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Next, tension the cam chain. Although there are several techniques in print for adjusting the cam chain tensioner, only one is safe. With the engine off, loosen the tensioner lock bolt. BY HAND, roll the engine forward by turning the crank. This will take any slack out of the "long" side of the upper chain, allowing the tensioner spring to push out the sprocket. You can assist the spring in taking up slack by levering gently against the tensioner assembly with a pry bar, but final chain tension should be set by the spring alone. Overtightening will cause excessive wear and noise. Prior to the first road test, bring the vehicle up to operating temperature, shut off, and retorque each head nut up to factory torque values. Then, after your first drive, at 500 miles, and at 1000 miles, retorque cold to the specified torque. Following the factory pattern, slightly loosen one nut at a time and tighten it back to torque in one smooth pull. Proceed through the sequence one nut at a time. When finished, you may choose to go through the sequence a final time, double-checking that each nut is up to spec. From that point, retorquing at each valve adjustment should be adequate.

You’ll be amazed at the degree to which things move around as they get settled. You may also be surprised at how well the head gasket will seal if given the chance.

Temperature Gauges

We occasionally get the call, "My temperature gauge indicated overheating, then it returned to the normal range, so I thought everything was OK. Next thing I knew, my head gasket was but a memory! What happened?" What happened is that the car ran out of water. When there is no water from which to take a temperature reading, the gauge "returns to normal." When your car indicates it is overheating-STOP! There is a problem; it may be trivial, but it will become major! Overheating will blow the head gasket and may warp the head. Piston rings that get too hot can loose their tension against the cylinder walls resulting in lost compression and greatly increased oil burning.

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