ckyguy68

Ok i found a 97 exploder at a local yard and decided to pull the heads off. From what it looks like to me, the headers MUST be removed to remove thecylinder headbolts. So i began taking off the header bolts. There was one in a hard place and i ended up stripping the bolt. I cant get vise grips on it because the space is too tight and the stock manifolds are in the way. I need some advice because im going back tomorrow to get them before someone else does. I was thinking maybe i could use a drilll to take the head of the bolt off. Does anyone have any input? THANK YOU

red95gtconvert

See if the yard will let you use their cutting torch and cut the head off of the bolt, if they want to make a sale they might help you out.

ckyguy68

Unfortunately its a "U-PULL" kind of place and the guys are kind of dicks there.

dimebag

you have more work ahead of u then i think you think yuo have


gotta pull the upper and lower also... then the heads will come off... dude, just take a cut off wheel or hack saw to the header itself, and leave a lil chunk on the head, then deal w. it when their not on the car

ZachW04Stang

When ever I pull the heads off an explorer at the junkyard I take a 6ft pry bar stick it in between the block and manifold and pull and it cracks themanifold and makes getting it out a lot easier. Normally it will crack around where themanifold bolts in and you won't even have to loosen the manifold bolts.It makes it alot easier if you drop the mid pipeso you can pull the manifolds completely out or getting the lowerhead bolts outis a bitch.

ckyguy68

Ok the upper and lower were gone when i got there...[:@]so thats not in the way. The problem is the header flanges (there are 2 separate flanges that hold the header on) are keeping me from completely removing the bolts that actually hold on the head. I do have to remove the headers to get the bolts out correct? Where could i find a 6 foot pry bar?

TTGreenSN95

this might work might not take a abunch of sockets smaller size and beat it on the bolt sometimes it works sometimes it dont.wouldnt advice using a socket you wanna keep probably ruin it beating it on the bolt. the only other thing is take big freaking hammer and a big screwdriver or a screwdriver type punch and beat the bolt off..?????its hard to work on stuff in the junk yard...good luck bro

mattdel

just undo the exhaust and take the header with you. do what you have to do to get it quickly. dont waste time on here.

ZachW04Stang

You can't do that since the manifold goes over most of the lower head bolts.

If you don't have an long pry bar you can use a shorter pry bar and a jack handle. Anything you can get under the header and get good leverage with should work.

ckyguy68

Maybe you didnt see my post but the header flange needs to come off to remove the bolts that hold on the heads. The exhaust past the headers is gone... If it weren't for the flanges in the way they would be in my garage right now...