When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Doing the head gasket on my '05 1.7L auto trans Civic. I installed a new AJUSA gasket from Rock Auto and torqued down the new APEX head bolts, also from RA. I oiled the bolts before I torqued them in the correct sequence, at the recommended torque values. I even ran them in in sequence - tightening them in sequence well before I got to the first torque setting of 14ftlbs.
On the final pass I got a little popping noise from 3 or 4 of the bolts, but they didn't pop near the end of the torque, so I thought it'd be ok. It wasn't. Leak down test showed 45% loss on cylinders 1 & 3, 55% on 2 and a whopping 80% loss on #4. So I went to a local Honda dealer and bought new OEM parts. But when I removed the old/new Rock Auto head bolts I noticed little bits of metal all over the threads of some of the bolts. Most of them, actually. One looked a little like a cactus with tiny metal spines sticking out - all in a line down one side. (Sorry, didn't think to make a pic of it). So I made a thread cleaner out of one of my original bolts and started running it in and back out of the holes. I'm blowing the holes out with air before and in between cleaner runs. I have only done 3 so far. Pics attached show what I'm getting after running the cleaner several times. The size and amount of the particles both seem to be diminishing but so far I haven't been able to get it to come out clean on any hole. I'm afraid to put the new bolts in with this trash in the holes and I'm kind of running out of ideas - would really appreciate if anyone has any ideas, tips on how to clean these out or if its even as big an issue as I fear it is.
Thanks.
would appreciate any tips on how to get these clean.
Looks like either the wrong bolts were used or they were cross threaded.
A real tap will work better to clean the threads, but having the block upside down would be the best.
Thanks for your input. The bolts may well have been wrong, but they looked the same as the originals and I tried them on a nut that fit the originals before I put them in. Definitely not cross threaded. I think they were just cheap, poor quality metal. I thought about turning block over but I lack the means to invert it. I would have to buy an engine hoist. I will try a real tap.
Do you happen to know what size these bolts are? I went to a store and they let me open a tap & die set, but none of the taps in that kit would fit in a nut that fits the bolts. They are metric, are they not?
I have another question: does anyone know what the torque value for this plug is? Or, failing that, what its actually called? I took it out to drain the coolant but I can't find a torque value on ALLDATYDIY.COM. If I knew its actual name that might help.
Thanks.
JMBoyle
Last edited by jmboyle; Apr 7, 2019 at 12:56 PM.
Reason: forgot to attach pic
