head bolt stuck- HELP PLEASE!!!

[brian hood]

HEy everyone, I am trying to get a head bolt off a flat head (218) 6cly. I havee two that are stuck. I dont want to break them. Is there any good suggestions? The engine is still in the truck. Hopefully, it will stay there. If I break one, is there an alternative to removing the engine and taking it to a machiene shop? Would heat work on the stuck bolt?

[Byronb3b]

First, Do all you can NOT to break them off, although if you do they can still be removed by drilling, but that is a pain, You might try some penetrating oil, but it's doubtful that it will make the trip down the bolt to the threads where it's needed. I would try giving them a good sharp rap with a hammer, not hard enough to break the head. Good Luck

[grey beard]

Byron is right. Were I in your shoes at the moment, I would do two things - first I'd get a very stout brass drift and a four pound hammer, and give it the hardest whack I could muster, square and flat on the top of the bolt head. Then, I'd get my longest breaker bar and the correct size six point socket and pull the bolt TIGHTER, just enough to get it's attention. What you are trying to do by these two methods is to get the bolt to unseat from all the crud that is binding it up. I have had similar experiences and have also snapped off a few in the process. In some cases when the bolt broke, it snapped off inside the head, itself, and not in the thread area, which shows where it was likely binding.

One other suggestion. If you have a good air supply and a good impact wrench you are familiar with, use an impact socket and attempt to first tighten, then loosen it. Turn the wrench down a few notches from the high end, and let it rattle a little in each direction. Sometimes the impact shock helps to jar the fastener loose. This takes a little gentle common sense. Otherwise, your options are very few. Lots of luck. Let us know how you make out with these two stubborn bolts.

[norrism1]

Sounds like both are going into the water jacket and rust is built up on the threads inside the block. I would cut or grind off both bolt heads and after the head is off play with them then. Better to have the 1 1/2" stud to work on then cracking the head. Then WD40 can go into threads, only has to go 1" instead of thru head and block. Depends on what you feel you can do! Good luck either way.

[brian hood]

Sounds like both are going into the water jacket and rust is built up on the threads inside the block. I would cut or grind off both bolt heads and after the head is off play with them then. Better to have the 1 1/2" stud to work on then cracking the head. Then WD40 can go into threads, only has to go 1" instead of thru head and block. Depends on what you feel you can do! Good luck either way.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. I will try a few and see what works. It's really great to have a resource like this to refer to when things are not right.

[brian hood]

Hey,

I got them all out. My local shop reccomended a product call pd blaster. It worked like magic. I let the bolts soak for several hours and gave them several taps with a hammer. After a few recoast and taps, I got them out of their holes ( probally the first time in 50 + years. I am going to trash them and buy a new set of bolts. I also plan on cutting their heads off and using them for a gasket guides after I re-chase the head holes with a tap. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and responces.

Brian

[greg g]

Brian, you can save your self a few bucks from new head bolts by using these.

they are for SBChevy, but work like a charm, they have a antisieze coating on the threads and when I bought them 3 years ago were about 80 cents. Got them through the machineshop that milled my head.

While you have your engine apart, I would suggest you take the head to a shop and have it milled. You can get some more compression to take advantage of todays gas, and make sure the mating surfaces are true and square. Cost about 40 to 60 bucks and is a good way to get a bit more performance inexpensively. .040 to .060 off is a good neighborhood. If the engine is going in for machine work, a combination of measurements can be split between the block and head, like .010 of the block, and .040 off the head to yeild a .050 total removed.

The 25 in the part number refers to piece count we only need 21 or 20 if you are retaining the stock head bolt with the threads tapped into it.

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?p=36904&highlight=pioneer#post36904