Rocker Arm Removal
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Rocker Arm Removal OK, what's the magic trick to getting these things off? I've soaked them in PB blaster once or twice a day for a week. Applied heat to the bolt head and the pedestal. I tried using an electric impact and a hand impact socket. These tiny little bolts just won't budge! Are they a left hand thread? Is there some special solvent?
Or do I have to drill out all 16 bolts?
Or do I have to drill out all 16 bolts?
They should never be that tight. Sounds like somebody used red loctite, on the bolt threads. I'd pull the heads off the block to avoid getting any metal shavings down in the engine, if you're going to drill then out.
Good luck!
Good luck!
You can't drill them out!
Get a ratchet and slip a 2 ft pipe over the handle and if that doesn't loosen it then it will break the bolt..
Then remove the heads if you break a bolt!
Get a ratchet and slip a 2 ft pipe over the handle and if that doesn't loosen it then it will break the bolt..
Then remove the heads if you break a bolt!
Make sure you have a good quality 6 point socket. Have they ever been off before? Mine were quite stuck when I first removed the stock bolts.
Last edited by vettenuts; Feb 20, 2014 at 06:25 AM.
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Applying enough torque isn't the issue. Those little 8mm bolts are rounding off if I put too much torque on them. That's why I tried the hand impact tool; that usually shocks things loose.
I guess I'll have to pull the heads and cut them off. What a pain.
I guess I'll have to pull the heads and cut them off. What a pain.
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Try this..........take a punch and hammer and WHACK each bolt HARD on the very top a few times then try removing them. This will disturb the thread bond and they should come loose. You should also ALWAYS do this to the head bolts before you try to loosen them or its possible the threads in the block will fail when you go to reassemble the heads to the block.
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I thought these were a simple bolt on job. But I wanted to check to make sure there's no magical technique - like it's a laft hand thread, or some hidden locking device. I'v never had a Lock-Tite work this well.
I'v applied heat to the bolt head and the rocker pedestal.
My hand impact tool will usually break anything free. Jut put a little tension on it and whack it with a big hammer. That usually breaks things free in a coupple of hits.
I'v applied heat to the bolt head and the rocker pedestal.
My hand impact tool will usually break anything free. Jut put a little tension on it and whack it with a big hammer. That usually breaks things free in a coupple of hits.
it is very surprising how tight they feel even when nothing is on them, they make me nervous every time I go to take them off
GM uses some serious thread lock on the bolts for 4l60e bellhousings that my dad's big badass snap on impact gun will not break loose, but heating them with a propane torch and giving them a few good wacks with a hammer will break the seal loose so the impact will zip them right out.
GM uses some serious thread lock on the bolts for 4l60e bellhousings that my dad's big badass snap on impact gun will not break loose, but heating them with a propane torch and giving them a few good wacks with a hammer will break the seal loose so the impact will zip them right out.
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If you read GM's instructions for head removal they want you to whack each head bolt with a punch and hammer to release the threads. Before you pull the heads try a couple good whacks on each rocker bolt, can't loose anything at this point.
Heat may help but it can weaken the bolts if heated too much.
You could try starting the engine and getting it warmed too.
Heat may help but it can weaken the bolts if heated too much.
You could try starting the engine and getting it warmed too.
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If you read GM's instructions for head removal they want you to whack each head bolt with a punch and hammer to release the threads. Before you pull the heads try a couple good whacks on each rocker bolt, can't loose anything at this point.
Heat may help but it can weaken the bolts if heated too much.
You could try starting the engine and getting it warmed too.
Heat may help but it can weaken the bolts if heated too much.
You could try starting the engine and getting it warmed too.
I can't start the engine, it's on a stand with a lot of missing bits.
Yeah,I have new ones that came with the trunion kit. Money spent on quality fasteners is never wasted.
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I worked on a piece of machinery years ago that had a complicated cog belt drive system. The belt broke, someone used some type of locker on all the parts that go together to make this thing work. TOOK ME OVER 30 HRS to disassemble what should have been a 4 hr job at best. The company I was doing the work for actually thought I was trying screw them on labor and sent one of their guys to "help things along" he gave up and admitted they changed it once and used some type of military locker.
I heated and pulled and made pullers and special tools, One job I'll never forget.
I heated and pulled and made pullers and special tools, One job I'll never forget.
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From: Osage Beach Mo.
Rocker bolts I had same problem with some of mine to where they broke my socket
& stripped the Bolt head. Make sure there is no spring pressure on the
Rocker. I heated up the base of the rocker bolt where it goes into
The head. Also hit the head of the bolt like others had mentioned.
The head on one of mine stripped out so I V- notched a medium size
Vice grip & put a 10" crescent on the bottom of the vice grip to keep
It from twisting. It finally came out. Good luck
& stripped the Bolt head. Make sure there is no spring pressure on the
Rocker. I heated up the base of the rocker bolt where it goes into
The head. Also hit the head of the bolt like others had mentioned.
The head on one of mine stripped out so I V- notched a medium size
Vice grip & put a 10" crescent on the bottom of the vice grip to keep
It from twisting. It finally came out. Good luck
I thought these were a simple bolt on job. But I wanted to check to make sure there's no magical technique - like it's a laft hand thread, or some hidden locking device. I'v never had a Lock-Tite work this well.
I'v applied heat to the bolt head and the rocker pedestal.
My hand impact tool will usually break anything free. Jut put a little tension on it and whack it with a big hammer. That usually breaks things free in a coupple of hits.
I'v applied heat to the bolt head and the rocker pedestal.
My hand impact tool will usually break anything free. Jut put a little tension on it and whack it with a big hammer. That usually breaks things free in a coupple of hits.
