Okay like the title says I'm having a pretty odd problem. Every time I try and tighten the cam caps to 19 ft lbs the stupid bolt snaps? I have no idea what would be causing this. This is exactly what I am doing. I start at point 1 according to helms manual and use my torque wrenche and start tightening. It keeps getting tighter like it should then (i've saved myself on the last couple) it'll start acting like it is getting looser the first one snapped and I had to drill it out. The second one I saved bc it felt like it was getting looser and i backed it out. I'm lost the only thing that I can think of is maybe my cam cap bolts have been torque down to many times? At this point any help would be great...

 

Are you talking main cam caps or the end bolts?

The mains should be 19, the ends should only be 9.

Generally I work my way through in 3 steps, hand tight, easy wrench, torque spec, in the order shown in the manual. Takes awhile but I feel safe with it.

I have had the same set of bolts in and out of my head around 20 times, so you should be ok to re-use them a bunch.

Just another question, is the head straight and cams straight, or have you overheated or done anything to the head?

 

I was talking about the main caps sorry. The head is freshly rebuilt it is ferrea valve train, competition valves, pro 1 cams the only thing that I re-used was the rocker arms. The 3 steps you did is exactly what I have done. Nothing has been overheated and head was checked for flatness when it was at the machine shop. It just seems like the cylinder head doesn't like the 19ft lbs that the helms manual says. That is why I am so lost to why it is doing that.

 

Are you using the old bolts? Are they torque to yield?

 

Yes I am using the old bolts, that is the only thing I can think of that would cause them to do this. I am going to order 20 new bolts. Actually is there any reason that I couldn't use a similar bolt from my work?

 

I've never had a problem re-using the old cam cap bolts till now.

 

Hmm, any chance a valve is sticking when the cams get compressed in there? Really odd possibility but worth a check.

As far as the bolts, I would stick with OEM for those, just to make sure they are all the correct grade.

 

Figured it out guys. Turned out these were just worn out and stretched. I pulled some out of one of my spare cylinder heads put them in and they were fine.

 

I know you should but I have never torqued my cam cap bolts I've always just taken a 1/4" ratchet and tightened them while holding my hand on the head of the ratchet. I turn my car 9 grand haven't had a problem out of it yet.

 

Good deal, how many times had your old ones been torqued?

 

I would just buy all new bolts and start fresh. So you if the problem starts up again you dont have to figure out which ones are older than the others

 

That's always good to hear but I would agree with the above saying to buy a complete new set that way if it happened again you wouldn't have to figure out if it was a old one or new etc, etc.