Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, can anyone tell me the correct torque setting for the cylinder heads on my 2.1 syncro. I've lost my manual and need to put it back together this weekend, any help would be appreciated.

Generally 22lb Jenko - fine for head nuts. Actually ChickenKoop and I did exactly this today - tightening down a cleaned head. If you don't have a torque wrench, the two pressures related to VW's in this area can be guaged quite well by hand. 10lb is just lightly nipped up (ie no muscle flexing) - rocker nuts are around this. 22lb (head nuts) is a slight tug more (very slight muscle flexing). I used to use a torque wrench but you get to guage it quite well after a bit

Make sure you tighten them gradually and in sequence - that IS crucial.

as per covkid the pro, but bentley manual gives 50Nm or 37ftlb and coat surface with sealing compound before tightening(to stop the water getting out : ))

Cheers guys. I didn't want to take a chance on overtightening, as this could well be a reason for the resultant failure in the first place.
A sudden loss water on Wednesday, following a strip down to find one head stud had broken, releasing all of the coolant through one bolt hole. Upon closer inspection the faulty stud appears to have had a hairline crack in it for some time before finally corroding off in the water jacket. The engine is just coming up to 80k miles and the cylinder heads do not appear to have been removed previously, so it could possibly be an indication of a factory over-torque error, or possibly just metal fatigue in one stud.
Anyway, thanks again Jenko.

Thanks for figures Beaker and you're quite right Jenko, overtightening not good. Incidentally, ChickenKoop and I figured (on his early engine) that at some time in his vans history (not much more than a year ago I would think), replacement heads were fitted but as he had oil leaks at the base of the barrels, the heads were probably fitted without removing the barrels and replacing relevant gaskets. What tends to happen is that the barrels shift slightly and don't seal properly again after head fitment.

I'm just trying to convince ChickenKoop that the crank endfloat of around 1 - 1.5mm is worth dealing with while his engine is on the bench......happy days

Useful info, thanks Covkid, I wasn't intending on removing the barrels, but I will now. I'll give it all a thorough cleaning in the crankcase and reassemble it, seeing as I have full gasket kits, I may as well do the job properly.

Jenko,
Haynes says the same torquewise.
The sequence if you need it is

7 - 1 - 3 - 5
6 - 4 - 2 - 8

The lower numbers are in the valve (case?) Where the rocker cover fits!
Hope that makes sense, only trying to help.

Mike

Cheers Grun, that's pretty much how I tightened them down, working from the centre outwards alternating diagonally. Job done now, anyway thanks for your input all, regards Jenko.