hi guys,

first thread here.

im looking for input for the torque specs for this cars head.

im doing a head gasket replacement and am find conflicting info online

i see either

1. 37ft-lbs and the 120 degrees
-OR-
2. i see either 37ft-lbs, and then 130 degrees, and then the center 4 bolts another 30

which one is right?

i already did #1 earlier this week. the valve covers are still off the car, so I could continue and do the rest suggested in #2, but should I?

thanks!

The Autozone site does say rotate the four center bolts, another 30 degrees.......not sure what a GM manual states....

This seems so odd to me. They don't have the 'ShortStar' 3.5L engine crossed up with the 3.8L (iron headed) Buick engine, do they?

I looked up some torques specs on other 3.8'* and the torque is:

Install new cylinder head bolts and torque them in sequence as follows:
Step 1: 37 ft. lbs. (50 Nm).
Step 2: Plus 120 degrees.

says nothing about the center bolts...

Aftermarket literature is often so flawed, coupled with it just didn't sound right. I appreciate the follow-up for my own info.

thanks for the input guys. i think i'll leave it the way it is "37ft-lbs and then 120 degrees"

when you mentioned buick, i remembered seeing the 95-2000 buick 3800 suggest the #2 way on this pdf
http://oldwayrod.com/images/Felpro_torque.pdf
is that the iron headed buick?

my 3.8l pushrod engine isnt considered the shortstar, right?

unfortunately this federal-mogul website suggests the other way.
Federal-Mogul Resource Center - Torque Specification Look-up

for anyone finding this thread and also looking for the tightening sequence.
i beleive this to be the correct sequence




99 3.8l 3800 oldsmobile olds intrigue torque sequence

The picture is the Buick engine. Iron heads, very conventional and typically reliable.

The "Shortstar" is the 3.5L 24V, V6, which is a Cadilliac 4.6 DOHC V8 with 2 cylinders off to make it a V6. Most people have already given up and junked these. These cursed only the Intrigue and last Auroras, as GM finished off Oldsmobile, IIRC.

Looking at any aftermarket literature is really scary now-a-days. It seems that any error/omission take on a life of its own and just keeps propagating, i.e. cut and paste. Granted, sometimes the aftermarket can fix things too, like many of GM'* intake manifold gasket designs.

ok thanks.

so do I have this buick iron head engine in my 99 intrigue (pushrod 3.8l)?

thanks

just curious whats issues dud the shortstar have? did it have an aluminum head, or?

Without checking your VIN, if your engine looks like the picture, you have a Buick 3800. You would be dealing with a pair of camshafts with timing chain on each aluminum head if you had a 3.5L 'shortstar'.
The Northstar family was plagued with a sealing issues from thread failures in the block securing the head bolts, through most of production.