Roush Engine Failure – Pictures

[Woodz428]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Did you drop the oil pan and retorque the rods? What about the flywheel bolts? I submit that a properly installed valve train in our engines should never, ever require a retorque.

I am no PRO engine builder, but have probably built close to a 500 engines in the last 40 years and I would submit that anytime you have aluminum and steel interacting ...re-torquing is not only a good precaution, but makes an extreme amount of sense. If I have aluminum heads on an steel block, I re-check the head bolt torque after an appropriate amount of miles. The Ford crate engine I installed in the Coupe had an instruction sheet that even detailed that. I think many time blown head gaskets, water leaks and other "failures" could be minimized by regular re-torquing. An all steel/iron engine doesn't have the expansion variables that are involved in an aluminum/iron engine. Aluminum expansion varies depending on what quality aluminum is used as well.

[patrickt]

Woodz428 -- I hear you.... But, how many of today's cars have aluminum heads and how many of the owner's manuals require a valve train retorque? Now, of course, no builder is going to go on record saying "even though that bolt is right in front of you, there is absolutely no reason to retorque it so you shouldn't even bother." It would be nice if some of the recognized builders would chime in on their view of the need for hydraulic lifter guys to pull their valve covers and retorque their valve train. Personally, I don't think that need is there unless the valve train was not installed properly to begin with.