or maybe I'm just too dumb to give up! A few weeks ago I posted about a head bolt disaster where two head bolts broke off in the block and another rounded off on a 95 960 that I was repairing due to no compression in one cylinder. Well, I finally got the head off (broken intake valve) and the two bolts removed. Not easy as the bolts broke off about 1.5 inches BELOW the deck of the head. So you couldn't really see what you were doing, etc. Anyway, got everything ready, reconditioned head, new gaskets, but old used bolts. You guessed it- while doing the final torque (130 degrees- a lot!) one of the head bolts snapped. Talk about despair! I felt like walking away from the thing and selling for scrap but after a few days, I took the head off...again...

AND ORDERED NEW HEAD BOLTS! and a new head gasket. This last broken bolt put up a good fight and I ended up having to drill ALL of it out. I was afraid I had ruined the threads, but a long careful session with a tap cleaned it up.

This time I didn't have the heart to torque the new bolts to the final torque of 130 degrees of rotation after 44 ft lbs. I did maybe 90 degrees and fear would not let me go further. That's a lot of torque anyway and i decided it would just have to be enough.

Well, today I fired it up and it is purring like a kitten. Man that engine is a bitch to do a head job on! Might be easier (on the back for sure) to pull the engine and do it that way. My back may never be the same! Just thought ya'll would enjoy a success story.

THIS is why you can buy a good condition 960 w/ broken timing belt or burned valve for $500.