Headbolt torque specs - Conflicting info!!

[Jja081196]

Hi, firstly forgive me if this is in the wrong place!

i am currently replacing head gaskets but cannot seem to find solid information on torque specs for the head, I have a my97 Ej20g and the manuals that I can find are always missing my year out.

The 1993-1996 manual I have specifies tightening all bolts to 29Nm then 69Nm, back off 180 x2, 29Nm then 90°, then 45° Then bolts 1 and 2 a further 45°.

The sheet supplied with the gasket that is listed as fitting years 94-99 specify tightening 29Nm then 69Nm, back off 180 x2, bolts A & B to 34Nm, C,D,E,F to 15Nm, all bolts 90°, all bolts further 90°.

Can anyone advise which spec they have used with success? As I have read on Nasioc that the second set of instructions I have listed are for a sohc engine and that I should be using something closer to the first method - the info there was pulled from an 04 sti manual and one number does conflict with my “93-96” numbers that being 49Nm rather than 29Nm but the tightening off all bolts to a single torque is the same - link for reference just in case I’m confusing you - https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1780049

Pictures of 93-96 manual also attached for reference

Any help would be massively appreciated!!

Cheers 

Jake

[Jay762]

@savage bulldogs one for you chum?

[savage bulldogs]

I've always used the 93 to 96 manual method for all twin cam turbo from  92 to the 52 plate 207 engines I've rebuilt with stock head bolts (arp studs require a slightly different method) .

Once tightened I always leave them overnight to settle and re check the final torque setting before putting the cams back in . It has no mention of this in the manual,  so probably doesn't need it but it's just something I've always done when bolting ally heads with multi layer headgaskets to ally blocks .

 

[Jja081196]

Excellent! Thank you! This is what I have done and hopefully all is well, I believe when I first did the gaskets I used the sohc method and that may be why I had a weep of water from the cylinders. Thanks for the help @savage bulldogs