Thread: Torque plate question?

Hi,

Not sure which section to use, so lets start it here.
I am going to need a torque plate for my block to be bored and shipping from the US to the UK would be very expensive, sooooo, what is the height above the block of the shoulder on the bolts? I am guessing that is the thickness I need to make it locally. I have measured 97x104 bolt centers.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

are you asking how deep in the block the bolts go?

you dont NEED one but it is recogmended, i really trust my engine builder which is why i allowed it, an dmy engine is still running

i know thats not what you asked but its my 2 cents and another thing to think about

I concur. I know a very good engine builder that builds race winning engines that had many many many hard race miles on them. Said he never used a torque plate on the over bore he did.

dont have to...and should...is two totally different things. if you can get one then use it. but many people do it without one just fine.

What I am after is the height ABOVE the block of the shoulder of the head bolts, in other words, the usual depth of the mounting holes in the head.
I know some people get away with it, but it is recommended, also a bellhousing of a junk gearbox is recommended too, but I will source that from a scrappies near me.

Mike

Hi Mike, the whole reason i've never gone for a rebore is exactly as your dilemma - no torque plate. I have the g'box base covered as i have a spare with a jammed fill plug for the transmission fluid. Subscribing to this thread, if you do fab one up i might be interested in renting it Just a pity there aren't more SR20 owners in Britain to club together. What would be the chances one made for a DET would fit, probably pretty high? Hopefully bolt lengths and head heights on the turbo heads would be the same? I wonder if anyone on the 200SX or GTI-R forums has had one made before?..

Well I am going to try and measure the head as there are no takers supplying the info.
I guess I will try a bunch of metal stockists for the nearest larger piece of ali sheet as an off-cut and get one made in aluminium. I will get it bored to 88mm as I currently have no intension of resleeving. I will be happy to lend it out, but will request a returnable deposit to keep people keen to return it after they are done, that will keep the "round tuits" in good supply .

The GTiR, DET and DE and De heads all have the same bolt spacing, but the GTiR has 1mm larger studs, maybe an insertable steel collar in each bolt hole would make it universal?
I know that there are some Torque plates lying around in the UK, I believe Dave Bull knows of the whereabouts of one in scotland? But I did PM him about renting one, but it was not his and I got no reply.

Mike

The SR really needs a torque plate. The bore distorsion from the head is as much a 0.0015" which is a hell of alot in a tightly toleranced engine such as the SR. Heck, thats as much as the minimum bore CLEARANCE! It also needs to have a bell housing simulator torqued to the back of the block.

Your engine builder isnt that good if he never uses torque plates on anything he builds.

Plus what sort of experiance do you have in build engines and SR's in order to give such sage advice as to not use a torque plate? The use of a torque plate is the difference between and engine that instantly breaks in and leaks down 1-3% and lasts a long time vs one that simply runs.

You don't need a plate as thick as the head. You can make one about 2" thick and use ground NAS washers to make up the difference for setting the depth of the head bolts.

Watch your head bolt streach. The SR uses torque to yield bolts and they are only good for 1-2 tightenings.

have you tried speaking to agra engineering in jockland ? they've been doing a few gtirs lately, or maybe ian at hi-teq

Excellent point. I have a couple of spare sets from when i did the full gasket kits on both my SR's; only been tightened the once at the factory as far as i know, but i used new bolts on both engines just to be safe.


Great suggestion, they're just up the road from me in Dundee. Been aware of their engineering capabilities from when i was looking for cams way back and they were listed as a supplier... Would be good to go have a look see if i ever get a chance!