Head Removal

[goxu1]

I was out in the shed this evening trying to wriggle the head up off the bolts
It is tight on just one bolt in the centre rear
I've got it up about 1/4" so far
Any tips or tricks to force the head up without damaging anything?

[Gary Dotson]

If you’re up 1/4”, you’re on your way. Keep using penetrating fluid and proceed as carefully as you can. Use flat pry bars to minimize gouging.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I will slip a putty knife under the prybar to keep from scratching the head gasket surface.

And do not use anti seize. You need to use thread sealer. There is a special sealer for head bolts that you can get at any auto supply store. It does not harden and allows you to re-torque the head later on without destroying the sealant on the threads.

[Matt Kirsch]

Plastic felling wedges will not mar the surface. Wood wedges won't either. If you've got it up 1/4" you are golden. Your biggest issue right now is the head isn't perfectly parallel to the block.

[goxu1]

I suspect that when I drilled the head off one of recessed bolts I've burned the top of the shaft causing it to bind up

[rednax]

If it were me, I would evenly heat the block and then use a breaker bar with a cheater bar on it while the block is hot. If it breaks, weld a nut on top of the bolt. Make sure that you protect the deck of the block from spatter from welding.

[Jim Becker]

I would insert your wedges, or whatever your preferred tools are at this point, but only insert far enough to get a bite later, Then tap the head back down an 1/8 inch or however far you can go. Then start a fresh go at prying it up.

This is equivalent to reversing direction while attempting to unscrew a stuck bolt that has started to move.

[goxu1]

Just come inside from the shed. Mozzies are starting to bite
Anyway , a small win with the head coming off without to much trouble
The real battle now begins.
Do you think penetrant will do any good now ?

[Jeff Silvey]

Well Mate your getting closer. I would put penetrating stuff you like on all bolts to help. With the long bolt get them loose, then work back & forth to get them out. Good lock.

[Gary Dotson]

The bolts, that broke, we’re actually seized in the bolt hole, of the head itself. They will probably come out easily, now. Spray them down again and see if vice grips will do the job. How many of them are broken? You might have a new record, there.

[staninlowerAL]

Looks like a good candidate to weld a nut on to the bolts to try that method. Maybe try one of the short ones to see how it works. Some folks here swear that is the most effective way to do it when you have good access. JMHO

[Greenthumbfarms]

You will have a much better chance of the penetrant reaching the threads now. If it will budge a little, and gets stuck, you can spray and wiggle back and forth. Spray, wiggle. It helps the penetrant to work into the threads

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Just come inside from the shed. Mozzies are starting to bite
Anyway , a small win with the head coming off without to much trouble
The real battle now begins.
Do you think penetrant will do any good now ?

Nice work. You do have a massive challenge ahead of you still.

Honestly, if you've got time to wait, I would do a little heat and spray every day for a week before you attempt to remove any of those bolts.

For the ones that are broken close to the block, your only course of action is to drill them. BE CAREFUL when drilling. Keep as close to the center of the bolt as possible. If the drill bit starts walking, angle it to get it back to center. Drill all the way through the broken bolt if you can and then spray more penetrating oil into the hole.

[SamsFarm]

How any penetrant is expected to work on a thread that "supposedly" sealed to prevent antifreeze from leaking out is beyond me!

Man, I can not believe the number of torqued off head screws there.......

How many of them are broken? You might have a new record, there.

Looks like the lucky number 13.


Maybe someone used red lock-tite as a thread sealer too!

"Mozzies" eh?

[tmays]

If the bolt heads did actually break and weren’t cut, then I agree with Gary. May not be a problem. Welding a nut to the ones that won’t come out would be the next thing to do. But I will offer my opinion that penetrant does nothing in a case like this. It won’t get to the threads.