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re-torque cyl heads

To: fot@autox.team.net
Subject: re-torque cyl heads
From: "Mike" <mikee@ragtops.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2005 09:25:42 -0400
Well it seems my post about where to buy gasoline 'sparked' a very 
interesting thread. Lots of info that shows the broad knowledge base 
of this group. So, here's another.
   We just finished rebuilding the V-12 in an XJS (why, you might 
ask). At one point we told the customer that we had driven the car 
and were now going to re-torque the cylinder heads. She assumed 
that we had done something wrong and needed to correct it. We 
explained about heat-cycles and re-torque and she understood, but 
asked why she had never had to have the heads re-torqued on her 
other (new) cars.
   I've rebuild countless engines over the last 30-40 years and 
always retorqued the heads after a heat cycle. Sometimes, like with 
a Stag, we might re-torque 10 times before things stop moving. 
Everybody in the shop (7 guys) agree that you always re-torque after 
a rebuild. How come new engines don't need to be re-torqued? I've 
never heard of taking a car back for it's 1000 mile re-torque. Maybe 
they did this years ago, pre-war?, but I don't know.
   Does everybody always retorque? On a race engine? Why don't 
new engines need this? Only the cylinder head? Inquiring minds 
want to know, plus I'd like to be able to give my client an answer.

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