Cylinder head bolt washers

[antichrist]

Did Rover quit using the head bolt washers, PN 602098, at some point?
My wife's '97 4.0 didn't have any. Or did the last person who had the heads off just not reinstall them?

Is there anything special about them? Any reason I can't just use a high strength thick washer for 30 cents as opposed to the 602098?

If they are supposed to be used, what's the risk of not? It didn't register that they were maybe missing until I had one of the heads installed.

[mearstrae]

I think they quit using them when they went to the TTY (torque to yield) bolts. I don't see what harm they can do if you put some generic hard washers on (other than you may loose thread contact by shortening the bolts that little bit), maybe the goofy torque settings will be more accurate (20Nm through the torque sequence, then 1/4 turn through the sequence and then 1/4 turn more). I just use ARP-Rover head studs, for the older engines, you'll have all the short studs left over (newer engines don't have the lower row of bolts), but the heads stay torqued and head gaskets last longer.

'95 R.R.C. Lwb
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S