CWellman

So I went to tighten my new gm head bolts and then on the first bolt I torqued to 22 before actually hitting 22lbs I heard a loud pop. this worried me so I took them out and pulled the head. would it be clear you cracked you block or would it be impossible to see.
any info helps

poltergeist 02

iTrader: (65)

ive heard of cracking an aluminum block when you try to tighten a head bolt with coolant in the hole. you might want to look at it very close just to make sure. keep your fingers crossed.

CWellman

I looked in the hole and theres no coolant and and no cracks that I can see. is it pretty obvious if its cracked

c0ncEpT

iTrader: (4)

How good did you clean the bolt holes?

If there was ANY coolant left in the hole you more than likely cracked the block.

CWellman

Is there any ways to test to se if its cracked?

trey1010

iTrader: (3)

I've never done heads on my car but I am almost positive I read another thread similar to this one a few months back and they were saying the pop was normal. You may be able to find it searching. Idk just what I remember reading

jsteele90

iTrader: (13)

Never heard a pop before, check everywhere near that bolt hole

mark21742

I bought a set of head bolts from autozone one time for my ls1 and as I was torqueing them heard a loud pop.....pulled the bolt out and it had broke with just one thread holding it together.....next day ordered ARP headbolts and returned the stock bolt to autozone....so check your bolts closely, you might have gotten lucky

hardcore4sure

iTrader: (1)

I had it happen to me, there was just a little coolant at the bottom of the bolt hole, when the tech torqued it down we heard a little pop. Looked at the side of the block and saw coolant leaking from a hairline crack.

sfc rick

I learned early on, that blowing out the bolt holes w/compressed air doesn't always get out all the water/coolant. I had to make a long tube that reached the bottom of the bolt holes and then blow out all the water.

baxsom

iTrader: (6)

those canned air used for computer dusting with their straws are great for this. just make sure you wear glasses. nothing like a little coolant in the eyes

wildcamaro

iTrader: (15)

Make sure bolt holes are clean of old sealant and coolant...when I did my head swap I heard a lot of scary creeks and pops when I was torquing bolts, must be normal since you are STrETCHInG the bolts....the arp thread chaser works best to clean threads

CWellman

If it was to crack. where would it do it at?

wildcamaro

iTrader: (15)

If you hydro lock the bolts by compressing coolant in the head bolt holes it would prob crack in the place where the highest stress is which would prob be at bottom of the bolt hole if I had to guess..

CWellman

When I looked down in it everything looked fine. if its a small hairline crack along the threads I could of just not seen it.

CWellman

Would that effect the way the bolt moves in and out. cause it threaded out just fine.

wildcamaro

iTrader: (15)

Only way you can tell its hydro locking is by feeling resistance right before you get the bolt fully seated in the last few threads...which could easily be overlooked, that's why I spent a lot of hours just cleaning and prepping stuff during my swap...lots of compressed air for those bolts holes...toucan even make a tap with your old head bolt just a flute on either side of one of the long bolts that way there is somewhere for the sealant and other junk to go...

CWellman

Well it went front some resistance to pop and then easier to thread to 22lbs.

CWellman

Im just scared that it might have cracked my block. would the bolt not thread at all if it had cracked?

CWellman

Ok so I poured water down in it to test it and it drained right out of the holes. So what u think?