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Head bolt torque specs

PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:08 pm
by Nightrain00
Can someone tell me what the torque spec is for head bolts on a 56 kh? I didn’t have the heads off, all I’m actually doing is putting a new top mount on, since the old one had the horn mount whacked off.

Re: Head bolt torque specs

PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:47 pm
by starcain
Here is a link to a previous thread that talks about head bolt torque.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=512


There was some additional discussion somewhere else that I can't find right now that had some comments that 65 ft pounds was an excessive amount which I agree with. There are eight head bolts for each aluminum head. 65 ft pounds on each bolt would be an extremely huge amount of torque. If you check out the other thread from the link, I posted a picture of the riders handbook that I got when I bought my 1954 KH. The original owner had made up a drawing of the heads and torque sequence with a 600 inch pound torque spec. 600 inch pounds is 50 ft pounds. Even that seems a little high to me but I assume he got that number from a dealer, although I can't be sure about that. I shoot for 45 to 50 ft pounds. That has worked for me in the past. Over torquing will only distort the head. As Patrick once said, DON'T OVER DO IT.

Re: Head bolt torque specs

PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 9:40 pm
by Nightrain00
Thank you