Cylinder Head Gasket Replacement? ?

[Tony Press]

Chris KC, I read your input with interest (I do not doubt your figures on expansion etc.)but you make no reference to the expansion on the steel head studs. Surely these increase in length when hot thus require re tightening to bring everything to the correct tightness. When cold they maybe slightly overtight with contraction but that is a small price to pay to have them correct when running.

John Mason

John,
Yes he does-

"The coefficient of linear expansion of cast iron is about 10% lower than steel, so if we disregard temperature-related friction effects and the rather thin layer of copper in the gasket, the axial force in the studs will slightly reduce when the engine warms up."