Valve Cover Torque?

[73 240Z Man]

Does anyone know the valve cover torque setting? I took it off for polishing and cannot find the setting in the FSM... Thinking of using the good

Old German "goodntight" method...

[hls30.com]

The specification is mid way between tight and stripped. I think the technical instruction in the Technical Service Bulletin reads: "You must tighten until it doesn't begin to leak leak, and stop before it does."

I have never seen torque specification for the valve cover bolts.

[EuroDat]

The only thing I can find in the manual is a general rule for, I quote: Cover bolts M6 0.4 to 0.8kg/m (2.9 to 5.8ft/lb)

The valve cover uses M6 bolts

Hope that helps

Cheers

EuroDat

Edited August 18, 2012 by EuroDat

[Carl Beck]

As I recall 6 to 8 ft/lb. sounds about right. Most people don't have torque wrenches that work at loads that light. Just snug them down with a 1/4" drive socket set - then give them another 1/4 turn. Check them after you have ran the car a few times.. and snug them down again. Too tight and the gasket flattens out and leaks.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[240260280z]

Ditto to Carl and his suggestion for using weee lil' tools for small torque values.

[grantf]

I made the mistake of over tightening the cover once and snapped a bolt off. no worries it was easy to remove. concidering how little tourgue the front cover requires I just snug them down. I also star from the middle and work out just because it makes me feal better.

[Jetaway]

Less torque than my friend Charley used. I still haven't pulled the damn thing out yet. OTOH, it may be of interest to know that an unsecured corner (back inner in this case) does not always cause an oil leak.

Chris

[Walter Moore]

Be glad that the cover is a casting, (more or less) and is pretty rigid. The worthless sheet metal covers that they used to put on small block Chevys would warp if you looked at them too hard, and nearly always leaked.

[bpilati]

You never want to overtighten gaskets. If the gasket is squishing out the sides, it's way too tight.