I did not resurface head and thinking about re tightning heads and am wondering what the max safe torque would be?

FWIW-

 

Assuming you replaced the head gasket due to a failure, I would resurface the head. It's not expensive and quick work for a machinist.

 

Using more torque than the manufacturers specs can cause more damage to the head and engine block.

 

Eric

Most of us go 65 Ft/lbs on the Fel-Pro gaskets.

 

+1 for resurfacing - it's $35 per head or so and takes about an hour.

 

GD

Most of us go 65 Ft/lbs on the Fel-Pro gaskets.

 

+1 for resurfacing - it's $35 per head or so and takes about an hour.

 

GD

 

I use only OEM on 2.5's but if you're using some weird off-brand that could be the issue. Fel-por isn't a weird offbrand but are almost the same cost as OEM so like I said on 2.5's (and now 2.2's) I only use OEM.

 

But if you have something generic in there - a good guess would be that's the source of the problem.

EA series heads HAVE to be surfaced when you do the heads. the cooling ports on these are very small compared to EJ series semi closed and open deck heads (meaning they have a LOT more coolant passing through them) The lack of big cooling ports mean that the heads get hotter and have a higher chance of warping. you will have bubbles for a little while all the air is being bled out of the system. Try parking the car with teh nose up in the air (park on those mechanic ramps or something) and run it like that until the themostat opens a few times with the radiator cap off. If you keep having bubbles, you may have a HG leak, but if it doesnt over heat, I'd say drive it. My current battlewagon has had the bubble issues for 4 years now and I refuse to fix it simply because it gets great heat in the winter time and it doesnt over heat at all. I can leave it idling outside on a 90F day all day long and it never gets over half temp

I use only OEM on 2.5's

 

Most of us use the Fel-Pro's on the EA's. This is primarily due to the fact that the Fel-Pro's don't have to be retorqued like the OEM one's do. And they are $15 each - half the price of the OEM's. They have proven very durrable for the EA's.

 

Like you, I use nothing but OEM on the EJ's.

 

GD

yes this is on the ea81 model i didnt resurface the heads due to no machine shop in 200 miles. i used the fel-pro and only torqued them to about 50 pounds, so i am going to try 65 and see if bubbles go away if not i may fix in spring. Doesnt heat up i pulled a grade 3rd gear floored up to about 9,000 feet and usually befor gaskets i would have to let cool down every couple miles but never even tried to heat up.

If it's not overheating then these bubbles are likely just air in the system. EA81's have no overflow bottle so the radiator will seek it's own level (usually 1" or 2" below the cap) and stay there. It has to have room to expand as it heats up. If you aren't using coolant or overheating I say call it good and run it. Only reason I go to 65 pounds is that I want to be absolutely sure I don't have to retorque it. But I'm anal like that.

 

GD

yea i re torqued it to 65 and no bubbles now so all is well.

BTW- The torque specs and stages for an EA 82 head is 22,43,47. Go in the correct order too. Remember they're aluminum, start on the inside most bolts and go clockwise working outwards.