Just One More Head Bolt Question...honest!

[James Cornell 10]

I think I may have been a bit of a donut...

 

I put my head back on Friday night and it was dark and pissing it down and when I put the cam belt back on with the new tensioner I put the cam pulley back on and decided to turn the engine over a few times to ensure that I had timed it correctly.

 

When I turned it it went about 1/6 of a turn and the stopped, I have checked the timing marks over and over and I am sure that I have done it correctly, however whilst I had the head off the car I put some socks down the cylinder liners to protect the pistons...

 

I am now wondering whether I might have left one in and not noticed (black sock in the rain and dark)

 

Me question is, if I have been a total idiot (hahahaha laugh) can I undo the new head bolts I have only just fitted and reuse them or are they one shot only and will I have to buy new bolts to re-fit the head?

 

It has never been started, it has been torqued up though,

 

It is a 1989 1.9 GTI 8V

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

I would. Some may say no, but I would at least give it a go.

 

Can you not take off the inlet, and gently tweek the engine in each direction to open an inlet valve on each port in turn to shine a lamp down and see/poke about a hooked bit of mig wire etc etc

[DamirGTI 327]

Ditto , i'd try an flashlight check first (small/tiny flashlight , i have an pocket pencil type flashlight with which i can see entire piston crown) point it down the spark plug holes , while pointing the flashlight down and looking around from the corners you should be able to see the piston crowns and thus if there's something left inside ..

 

Have you been dismantling/assembling the head also or was it just an HG job ?

 

As for the bolts reusing , i've been in similar situation before and have been reusing them (though , i do not tight them by OE torque spec.) so i'd say reuse them if it's only second time and if the engine hasn't been started/used .

If it was third/fourth time , and if they're from the engine which was previously used , no way i would reuse them for the sake of the cost of the new set .

It's not the bolt snapping issue which will be common problem as such , it's the bolt torque force which will be inaccurate each time when reusing them (accurate on the wrench while tightening , but not on the actual bolt torque force against the block deck) so if reusing old stretch type bolts , and you got them all torqued up without snapping , you'll bound to expect premature HG failure .

Second time , without the engine running meanwhile , should be ok .

 

D

[James Cornell 10]

Hello

 

thanks for the response, I have rebuilt the head before replacing (seemed silly not to) so everything is nice and new. I am planning to take the plugs out tonight and have a look with a light and failing that (given my rubbish eyesight I may poke a little screwdriver in to see if there is anything non metallic in there (it should be fairly obvious if there is a sock in there

 

The inlet is still off the head so I may be able to see it through there it just depends which pot has gone!

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

James, you're not too far away from me (I've over near Coleshill) and you're welcome to borrow a borescope if you want. PM me if you wish.

[omega 82]

sock in the engine :D

 

iam sorry we have all done daft things but that's funny

 

hope it all works out with no damage.

[2-Pugs 57]

Well, are you missing a sock in your laundry basket or not?

 

Sorry, couldn't resist

[omega 82]

are you sure its a bolt and not a SOCKet?

[mrfirepro 127 1 Cars]

do you want to borrow my SOCKet set to get the head off :lol: