It's on the driver's side, second to last bolt. What would be the best way to approach this? Removing heads (with engine still in car) or using an right-angle drill + left-hand drill bit?


If I remove heads, do I have to undo the valve springs? I am afraid of dropping some of the pushrods fall into the engine.


Any help is appreciated.

 

If you remove the heads you do not have to remove valve springs. Just remove rockers. Once rockers are removed you can pull push rods out then loosen head bolts and remove head.

The push rods will not fall into the motor. They sit on top of the lifters which ride on the cam. So when removing heads only you do not have to worry about anything dropping.

 

I know it's super tight in there but if you can get to it, you can weld a nut to the broken bolt and then use a wrench to back it out. The heat from welding usually helps loosen the hold the rust has on the bolt as well.

 

X2

If no access to a welder, a reverse thread bit, or "tapout".

 

Op

using a drill and extractor bit will work "if" you can get a clear straight shot in drilling the broken bolt....but it's a one shot deal

Having the head on a bench (off the car) makes it easier or you could then bring the head to a machine shop and have them do it.

As mentioned the valve springs can stay on the head. RR & PR you would remove. They are not going to fall "inside" the motor

You will need to pull the intake to get the head off

 

I'd remove the head to get it out. The drivers head is the easier one to remove anyway.

 

I will be needing new head bolts as well, correct?

 

If they are the stock ones, then yes. ARP's all the way.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/a...ations/?page=2

 

You will need New intake gaskets, sealant for the front and back of it, new head gasket, new head bolts, new exhaust header gasket, thread sealant for the head and intake bolts, you'll need to top off the coolant.

I would get a thread chaser for the head bolt holes so that they are clean and give you a good accurate torque reading. And then a lot of elbow grease and cleaning time before the new stuff goes back on.

 

hell, do you have access to a lift? If you do, it may be "easier" to just drop the engine out and get a straight shot to drill or weld on it. Then you're not pulling 2/3rds of the top end apart and cleaning it all up. I dropped mine at my shop in about 2 hours of working at a regular pace. Granted I'm a mechanic by trade and have been doing this for 15 years and have or have access to all the tools and equipment. Just another idea for ya.

 

Will the "weld" stick to the aluminum head?


And no access to lift

 

if there is enough of the bolt sticking out...a competent welder should be able to weld on a nut.....if not you either need to try a extractor bet on a right angle drill, assuming you can get a solid straight shot at the broken bolt, or remove the head

You FU a weld or miss with a extractor bit and FU the threads in the head....the "fix" gets more complicated and absolutely will require the head to be pulled to fix.....

 

the weld shouldn't stick to, or hurt the head if who ever is running the mig doesn't have heat set to the moon and does just enough to connect the nut to the broken stud. I've done this dozens of times on aluminum heads on f series trucks and silverados with bolts broken or rusted of flush or at most an eighth to 3/16 bellow the deck, more than that it could get dicey real quick.

 

You could remove the steering shaft, Then what I did was get a ball file and made the top of the broken bold concave so it was easier to start drilling directly into the center of the bolt, start with a very small bit and work you way up to the size needed, then I used an extractor and it came out, but like everyone says, its a one shot deal...