[gnu]

If you've correctly set the crankshaft marks, the engine will be in safe position (with all 4 pistons in the middle of their stroke) so there will be no interference between piston and valve. Thus you can turn the cam shafts to access the blocked head bolts. Do it by hand, reasonably gently, but you will be working against the valve springs so there will be some resistance. Obviously don't do this if the engine is not in the safe position.

 

[gnu]

I'd leave it - you'd do more harm un-tightening and re-tightening if you are as close as you think. I've never used an angle gauge with a HG - just marked the bolts as MitC does.

 

[gnu]

...on the other side, i can see the infamous coolant external "leak" around the alternator edge... although i wouldn't call it a leak yet, it is only a "humid" place...

should i just let it be? or should i tighten furthermore 45 degrees each head bolt? what do you think?

Could tighten a little. Danger is you'll break or overstretch a bolt if you do too much. I've tighten further before with exactly this fault on an FAI MLS gasket. It helped but didn't stop the lhs front leak permanently.

The other thing you could do if it persists after tightening is a dash of radweld gold in the coolant reservoir - I expect to get a hard time for suggesting such a thing! mg2:

However, if you have replaced the gaskets property and you know all is well apart from this small seep, it will probably stop it at less cost and hassle than redoing the job with an elastomer hg or getting a replacement engine. With the values of mg-r's measured in the hundreds nowerdays it could be a practical solution.

 

[gnu]

let's say, if i decide to further tighten 45 degrees, i should just go ahead and tighten the head bolts (simple as that?) or i should loose them a little bit and only then re-tighten?

yes, i was also thinking about some radiator substance, but i'm not in a hurry with any of the solutions above.

thanks for the input.

Bear in mind this is not a recommended procedure and there is a risk of damaging a bolt.

If the HG is quite freshly on and I hadn't run the engine like this for long, and and if I knew where I was on the tightening sequence, I'd just tighten each equally, say 45 degrees more.

 

[gnu]

... and i think this concludes my business on this thread :-D

thanks everybody for the help.

Good job :broon:

 

[gnu]

One tip I picked up to minimise/prevent coolant loss/weepage past the head gasket after fitting is to run, at idle for half an hour with the coolant system unpressurised to allow the viton coating on an MLS gasket to soften and bond to the mating surfaces without interference from weeping coolant, especially antifreeze, which lowers the surface tension of the coolant making weepage all the more likely. I had been contemplating first running the engine dry after fitting for perhaps 30 sec to a minute and letting it cool before adding coolant. And I may well do that and then run unpressurised to give the viton coating every chance to bond cleanly.

Not heard this before - where did you get it from? I'd sooner run it unpressurized rather than with no coolant; that sounds a bit risky!