OHV, but that's mainly due to the material the head gaskets were made of back then -- all cars required periodic head torque checks in the 50s and early 60s. the newer gaskets don't need it, but that old OHV design for some reason does. Could be bolts vs. studs in this case, since it's a converted block...??? But again, do you want to go to studs then not check? The only way to check is loosen then re-tighten...


-------------
Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:55:05 -0800
From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>

Matt Haas wrote:

> > Actually, there's a simple trick to not sliding the head gasket: Make 
> > guide pins.
>   
Good idea! I've been discussing this motor's problems with others, and 
many think that switching to studs might help a lot. Drilled out to 
1/2", locked into the block with loctite, could get more torque on there 
or at least "better quality" torque. Gotta see if there's room for that.

Then two could be made longer for guiding. Clearly this is more than a 
rebuild task though.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)

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