identifying head bolts to use

[nova_saloon]

C20xe engine
Right i think i have a late type block with an early type head. Is it the head you need to go buy or the block, Because today i used the late type bolts and i stripped a thread in the head. and now feeling quite **** to be honest.
Because i know when ordering the bolts you go by engine block number but i didnt think they changed the cast of the block just the head. so is it the part in the cyclinder head that has longer or shorter channels?
Thanks
Phil

[davidfox280585]

iirc the two types differ in length,ive only had late engine type ones there the one with the flat top torx where you insert the torx key into it,
the shaped head ones are early,i thought it was block depth hence why its listed for the blocks not the heads,
also torqued mine up tonight is a awful feeling doing it

[nova_saloon]

lol i followed the haynes which i probs should of done, did the warm up and torque and extra 40 to 50degrees, the otherone did up nicely and the last one just went snap, i have had so many problems with it off late, and it doing that has just wrecked it all, getting close to getting rid of it. but tomorrow im helicoilng the ****er in an atempt to solve the issue, if it doesnt work then its in the bin with the ****er!

[nova_saloon]

bttt still need help

[nova_saloon]

it is a toughy i know but anyones? davidfox coulod be right but says thinks so i just want a deffo preferbly, and whats the difference in depth because 5mm between bolt sizes is bugger all in all honesty

[philip]

i always use the early bolts as there longer and not going to do any harm, used late type before now and pulled thread out the block...never again.

[davidfox280585]

see your following the way for the early bolt setup with warming it up and retorque,the later style bolts just need the first torque setting the 3 lots of 90 degrees ive done 3 headgaskets now and never had any issues,funnily enough we had this conversation about tightening after its been ran and we agreed a little nip after the first torque was adequate and my cousin told me a story of a local lad who did his up with an airgun lol and it ran fine till he scrapped it, personally you need to check your bottom end to see if its early or late and go on autovaux and it gives you the info and engine numbers for your bottom end

[nova_saloon]

right bollacks, yeh warm up. well thats what ****edf it then! gutted! never mind thanks buddy

[w88rdy]

I had this i sent a block for fully rebuilding and spent a few ££££ doing it and they failed to notice that the head bots had been helicoiled,3 In total.

When we put the head on the car using the late type bolts it pulled the helicoils straight out of the block,it got sent back to be redone and i was told the new threads were bullet proof,stage two of torquing down pulled them straight out again.

I scrapped the block and took as many salvageable parts out and swapped them over lol, thats the last time i let anybody else build me an engine.

Hope yours goes better than mine as i nearly sledge hammered it to bits at the time ha ha

[nova_saloon]

lol well i have had nothing but problems from the word go since this sodding xe. started off with a lumpy idle, sticky pressure relief valve and leaking oil as bad a BP! then a valve spring snaps! so rebuilt a new engine put it in, what do you know the head goes porus rebuild a new head. the head goes on the threads get yanked out, well just the one mind. but i am worried that if i helicoil it that it wont work and i will be stuck car less for ages until i rebuild the old engine, yet spending more on this bag of ****!. then that block in turn will jsut be a pile of ****, wishing i spent all the money invested in this what looks to be an upside down skip on something that actually goes! however i do look cool as funk in a mustard yellow sr. cant beat that i suppose!

[Rich]

ive stripped the thread twice with the later bolts, usually the last one that goes

Always use early bolts now

[nova_saloon]

doesnt it bottom out. but are yu sure you were using the late type engine? with the early type bolts?

[Pistol Pete]

Clean the bores out. Bound to be crud, **** and grime in there. I have a helicoil on my block. Never, ever caused me any grief.

Mines an early XE BTW.

[Rich]

shouldnt bottom out, wind it all the way in then you can measure the remaining thread compared to the head thickness to make sure

[nova_saloon]

yeh will do see what happens,im jstu so pissed off with owning something that breaks every five minutes! but will give it a go, and once again clean out the crud just incase!