Broken head bolts

bsatocker68

So I have a 51 pacemaker that needs a new head gasket. When I was pulling the head bolts out 2 of the heads snapped off. The problem I'm having (among a few others) is that the head seems to be stuck on the 2 broken head bolts from corrosion or what not. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Does anybody have any tips of how to get the head off?

bsatocker68

I don't believe this head has ever been off before.

charles4d

On the broken bolts try applying acetone and transmission fluid mixed should eat the rust away on the bolts

 don't happen over night just keep applying.

Other wise you have to drill them out and use a tool called an easyout sold at sears

bsatocker68

Thanks Charles I will try that mixture. I have been using some knocker loose, but it just doesn't seem to be penetrating enough.

GrimGreaser

I had the center head snap when I pulled my head. I had to use a large puller pushing on the bolt and gripping the cylinder head to get it off. Wouldn't budge when I tried prying between block and head.

Kdancy

Heat and penetrating oil works wonders. After that put a couple of bolt in each end (loosely) and with the plugs stil
In, turn the engine over with the starter and see if the head pops up.

bob ward

A couple of jacking plates working off the spark plug holes should do the trick. I can do a sketch if that helps. 

Lubricating with penetrating oil is essential and a bit of heat will not go astray. If you can carefully heat (oxy and a small flame) only the end of the of the broken bolt to red heat that will breakdown some of the rust binding the bolt to the head. (Water is chemically combined in the rust, heat drives off the water and the rust crumbles to powder - sort of like heating plaster of paris that has set hard) 

Personally I would not use an ezyout in this situation, you are odds on to end up with a snapped off hardened steel ezyout stuck in the end of your bolt.

RL Chilton

"Personally I would not use an ezyout in this situation, you are odds on to end up with a snapped off hardened steel ezyout stuck in the end of your bolt."

NO! That NEVER happens! Ever . . . well, once in a while.  If I think about it, it happened more than once.   O.k., well a lot, actually.  Too many times to remember if I think about it . . . 

yeah, don't use an ezyout.  

 

Geoff

In my experience, the only time an ezyout is effective is if a bolt or screw breaks off level in  a hole by being screwed down too hard, that is, the thread is not jammed.  You are wasting your time to try and remove a bolt that is rusted in, or jammed in a tight thread,  because the ezyout just distorts the   remainder of the bolt outwards and wedges it in even tighter.   

Geoff 

RL Chilton

That's EXACTLY right. 

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Thanks. I didn't want to be the guy who said that an "easy-out" was a bad idea. One has to wonder why they are even called that. Obviously named by some marketing genius.
I spent three days, off and on, getting one of those out. Used copious quantities of penetrants (various brands/concoctions), air hammer, pry bars, heat, etc. Finally got it up just enough to clear the open valves and unscrewed the head off of the block. The broken bolt isn't stuck in the block......it's stuck in the head (I assume he's battling an Aluminum head). Then pressed the bolt from the head. Of course this isn't possible with the engine in the car.
F

Kdancy

I've removed a few dozen of these. I've found the most important tool is Patience!
Once the head comes off, I usually weld a big nut with wide washer over the bolt, carefully not welding the block surface, then use penetrating oil (kroil) and heat, let cool down then start working back and forth, patience------

bsatocker68

Thanks for all the advice guys! I got the head off of the car. It wasn't fun, but it's off. The head is a cast head, but I know a guy who has a ready to install aluminum head. So I'm going to go pick that up. I'm trying to get the car ready to drive to the meet in August. I think I will make it. I have to look at the overdrive after the head. It's freewheeling, but not engaging.

Kdancy

Be sure to mic the aluminum head to see if it is in spec. Most have been cut below specs. Minimum is 1.94" I believe. I've checked several heads in the last 6 months and most were out of spec by the time they were planed flat. A couple were way way out!

DavidC

Agree with Kerry that the best extractor is a hex hunt welded to whatever bolt stub you have remaining, use heat and penetrating oil (I find WD40 professional bolt-loosener in the black can works very well, maybe slightly better than the ATF/acetone mix, which is way better than regular wd40).

RL Chilton

WD-40 is not a penetrating oil, which is why it doesn't work very well for this.  It's not even an oil, per se.  

Frankvintagefullflowcom

I've found that the nut welded to the broken stud/bolt is a very effective method but one must take extra caution with the Hudson blocks. They tend to behave more like steel than gray iron when welding so the possibility of damaging threads or getting a weld where you don't want it is greater. Drilling a small hole down the center is helpful on particularly stubborn cases, giving the stud some where to shrink to when it cools, thus loosening it more than without a hole.
Just my two bits worth.
F

bsatocker68

So this is probably a dumb question, and I think I already know the answer, but here it goes. What is the difference between the wide block heads and the narrow block heads? The head I picked up is about a 1/4 inch narrower. All of the bolt holes line up, and the combustion chambers seem to be in the correct place. It would bolt to the block, but it seems that a few of the water jackets are a little bit off.

Glowplug

48-50 engine blocks are narrow block s
No 308s or wide block 262/232 engines until 51

bsatocker68

I'm not sure what year of car this head came off of. I know that mine is a wide block.

Geoff

Invert the head and lay a gasket on it, that will tell you what lines and what does't

bsatocker68

Thanks guys, yeah I tried that and it's not going to work. I was just hoping somebody would have some miracle solution haha. Oh well I guess the old cast head is going back on. My buddy said he would give me my money back if it didn't work. Unless anyone needs a narrow block aluminum head. 180 bucks is what I paid.