How to Install a Ford Inline-Six Cylinder Head (with Bolt Torques Specs)

Ford’s small inline 6-cylinder engine powered millions of Falcons, Comets, Mustangs, and other models during the 1960s and 1970s. They are durable little engines, and when properly rebuilt, they will last many years to come.

FORD INLINE SIX CYLINDER HEAD INSTALLATION:

Originally, Ford used steel-shim head gaskets that required a sealer on the block and the head when building a 144 or 170. For the 200, Ford did not use a sealer. Modern gaskets are made of composite materials and typically have sealing rings printed right on them that make head-gasket sealer unnecessary.

If you are using studs, use two as guides when installing the head. If you are using bolts, find two long bolts of the correct size and cut the heads off to use as guides. Install the head gasket over the guides. Pay attention to any guidance from the manufacturer such as “front,” etc.

Installing the Ford Inline Six cylinder head onto the block

Now you can set the head onto the block with the aid of the guide studs. The head is heavy, so get help from a friend and take care not to damage the threads if you are using your head studs as guides.

If you are reassembling the engine using head studs instead of bolts, install two of the studs to use as guides when lowering the head onto the block. If you are assembling the engine with head bolts, it is advisable to use two long bolts with the heads cut off and the rough edges removed as guides. With the guides in place, install the new head gasket and make sure to follow any instructions from the manufacturer, such as “front,” “this side up,” etc. ***continued below***

This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, FORD INLINE SIX: HOW TO REBUILD AND MODIFY. For a comprehensive guide on this entire subject you can visit this link:

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Now, carefully set the head in place on the block. It is heavy, so take extra care not to drop it onto the block and damage the gasket surfaces. With the head in place, install two bolts finger tight to keep the head located. The right front cylinder-head bolt hole is a through-hole to the cooling passages below. Use the appropriate thread sealer on this bolt to make sure that you do not have a coolant leak when the engine is run—this is important!

Proper lubrication in critical when installing the Ford Inline Six cylinder head

The right front bolt hole goes through to the cooling passage above the water pump. If you are using bolts, make sure to apply thread sealer to prevent any coolant leakage when the engine is running. If you are using studs, the stud may thread deep enough to contact the water-pump impeller. If so, remove 3/16 inch from the bottom of the stud and recheck for no contact. Apply sealer and install the stud.

If you use studs, apply sealer as with the head bolts, but take special care to not thread the stud so deep that it contacts the impeller of the water pump. If your head-stud kit does not have one stud that is shorter than the others for this purpose, cut 1/4 inch from the end that threads into the head; it’s usually the end with coarse threads. Clean up the threads and install to test fit for interference. If you are assembling with head bolts, now that you have two head bolts installed finger tight, you can remove the guide studs. Now install the remaining bolts or studs and prepare to torque them.

Fold Inline Six Cylinder Head Bolt Torque Pattern

Torque the head bolts or studs in the order provided in the Ford shop manual. Start at the center by the carburetor and work in a circular fashion to the ends. This sequence is designed to minimize the amount of stress on the cylinder head during torquing and must be followed to prevent warping the head.

The torque sequence is very important to keep from warping the head before the engine is run. The head bolts are torqued in three steps to the final value.
Step one: torque to 55 ft-lbs in the specified sequence.
Step two: torque to 65 ft-lbs in the specified sequence.
Step three: torque to 70 to 75 ft-lbs (the final torque value) in the specified sequence.

Don't forget to lubricate the pushrods on the Ford Inline Six engine!

Lubricate both ends of the pushrods with assembly lube and install them through the holes in the cylinder head. Adjustable rocker arms have a cup on the rocker-arm end to fit the adjuster bolt. Make sure that you put them in with the right side up.

Apply assembly lube to both ends of the pushrods and install them in the passage to the top of the lifters. If you are reusing the lifters and rocker arms, install the pushrods in the positions from which they came. Apply assembly lube to the valve-stem tips and the rocker-arm pads (contact point with the valve stem). Make sure that the oil holes in the shaft are facing down and position the rocker-arm assembly on the cylinder head.

Position the rocker-arm assembly on the head with the rocker arms properly aligned. Install the five bolts and begin to tighten them evenly in steps of two turns each. Because the camshaft will have the lifters and pushrods at varying heights, some bolts will seem harder to turn against the pressure of the valve spring. Torque them to 30 to 35 ft-lbs.

Install the rocker-arm assembly bolts and tighten them evenly (two turns at a time) to the final torque value of 30 to 35 ft-lbs. You may choose to install the valve cover after the engine is installed in the vehicle. The chain used to attach the engine to the hoist can come into contact with the valve cover when the engine is lifted, which can scratch the paint or even dent the metal valve cover. In either case, these steps apply.

With the gasket held in place by the sealer, set the valve cover carefully onto the cylinder head so that you do not move the gasket. Tighten the bolts to just 3 to 5 ft-lbs. After two minutes, tighten the bolts again to 3 to 5 ft-lbs. This gives the gasket time to compress and fit the gasket surfaces.

Make sure that the valve cover gasket surface is clean and free of residual gasket material. Apply a thin coat of gasket sealer to the valve-cover side of the gasket and position it on the valve cover. Carefully position the valve cover on the cylinder head, making sure that the gasket aligns with the gasket surface of the cylinder head. Install the bolts and tighten to 3 to 5 ft-lbs. Do not overtighten them! One of the most common sources for valve cover gasket leaks is over-tightening the bolts. The Ford service manual recommends retightening the bolts after 2 minutes. This gives the gasket material time to conform to the gasket surfaces before the final torque setting, still 3 to 5 ft-lbs.

Written by Matt Cox & Barton Maurer and Republished with Permission of CarTech Inc

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