10-06-2018, 04:41 PM
Graham,
I routinely torque my head studs to 20lbft. Apply the torque with the engine stone cold by the way, and following the correct sequence (this is important). I would certainly try nipping the head nuts up a wee bit and putting a few miles on the car before having it apart for a couple of bubbles - sometimes these things self-heal anyway. Just make sure water isn't leaking into the cylinders (consider draining down after use while the engine is still hot). Yes worst case whip the head off, remove the offending stud and reinsert it with a bit of sealant on the thread. The only hard part of that is getting the stud out - if it's been put in recently it should come out OK. If it's been in a while you will most likely shear it off then you will wish you'd left it alone.
I routinely torque my head studs to 20lbft. Apply the torque with the engine stone cold by the way, and following the correct sequence (this is important). I would certainly try nipping the head nuts up a wee bit and putting a few miles on the car before having it apart for a couple of bubbles - sometimes these things self-heal anyway. Just make sure water isn't leaking into the cylinders (consider draining down after use while the engine is still hot). Yes worst case whip the head off, remove the offending stud and reinsert it with a bit of sealant on the thread. The only hard part of that is getting the stud out - if it's been put in recently it should come out OK. If it's been in a while you will most likely shear it off then you will wish you'd left it alone.