Stuck Head Bolts

Anyone got any magic tricks for getting stuck head bolts out? I've got 5 in total completely stuck

Either that or any tricks to get them out if they round over!

I did two ways for rounded and stuck head bolts, 1 was this kit Irwin Bolt Grip Fastener Remover 5Pc Base Set 394001, which if I remember they are 16mm bolts then the other was to file the edges or grind them to a straight edge then get a really decent socket 6 sided and use that. They came out easy then, two cracks of the bolt then unscrewed by hand. I am sure a few people on here have some other ways too. Hope you get them out.

Matt

A good quality socket that is a a tad to small beaton onto the headof the offending bolt if it gets rounded.

are they two back ones by any chance?

Hi J, how'd you know?! yeah, its the two back ones on the drivers side. pain in the ass to get to, that's the big problem with them. I've also got the front upper on the drivers side, and the two lower front bolts on the passenger side. Its driving me nuts! Got down to the inlet manifold yesterday, thought i'd have the heads off this morning, they still aren't off, and its snowing heavily!! dammit. (my car's only on the drive!)

thanks for the help guys

Tight fitting socket

big bar give it large

you might try tapping the socket with a hammer to shock it or even doing it up a touch to move it then try undoing

Good luck

Progress Report -

Got one head off (the easy one, passenger side). it had two bolts stuck. used the supercrack - not sure what exactly it does, was told it freezes it? anyway, its off. split another socket on the drivers side bolts, apparently has a lifetime guarantee, lasted about 30 seconds! still 3 bolts holding it, and they are the difficult ones. i think they are rounding too much, bring on more tools (irwin remover)...

good news / bad news is that the gasket was like brand new. really though, i knew that anyway, cos all the problems are drivers side.

give it another crack in the morning

Had the same type of issue on a Disco 200TDi when the head gasket went (at 160k). They were all stuck fast and I broke sockets, tried WD40 etc etc with no joy.

In the end I bought an impact socket a size too small (Imperial on a metric bolt head IIRC), smacked each bolt with a hammer three times, hammered the undersized socket on and used the biggest breaker bar I could find and a lot of effort.

They shifted after literally 2 day's mucking around, but you need to be careful not to needlessly round the bolt heads (which is harder to deal with...keep the socket on the bolt nice and square).

So the answer...a damn good strong 6-sided socket, patience and elbow grease I'm afraid.

Malcolm

Found the rear bolt on the drivers side head on a Disco I owned rounded off and a socket just spun on it. Only wat I get it out was to drill the head of the bolt off with a drill slightly larger than the shank of the bolt. Started off with a 3mm drill, then a 6mm followed by the final size. This allowed me to lift the cylinder head enough to get a pair of Stillsons round the shank and unscrew it. Didn't take that long to do but it's a drastic last resort.
I agree with the other posts where they say to get a "Tight" good socket and drive it on before using a hefty breaker bar to shift it.
Remember it's the bite of the bolt head thats causing the tightness, not the threads in the hole. The bolts are high tensile and unlikely to break. If, as they should be, coated with Lock & Seal before assembly, they will come free quite easily after the initial "Break" as the compound stops seizing caused by corrosion or reaction between the steel bolt and the aluminium block.

Cavey..you still propping the bar up in your hotel?????:beer2::beer2::beer2:

Hey up irish

yeah life is tough at the top


so they tell me

tougher at the bottom ...FACT

so yes have had a few scoops but the craic is poor, better on here

Why...are the locals sitting there with faces like a Bulldog licking p*ss off a nettle???

locals ha they have all gone to bed early

i have 2 girls/ women in the 2 rooms next door and man they can talk and are loud

so yeah very poor entertainment
better tomorrow as out with the people i am working with as it is my last night here for a few months so a few beers and curry

Lucky sod...I have to wait just over a week until I can get a decent Curry !!
Thank your lucky stars they are wimmin next door, I've stopped in hotels and there has been a couple next door at it all night...couldn't get to sleep even after a good few brandies. Funny, never used to see them at breakfast time!!

:lvkiss-106::lvkiss-106::lvlove-160:

reckon your curry will be better than mine

they are normally good at your sisters end of the world

had a curry in wolvcerhampton once

was like the front room of a house bring your own beer

odd place

but the food was awesome

def will have to meet up for a beer and some craic when u r over

No probs..look forward to a meet with ya and some of the other peeps.
I'll send a PM to ya all the end of the week re. contact details.

Cool, reckona curry and beer eve for a few forum members to meet and put names to faces etc should be good


i must be fec##n bored

i just had a covert snoop on the gaylander forum

they take the **** out of us

K series engine

what a pile of poo

If you can take the head off of the bolt so the head will lift off leaving the studs in, then use a : Clarke Pro 4pc Stud extractor set (Pro57)

BUT! I don't know how the headbolts are on these 'ere rangey engines so this may be of no use to you

I keep a bottle of plusgas handy too, but again, don't know how useful it is on these headbolts with the loctite compound.

good luck
jt

One or two observations on this post. NEVER use a bi-ex socket on head bolts. ALWAYS use a standard hexigon one. Make sure the socket is fully engaged and square to bolt. ALWAYS use a steady square pull not a jerk that can dislodge socket. Always use good quality sockets. Snapon or Stahlwillie, are the best. The socket sets you can buy for fourty quid are as useful as tits on a Mars bar.

wammers said:

Snapon or Stahlwillie, are the best.

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