LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

Valve cover on AFR heads

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Old Jul 4, 2018 | 07:34 PM
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Default Valve cover on AFR heads

Hello all,

I have a pair of AFR 210 cylinder heads on my LT1. I've read that the stock valve cover bolts should be torqued to 106 inch pounds. I torqued mine to 80 inch pounds which felt awfully tight especially was a 3/8 in ratchet. I'm a little afraid to go any tighter. I do not want to strip the threads in the cylinder head, but I also do not want any oil to leak. l am using a Fel-Pro silicone gasket. Every single surface including the gasket itself was cleaned with degreaser 2 X. Does anyone have any experience with aftermarket cylinder heads and valve covers and their specific torque numbers?

Thanks!
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Old Jul 4, 2018 | 08:25 PM
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I felt the same way when i first started wrenching on my car. The heads and valve covers can handle the torque, ive actually got mine torqued to 120 in/lbs on trick flow heads
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Old Jul 4, 2018 | 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by AdsoYo
I felt the same way when i first started wrenching on my car. The heads and valve covers can handle the torque, ive actually got mine torqued to 120 in/lbs on trick flow heads
Ok great, thank you!
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 06:55 AM
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Stop worrying about it. No need to go super tight on them. Do they leak?
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 08:09 AM
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Originally Posted by joelster
Stop worrying about it. No need to go super tight on them. Do they leak?
When when the engine builder ran the engine on Dyno it leaked a lot. I am afraid if I don't get the bolts to spec it will leak again.
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 08:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Alex-chevy
Ok great, thank you!

Did you use stock valve covers? Did the bolts bottom out?
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 09:20 AM
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Just as an FYI, some of the AFR LT heads have incorrect bolt hole depths. They were drilled way too shallow and the bolts will bottom out well before proper torque has been reached. You may need to either cut down the VC bolts or put washers under them to get a good seal.

I had a set of AFR 195's and every single bolt hole was too shallow. It made for a very challenging install and soured me on AFR stuff from that point on
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by atlantadan
Just as an FYI, some of the AFR LT heads have incorrect bolt hole depths. They were drilled way too shallow and the bolts will bottom out well before proper torque has been reached. You may need to either cut down the VC bolts or put washers under them to get a good seal.

I had a set of AFR 195's and every single bolt hole was too shallow. It made for a very challenging install and soured me on AFR stuff from that point on
Thank you, I am pretty sure it's the same on my AFRs. Now I have to go and shave down a couple threads on every single Bolt PITA. This is honestly unacceptable in my opinion especially for the amount of money these heads cost. I will have to do this though I cannot have oil seeping out all over the rest of my engine.

Great Point thanks for sharing.
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 04:18 PM
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Originally Posted by atlantadan
Just as an FYI, some of the AFR LT heads have incorrect bolt hole depths. They were drilled way too shallow and the bolts will bottom out well before proper torque has been reached. You may need to either cut down the VC bolts or put washers under them to get a good seal.

I had a set of AFR 195's and every single bolt hole was too shallow. It made for a very challenging install and soured me on AFR stuff from that point on

I just took three to four threads off each Bolt. They went in excellent at exactly torque specs in the book 106 inch pounds each. Thank you.
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 04:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Alex-chevy
I just took three to four threads off each Bolt. They went in excellent at exactly torque specs in the book 106 inch pounds each. Thank you.
Awesome. Glad it worked out.

I'd advise you to check all the exhaust manifold holes, as well as the ones that hold in the accessories and coil/icm bracket. On the AFR set had, all of them were too shallow.
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Old Jul 5, 2018 | 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by atlantadan
Awesome. Glad it worked out.

I'd advise you to check all the exhaust manifold holes, as well as the ones that hold in the accessories and coil/icm bracket. On the AFR set had, all of them were too shallow.
Please let these threaded holes be deep enough. I seriously will be pissed if they are too shallow....
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Old Jul 6, 2018 | 03:14 PM
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They might have ran the holes with a "plug" tap. try running them with a bottom tap, you might get the 2-3 threads you need.
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Old Jul 6, 2018 | 03:26 PM
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Originally Posted by cookseyb
They might have ran the holes with a "plug" tap. try running them with a bottom tap, you might get the 2-3 threads you need.
​​​​​​
Thank you I am just going to remove three to four threads from each bolt and do it that way seems to work fine.
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