Never trust what you "think" you are reading!!

[dropdfocus]

Ok, so I had been limping out pulling the motor in the wife's '98 2.5GT and taking issue to the head gaskets causing an over heating issue. Well, I finally pulled the motor out late last week and started to tear into it. I put the engine on the stand and began basic removal of parts to make my way to removing the heads.

Done. Time to remove the head bolts and the heads. Ok, WTF... My good quality IR impact gun won't budge the bolts... I try a breaker bar, and still nothing. So a have a chat with my buddy who works at a local Subaru only repair shop. He informs me it's going to be a real bitch and I likely need to place a length of pipe on the end of the breaker bar. I try it and sucess! The bolts came loose. *sigh of relief*

I pull the heads and see that indeed I had a head gasket issue. Well, while I had everything apart I cleaned all the carbon & other crap off the valves and the tops of the pistons (I tend to neat freak about stuff like that). So, onward to reinstallation of the heads & head bolts. I pull out my Haynes manual and check the torque specs and the tightening pattern. First dip the bolt threads in oil and then torque in pattern 22 ft/lbs, then 51 ft/lbs, back them off, 1&2 25 ft/lbs, 3-6 132. <-------- Right there is the absolute folly in this whole sequence!!! F*CKING HAYNES DECIDED TO PLACE THE LAST SET OF NUMBERS IN F*CKING IN/LBS!!!!!! W T F??????????

As you are already begining to suspect, I indeed when for such a high number. Only under the belief that the bolts came out hard and this was the correct "ft/lbs" rating. NOT aware that for some dumb-ass reason they decided it was worth while to place a number in print at "132 in/lbs" instead of the equivalent "11 ft/lbs"... Does ANYONE have remotely a clue as to why these freakin' idiots that wrote this book would even go such a route?? If you do, please relay this to me. Because of such a difference in torque ratings, I of course snapped a head bolt in the block of my wife's car.
FFFFFFFF**********CCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!

After screaming loudly, being VERY enraged, and throwing many loose objects within my close grasp, I stormed into the house to cool down and forget I even knew how to repair cars. I lock up my garage and put the idea of going back out to work on the motor to sleep. I head back out the next day with hopes that the Craftsman EZ-Out I purchased many months ago could now pay for the space & time it rented inside the crowed drawers of my tool box. It comes with 3 different size extractors. I tried the largest first, only to have it start off center and come very close to/if not actually score the threads in the block for the head bolt. So, I use a punch and a hammer to hopefully create a spot for the smallest extractor to grab onto which is closer to the center point of the broken bolt. VICTORY! Using my drill I slowly work the #1 size bit into the bolt, then swapping out to the #2 size bit, and finally the #3 size bit which some how manages to grab onto the bolt and draw it out (even past the threads I thought I chewed into). Other than a few choice points in my life, I've rarely been THIS happy to remove a threaded piece of metal from an engine block. After confirming with my buddy Chris as to what proper Subaru specific settings are for installing the head bolts, I got everything put back together and will be reinstalling the newly regasketed EJ25 motor back into it's well deserved and missed home.

Needless to say, I'm extremely close to soaking my Haynes manual in gas and setting it a blaze in the hopes of having something to enjoy (the death and destruction of a poorly constructed/written piece of hell). So the moral of the story, you're better off calling your local shop and asking questions before you EVER open the pages of a Haynes manual. I know I will likely never do such again.

My neighbor Matt (legacy92ej22t) has been privy to this entire hell-on-earth happening. I'm sure he's had quite a chuckle at my expense, and so he should. It's paybacks for the amount of times he's had bad luck fall upon him only to have me tell him I had the tool to do the job easily or properly sitting in my garage only 150 yards away...

[dzx]

I did the same thing with the head bolt with the stupid inch/lbs. Had to drill it out and put a larger bolt in.

[adema2626]

glad i read this before i put my heads back on I did that with the oil pump I broke a wrench trying to break the head bolts it was pretty sweet.

[dropdfocus]

Glad I was able to spare someone some SERIOUS agony & pain of misreading the torque specs in an otherwise useless manual.

[evolutionmovement]

I think the correct procedure from the FSM is on this site somewhere. I seem to recall writing it at least once, though it was a while ago.

[douglas vincent]

They have those number in in/lbs because ft/lbs torque wrenches are unreliable at low numbers. So you are SUPPOSSED to have a in/lb torque wrench!

[evolutionmovement]

Does the Haynes manual have that torque x bolts n in/lbs. then turn 90 degrees thing that the FSM has? I don't recall the FSM being in in/lbs. either since I don't have an in/lbs torque wrench (unless I did the conversion to use it, I don't remember). Either way, I haven't had a problem with gaskets following the FSM. Maybe there should be a sticky with the head procedure and the higher torque value for the crank pulley (if it isn't already).

[AWD_addict]

That head bolt situation sucks. I hate how a simple thing can turn into an epic struggle that takes way more time than the actual repair should.

[dropdfocus]

Nope, nothing about turning them an additional 90* in pattern then another 90* in pattern. So I can only assume that many Subaru owning Haynes manual owning people only have their heads torqued down to 25 ft/lbs on 1&2 and 15 ft/lbs on 3-6... AND they're likely wondering why they keep having problems. It's because you read & trusted that friggin' book.

[Splinter]

I dont know where the hell you guys are getting your info but this is what my Haynes manual says:

Torque Specifications - Ft-lbs (unless otherwise indicated)

Cylinder head bolts
Step 1 - 22
Step 2 - 51
Step 3 - Loosen all bolts 180-degrees
Step 4 - Loosen all bolts an additional 180 degrees
Step 5 - Bolts 1 & 2
Non-turbo - 25
Turbo - 27
Step 6 - Bolts 3,4,5 & 6
Non-turbo - 132 in-lbs
Turbo - 168 in-lbs
Step 7 - Tighten all bolts an additional 90 degrees
Step 8 - Tighten all bolts an additional 90 degrees


Seems pretty clear and straight forward to me.

Doug is right, the reason the last step is in in-lbs is so its very accurate.

It sucks that that happened, but either you're working from a really outdated manual or you misread it. Haynes manual has never been anything but exceedingly useful for me.

[dropdfocus]

It must be an old version I some how got my hands on.

[Matt Monson]

Yeah. Mine says the same thing Splinter's does.

[SemperGuard]

They have those number in in/lbs because ft/lbs torque wrenches are unreliable at low numbers. So you are SUPPOSSED to have a in/lb torque wrench!

So is that why the FSM doesn't mention in/lbs anywhere?

Those torque vaules don't have to be THAT accurate.

Anyway, I don't see why one would trust a generic manual for such a vital part, but that's just me.

[555BCTurbo]

They say a bad workman always blames his tools...(i.e. the Haynes book)


I haven't had an issue with reading my Haynes book either...they make the 132 in/lbs pretty obvious...

I have used that Haynes book head tightening procedure to build two motors...and they both ran great...so I can't see any problems with the book...

[scuzzy]

They say a bad workman always blames his tools...(i.e. the Haynes book)


I haven't had an issue with reading my Haynes book either...they make the 132 in/lbs pretty obvious...

I have used that Haynes book head tightening procedure to build two motors...and they both ran great...so I can't see any problems with the book...

I agree, I too noticed the in/lbs remark when putting my engine back together; they make it very clear.


You need to have a seperate in/lbs torque wrench for doing those, most torque wrenches at ft/lbs start out at 10ft/lbs and thus are not very reliable untill they get higher around 20ft/lbs it's not a wise idea to use them.

Don't kick yourself too hard though, we all screw up every now and then. For me it was torquing my pressure plate to flywheel bolts to 55ft/lbs (same as flywheel to crankshaft) because i couldn't find the material on what spec they were supposed to be, I felt the bolt starting to strip so I backed off and re torqued it to 30ft/lbs (and did all of them that way) found the material this afternoon that says 12ft/lbs.

a little tight, they be; but they're not going anywhere.

[dropdfocus]

Better tight than loose... (and that was a non-sexual remark too! )

[rally370]

I feel your pain guys! I did the same thing but only after years of engine building did i figure all is not well. I just thought the figure was way to high and but pressed on(my first Subaru build). Now I take my time with builds and just thought the torquing up up seemed to be doing nothing. So I stopped and called Quirt at Crawford performance quoting the Haynes figures. He told me to stop and gave me his figures. Still I felt all was not well so pulled all the head bolts to find 4 were stretched and ready to snap.......First time in 30yrs I've had a problem with haynes.

Hey Matt the beastie is still running well. Thanks again for your help.

[icrman]

There was a manual posted here someplace, it says
25 ftlbs and 11ftlbs and a total of 180 degree turn on the selected bolts. a 92 2.2

[ciper]

INCREASE THE TORQUE ON THOSE HEAD BOLTS!

The torque pattern for the 98 2.5 DOHC is different than our cars. From memory its something to the effect of -

2.2 - tighten the middle two bolts more or first
2.5 - tighten the middle two bolts less or second

Either way I suggest you add a final step to the process after the last 90 degree turn putting all the bolts up to 80 ftlbs. Often the phase 1 2.5 HG failures happen closer to the middle of the head rather than an outside edge.

From my Supra days I know a common modification was to increase the torque on the head bolts. It had a similar failure rate and method to Subaru and I suspect it to be a similar issue. The factory spec on the 7mge/7mgte was 58 ft lbs! I estimated around 60 ft lbs on some of the head bolts of the Subaru engine when I followed the factory spec. Most supra guys using old stock headbolts increased torque to 75-80 foot pounds.

One of my helpers (the car owners brother) happened to be a mechanical engineer for GM and he too thought the torque sequence was low. He originally suggested 90ft lbs but after discussing the expansion rate of aluminum and the stretch of the head bolts we both agreed on 80ftlbs

Also I dont think an aftermarket HG is necessary on NA motors. The newly designed Subaru HG is a nice 3 layer metal unit, very similar to the HKS unit I used on my Supra.

I know for a fact the 2.2 heads and bolts can withstand more than 180 degrees for the final turn. This is because I wasn't paying close attention when doing my 2.2 head replacement and confused 90 degree with 180 degrees. No problems after 5k miles though

The RS mentioned above is really a pain in the ass. This is actually the THIRD head gasket replacement on the engine

[dropdfocus]

Yeah, I'm pretty set on swapping out the motor if it tanks any time in the near future. I'll likely go EJ205 or EJ22T. Either way, it will end up a turbo'd '98 LGT...