Cylinder Head Installation, bad Mistake

[BlackZJ]

Hi

I just installed the Cylinder Heads of my 3.8. But I've made a bad mistake. I didn't remember that there were longer and shorter bolts, so I used the longer bolts on the outside of the head also.
To my surprise it wasn't hard to screw them in but I'm afraid that I damaged something in the block that makes it unusable.

Does someone know what's under the outer threads?

Thanks,
Mat

[Pewter02Camaro]

Re: Cylinder Head Installation, bad Mistake

All those bolts go into your water jacket. I would get new bolts and redo it. You will proboly have less clamping force without those longer bolts used on the top half. Somebody else chime in here in case i am off base here.

[BlackZJ]

Re: Cylinder Head Installation, bad Mistake

I redid it and now I have to shorter bolts towards to manifold and the longer on the out side. Like they should.
My concern was that the longer bolts damaged the block. I don't know if this is even possible.

[techsan23]

Re: Cylinder Head Installation, bad Mistake

The longer head bolts go under the valve covers where the head is thicker. The shorter head bolts go on the outside next to the exhaust manifold and the spark plugs. You may have installed them correctly and just explained it weird. The bolts should be torque to yield so if you have tightened them down once you should not reuse them. The head gasket might need to be replaced also if it has been torqued down twice. Might as well fix it now rather than risking a head gasket leak after all that work.

[BlackZJ]

Re: Cylinder Head Installation, bad Mistake

The longer head bolts go under the valve covers where the head is thicker. The shorter head bolts go on the outside next to the exhaust manifold and the spark plugs. You may have installed them correctly and just explained it weird. The bolts should be torque to yield so if you have tightened them down once you should not reuse them. The head gasket might need to be replaced also if it has been torqued down twice. Might as well fix it now rather than risking a head gasket leak after all that work.

I installed a set of new bolts like you explained it. But I reused the gasket because I didn't remove the head, I just exchanged bolt by bolt.
The question is, is it possible that the longer bolts damage something in the block when they are installed in the wrong place. Long bolt -> short thread

English is not my native language so my explanations may sound a bit weired. :D

[ssms5411]

Re: Cylinder Head Installation, bad Mistake

They could have opened the hole bigger sure might need to remove the heads to check it for sure. Esp . if your having problems.

[BlackZJ]

Re: Cylinder Head Installation, bad Mistake

The engine runs now and I have no problems so far. I just changed the bolts and everything is fine now.

Thanks
- Mat