Yes, true. Hope he does get the head bolts off by whatever method he has to use. I never haveliked that "snapping" sound the threads make when they first break loose, but that's a part of engine rebuilding/repair.

 

the tightening sequence is hellaciously complicated, with six steps that must be followed across the entire head's bolt pattern. I mention "tightening" sequence, cause if the previous owner didn't follow it, it gets real ugly. But I can also imagine if it was done right, its still very difficult to undo. The last tightening is 180 degrees after the last torque setting. I liked to pull some muscles and hurt myself toget that last 10 to 15 degrees when I put the heads back on mine.

As to the debate about cheater bar vs air hammer: I've never broken a bolt either way, but I have broken a spark plug off in a head using a long bar and trying to ease it. But it would probably have broken any old way: steel plug in aluminum head without anti-seize (previous nutcase owner without a clue).

You're gonna need new bolts.... about $43give or take. Be sure to warp check the heads and chase the threads on the block.

Now I'm gonna say something really stupid:

counterclockwise to loosen

there, I said it.

God I love working on engines.

 

OK, so righty tighty, leftie loosey, i got it now


jk, lol
So I got some PB Blaster, and I found a 1/2 inch drive 15mm socket, this thing is beastly. or so I thought. We matched it up, slapped on our 4 foot breaker bar, and wrenched away.


and broke THE SOCKET






its preposterous


any thoughts/suggestions?

 

like someone suggested earlier, buy/use a 1/2 inch driveimpact socket.

that's not a craftsman socket in your pic, is it? can't read it

 

that one's a skillcraft, its what NAPA carries. They said that they're rated for like 150lbs, but a head bolt should only be torqued to like 96, so idk, somethings wrong. Im gunna head back to NAPA tomarrow and see if they'll refumd me and I'll use the cash for an impact socket.

 

dum de dum dum dumm... hmmmmmm

Makes me wonder...

Get:
LONG1/2" Breaker bar with correct socket for bolt
Oxy Aceteline torch set (do you have one or know how to use one?) If you dont, do you have a mig welder?

Im sure you have already tried it (as mentioned above), however use the torch method to heat up the bolt rather quickley and try not so much the surrounding area of the head. Once the bolt is red like get the braker bar on it and pull steadley to loosen. The impact wont have enough torque as what seems is required for the job. If it did you would probibaly rip your arms off wile trying to take the bolt out.

Without a torch you may need to set up your welder on LOWEST feed speed and a higher arc setting. Ground your machine to the engine and put some quick beads on the top of the bolt but not large enough to impeed the use of the socket. This will heat up the bolt as well.

If that doesent work or if you break the head of the bolt off I feel you will need to drill the bolt and use a heli coil... How do you feel about precision drilling?

I can tell you how to prep,drill and insert the heli coil if youneed meto.

Im thinkin your options are gettin slim...

Ever wonder if the bolt was put in cross threaded? Are all the other bolts removed? MABEY the head is warped enough to put excesspressure betwean the bolt ... creating tention on the bolt betwean the head of the bolt and the face of the block... Prehaps try replacing some of the bolts around it and torquing them down...

One last thing, please tell us whattotal lengh of breaker bar your using, id love to get a rough idea of how tight that is even is underestimated by the use of the fire.

Good Luck.

 

This is the first bolt in the loosening sequence, so its the first bolt we've tried to remove, and the one on the other side is stuck as well. I have a craftsman 1/2inch breaker bar, with a 4inch extension, and today im getting an impact socket. ust the socket. Because when we were using the 3/8inch drive we broke 3 extensions and a socket, so we beefed it up to a 1/2inch drive. Then the socket broke. So we're getting an impact SOCKET, in hopes that that wont break. And were using a 4 foot pipe around the wrench as an added breaker bar.

If this diesn't work, IDK what will. We dont have access to a torch or a welder, and I doubt that it woule even find in out cramped garage. And I donw even know what a Halo Coil even is lol

 

screw the loosening sequence. take them off any old way. your not gonna hurt anything. the heads will need resurfaced anyways and the headbolts are not reusable

 

A"Heli Coil" is more or less a special little spring you thread in to an over drilled and tapedhole to make is thethread proper size again... Im guessing you dont have tons of experience with this stuff. Try some other head bolts, see if you can break them loose.

 

Yup, f*** the sequence. 1/2in impact, long bar, HIT the the top of the Breaker Bar just aboue the socket with hammer while the bar is under torque. Big hammer!

you could always try heating the block with torch about 1 to 1.5 inches below the head on the intake manifold and exhaust manifold side,use breakerand smack with hammer.