John -

The part # for the head bolt washers is MD020733, but it should not be necessary to replace them. As another reminder, I would recommend measuring the thickness of each one and use the dimension in the calculation for threaded depth on a particular cylinder. I found a couple of washers on my engine that were slightly thinner than the others - no big deal as long as there's enough clamping range.

Prior to installation, wipe the mating surface on the heads and block with acetone or lacquer thinner to remove ALL traces of oil.

On installation, lightly oil the head bolts - put some 10W-30 in a can and dip the bolt threads, wipe the excess on the rest of the bolt, including under the head - wipe the washers with the oil on your fingers. Torque in the correct clockwise circular pattern (beginning from an inner bolt) and in stages - 30/40/50/60/70/80. If you want the exact starting point for tightning sequence, let me know and I'll email a picture to you.

As a testament to care taken in the head installation - I've put about 3000 miles on my rebuild, but until the past few days it's been a little here and there. I left SC on Friday and am now in Albuquerque - driving about 500 miles/day. The weather across OK/TX/NM has been hot - 98F and I've been pushing it on 32s at 65-75mph regardless of grade. She's used zero oil and the temperature has stayed where it belongs without a hitch (so far). <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Good luck,
Frank

Ok I will probably reuse them then.

This may sound dumb, but how do you measure/calculate thread depth and clamping range? Did you find that the thread depth was different from cylinder to cylinder?

Also do you recomend using RTV or other gasket maker on the head gaskets as well? I have the fel-pro gaskets.

Oh yeah, I have a few different manuals but if you want to email me your tightening sequence then please do. You can never have too much material when doing work like this, right!! carstuff@pszweb.com

John -

If your machine shop didn't do a good job, then yes - the threaded depth will be different for each bolt. If your engine is like mine, you'll also find a difference from one side of the block to the other and from the end holes to the middle ones.

Clean the head bolt threads on a wire wheel brush, then with solvent and let them dry. Run each bolt into the deck hole you assign it and stop just as you feel it start to drag. With a dial caliper, measure the distance from the deck to the underside of the bolt head and write down the measurement. Measure the thickness of the washer with the calipers. Measure the thickness of the head at that bolt location. Deduct the head thickness and washer thickness from the bolt measurement. You should have a negative number for a result. If not, your machine shop didn't do the job you asked them to do and I would recommend not assembling the heads until all bolts have sufficient clamping range.

Once you're satisfied that the bolt is ok at that hole location, don't mix it up with another location. Lay the bolts out with their dedicated washer in an order that you can later determine which one goes where.

Install the head gasket dry - no sealer should be used. Make certain the gasket is clean - as with the heads and deck.

I'm having trouble accessing my email, so I'll describe the tightening sequence as best I can - if someone else can email the picture from the FSM, it might be easier to understand:

Driver Side

As you face the head with the front of the engine to your left, there are 8 bolts, 4 on the top row and 4 on the bottom row. Draw a sketch of the following number pattern and you'll see that tightening begins in the middle of the head and runs in a clockwise circle. On your sketch, number the top row of bolts left-to-right: 8/4/1/5 and number the bottom row left-to-right: 7/3/2/6. Tighten in series - #1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 in stages until all are at 80 lb-ft and go around again at 80 lb-ft to double check.

Passenger Side

As you face the head with the front of the engine to your right, number the top row left-to-right: 8/4/1/5 and the lower row: 7/3/2/6. Again, begin with #1 and follow the numerical sequence.

I know the procedure I'm recommending sounds picky, but I think it's absolutely critical in a 3.0L engine to ensure a good build.

Frank

Frank,

Thanks again for all the details. I can easily follow those torque sequence instructions. I sent myself a test email off of that link so it should be working fine, I guess your email is having trouble since you are traveling, but it is not necessary since you detailed it so well.

I will attempt to do the measurements for clamping range as soon as I get the new bolts, but to make sure I understand completely.
1) Clean the bolts well
2) Screw them in until drag is felt.
How much drag? Finger tight for me is pretty tight, should it be just until I feel any little drag or untill it gets dificult to turn?
3) Measure things:
-- From deck to bottom of the bolt head = X
-- Head thickness at that whole = S
-- Bolt washer thickness = T
-- Head gasket thckness = U
4) Continue with the install if X < (S+T+U)

You did not include gasket thickness in yours measurements, was that on purpose or should I count that?

John -

1) Correct

2) You're looking for any change in pressure required to continue turning - there should be no roughness until you find bottom. Bottom and/or drag can happen two ways - first the common one of not enough threaded depth in the block hole - and second, not enough threaded length on the bolt. The first you should know how to deal with - the second requires cutting additional thread length on the bolt with a die.... hopefully you won't have to do that, but if you do it's not something to worry about - just do it.... I've found that Lubriplate works well for thread-cutting with a die.

3) Correct except omit the head gasket thickness from the calculation and use that thickness as an additional margin of error. The head gasket as measured before installation is quite a bit thicker than after the head is torqued down. I don't know what Fel-Pro states as their compressed thickness. To really be on the safe side, make sure you have enough room to allow for the bolt turning length from installed snug to full torque. I've forgoten how many turns there are from snug to 80 lb-ft on that thread pitch (1 1/4, I "think"), but in my post "3.0L Head Gaskets" I think I covered it and made a suggestion on how large the negative number should be to make absolutely certain you have room. One way to make sure is to measure the head bolt-to-deck distance as soon as the bolt makes a couple of turns and you can take a reliable dimension - then count several full turns, re-measure and divide the height difference by the number of turns to see the depth/turn. Multiply depth/turn by 2 (maximum turns from snug to full torque) and make certain you have that as a minimum negative number for clearance. If that's confusing you, I'll try it again tomorrow.

Frank

OK the motor is put together and now back in the engine bay of the monty. I just have to finish hooking up all the accessories and the exhaust.

OK here come more questions:
1) Where does the groud wire on the drivers side of the motor mount? It has been so long since pulling the motor that I can't remeber, plus I didn't have a baggy marked with a bolt for it seperatly from somehting else, so I think that means it might be associated with another set of bolts like the AC bracket or something???

2) Has anyone gotten heads that had a different number of studs then the original? I was putting on the exhaust last night and found that the new heads on the driver side had every hole filled with studs and the passenger had all but one with studs. Meaning I needed 11 nuts, well I am 2 nuts short from the original setup and now I have 2 bolts that won't be used... What size are these nuts? Can I get them anywhere, like Home Depot or Lowes?


Oh yeah Frank, thanks for the heads up about the converter, too bad I thought I did it right the first time, but didn't... I had the motor almost all the way in, and it just wasn't enough, had to pull the motor out again and reseat the converter then reinstall the motor, ARGH!!!

John -

1) I think (from memory) that the driver side ground strap goes from the engine block to the frame rail and then to the fender.

2) There should be 12 exhaust studs in the heads - 6 on each side. It sounds like you're missing one - hope it's not snapped off in the head.... if so, you've got a problem - if not, get another and install it. There should also be 12 nuts - get them from a dealer or a junk yard.

Frank

WOW, that's strange of the 12 mounting points on the heads for the exhaust manifolds I had 9 that were studs before pulling the motor apart the other 3 were bolts... We did have the heads serviced about 5 years ago so maybe at that time they had problems and replace the studs with bolts <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

The new heads from Clearwater came with 11 studs and the last hole was clean so I just put in one of the bolts that were in the old heads prior to the rebuild. Now I just need to get 2 nuts, I guess I can get the local bone yards.. Would they be the same for all 6g72's, even dodge 3.0's?

Chances are that they're the same for all 3.0Ls. The head castings are the same AFAIK.

Frank

The exact placement of the ground wire on the block is not very important as long as it reaches with enough slack to move a very little. If I remember correctly, it goes under the head of the bottom rear bolt from the compressor bracket into the block. If I remember incorrectly, it would be under the front-most bolt on the bracket that goes from the side of the engine to the trans bellhousing. But like I said, it isn't really that critical.