Rookie error with cylinder head removal

[MrTibbs]

Hi Pelicans,

I'm taking my spare engine apart with the intention of rebuilding it (have threads about that but thought I'd keep this separate for clarity).

Today I got the cam tower off; cam looked good and all the lifters are good and hard. Stored the lifters in oil.

I loosened the head nuts in the correct order a bit at a time so as not to warp the head.

However, I'd assumed the two allen head bolts that hold the coolant elbow thing on just went as deep as the head, so didn't loosen those until I'd loosened the head nuts.

When the head seemed to be hanging up a bit at that end I took out the longer bolt easily then stripped the head of the other bolt.

I couldn't really get a grip on the head with anything so I hacksawed off the head of the bolt (didn't touch the head or block, just sawed the head off it). I thought this would enable me to get the head off and give me a fair bit of bolt shaft to get a pipe wrench on to get it out.

However, the head doesn't seem to want to come off and I've had to call it a day for now.

My question is:

Are the bolts that hold that coolant elbow on threaded into both the head and the block, or is only the block threaded there?

or put another way, should I be able to lift the head off now, or do I have to go down the route of getting that bolt out before I can get the head off?

THanks
Mike

[MrTibbs]

Actually, I'm talking rubbish about which bolt it is. I got the coolant elbow off fine, it's the one near the temp sensor.

Hope that makes sense. Forgot to take a photo.

Mike

[MrTibbs]

Sorry, it's not the bolt that holds the shoulder on, it's one near the temp sensor. Forgot to take a photo foolishly.

Thanks
Mike

[vdubr928]

Not 100 percent sure but if you are talking about the allens up front then yes. Threads into the block. No forgetting this is not likely to warp your head (which you should be having decked anyway) yes you will have to probably drill it out to pop the head off (enough to pop off the allen head) ir you may end up drilling all the way if you can't get a grip on what's left after you remove the head. No big deal. I've had actual head studs snap where I had to work the head off of a 4 " stud then clean up the mess. Had no problems with warp.

[Techno Duck]

Assuming the head of the allen head bolts is totally drilled off and you have all other nuts off; the head should come right off. Those bolts only thread into the block, not the cylinder head. The head can be literally fused to the block though due to the headgasket, I have always needed a pry bar on the atleast the front 'prying tab' on the cylinder head..sometimes even on the back one also.

Breaking those bolts is a common occurrence, the thread on the rear one if i remember right goes right through the coolant channel. When you replace them, anti-seize the heck out of them and use good quality hardware.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Techno Duck

Assuming the head of the allen head bolts is totally drilled off and you have all other nuts off; the head should come right off. Those bolts only thread into the block, not the cylinder head. The head can be literally fused to the block though due to the headgasket, I have always needed a pry bar on the atleast the front 'prying tab' on the cylinder head..sometimes even on the back one also.

Breaking those bolts is a common occurrence, the thread on the rear one if i remember right goes right through the coolant channel. When you replace them, anti-seize the heck out of them and use good quality hardware.

+1 But I wouldn't pry it! You can try a rubber mallet to loosen it up.
Just wack it all of the way around the perimeter, and yank.

[MrTibbs]

Thanks guys.

I've sawn the head of the bolt totally off so it's literally just the shaft of it left.

I've tried lifting it with my hands and it lifted off easily at the back end, but seemed to be a bit stuck at the front.

I can see the head moving a bit at the front end but it only seems to pull up a certain amount and then stick. Kind of feels like it's being held by sealant (and it looks like there might be a bit of sealant between the block and head at that point).

I'd been a bit reluctant to really pull hard as I wasn't sure whether it was threaded into the head as well. When I get a chance to work on it more I'll feel free to give it a good pull.

That's made me feel a bit better anyway.

Mike

[vdubr928]

Yeah, what a pain. I usually have trouble with those two. They get coroded and stuck. Good luck. It will come lose.

[Arizona_928]

as long as the heads are completely off those allen bolts there is nothing holding it on. Give a few good yanks, and love taps with a rubber mallet. You are about 90% there!

[MrTibbs]

Thanks for the responses.

To be honest the engine's come apart really easily up to this point, and the only reason I had to saw this bolt off was because I was rushing and didn't make sure the allen socket was seated properly. So I'm a bit annoyed at myself, but at least I should be able to get the rest of the bolt out fairly easily once I have the head off.

Mike

[Ritzblitz]

I had trouble with that bolt breaking off when I replaced the headgasket on my car. I had to weld a nut onto it to get it out.

[MrTibbs]

I'm hoping that as I just stripped the head and have sawn that off, once I pry the head off I'll have a lot of the bolt left to get a grip on and twist out.
I'm not in a desperate hurry either so have time to soak the bolt in ATF/Acetone mix.

Makes me feel better I'm not the first person to get stuck on that bolt.

Mike