I am replacing the head gaskets on a 3.0 and have a question regarding their removal. Do the exhaust manifolds have to come off first or do I just unbolt them from the crossover and pull the heads with the manifolds. If you do have to remove them first, how do you do it since they are put on with studs and the manifold bolts to the crossover with studs? Also, where is a good place to get the special socket for the head bolts. My local auto parts store doesnt carry it. I was thinking maybe Sears, or is it a dealer only item? Why the hell do they use them instead of hex heads anyway?

 

I'm not sure on the exhaust question since I did mine outside the engine bay. For the socket, I didn't get anything special. Just use a 12 point socket.

Jason

 

Thanks for the tip. I didnt realize a standard 12 point would work.

 

Standard 12 point MIGHT work, but the chrome sockets are prone to cracking and expanding since they aren't really designed to loosen head bolts. You risk rounding them off....then you get into a world of hurt.

There is a special impact style socket made for them, i can't find a picture of it right now but I have them at work. Never had a rounded head bolt again.

 

Where can you get them at Death Cougar? Also, are they 12 or 14?

 

You pull the three nuts on the downpipe from underneath the driver side.

Then you pull the three nuts that connect the crossover pipe to the driver side exhaust manifold. You can get these with a wrench behind the driver tire.

You pull the driver side head off with the exhaust manifold attached, you wiggle it towards the front of the truck. Then you can pull off the passenger head with the crossover still attached.

 

I got mine through the snap on dealer. They are 12 point, and available in 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, and i am sure they make others.

 

Thanks lilevo. I will give it a shot. Do you know what size the head bolts are?

 

12pt 12mm. I suggest a thin wall 3/8th socket. 1/2" is too big to fit in there.

 

1/2 will fit in there. You need to remove the cams to get them out. The 3.0's had both 12 and 14 mm head bolts depending on the year. Both are 12 pt. Any 12 pt impact socet should work just fine. There is 1 14 mm 6pt bolt on each end of both heads.

As far as removing the heads, the easiest way to do it is to unbolt the down pipe from the crossover then unbolt the heads, coolant pipe in the engine valley and then remove the whole assy as 1 peice. Both heads with manifolds still bolted to the crossover will come off as one. Its the fastest, easiest way to get them off. Its a major pain in the ass to unbolt each head from the exhaust. This way you can unbolt it all out of the car. When you get it all back together, put it back like it was and put itback in as one peice. Easy stuff

 

Thanks toytech76. I was wondering if that would be possile. On the coolant pipe in the valley, is it only the two bolts in the front, or are there some more in the rear that bolt to the block?

 

Here is a pic of the socket. If you see a Snap-on truck someplace just ask the dealer if he has one. I'm sure he will let you buy one.

 

There is 1 bolt on the back of the passenger side head for the coolant pipe that you can leave on till the heads come off. So there are 2 bolts and a nut in the valley that need to come off

 

Ok, I got the down pipe bolts off. One completely stripped so I had to use a map gas torch to heat it up and put a pair of vise grips on it. What a pain. Then I started on the head bolts. OMG those things are tight. I used a torque wrench to measure how tight they were and I was getting readings in the 150 lb/ft range. Anyway, I was able to get all except for three. One the head is completely stripped, and the other two are pretty close. Any ideas? I was thinking of some type of bolt extractor, the kind that bite into the bolt head as you turn. Does Sears carry something like that?

 

Did you get the socket we were talking about?

 

Yea, but it was just a standard 12 point. Napa didnt have any impact 12 points. The socket is fine, but the bolt heads are stripped.

 

I know the head bolts are stripped.

The socket did exactly what I said it would do, expand and allow the head to strip. Unless you can get those bolts out, you will have to get a new engine. Maybe weld a socket to the bolt head?!

 

Well, the three head bolts that stripped are out. I tried a bolt extractor, but that didnt work. Ended up drilling the head of the bolt out. Worked perfectly. They poped off right at the washer, so no damage to the head. The remainer of the bolt just spun right out after that. I was pretty suprised that I was able to drill them. I figured the bolts would be case hardened, but they were not. I will definately take the time to find the right tool for reassemly though.

 

I am taking the heads into the shop tomorrow. They will probably have them for a week. Now that the only thing left in the engine compartment is the block, I was thinking of pulling it to replace the rear main seal( I am pretty sure it is leaking) and completly clean the engine bay and tranny of all the years accumulated goo. One question I have though is how to clean the block with the heads off and not get water down in the pistons? Duct tape the surface? Also, how do I go about cleaning all the black soot crap off the piston tops? I tried scraping, but it didnt seem to work very well. I was thinking of rotating the crank until each piston comes up and high speed wire wheel them, lightly of course. Any ideas?

 

It is friday night. I plan on disconnecting the block and pulling so I can do all my cleaning on Sunday before the Charger game at 5:15. Any ideas as to cleaning/ powerwashing the block?