Anybody have any tricks to getting those un-frozen. I had to change the timing chain and in the process gummed up the head gasket a little. When I tried to loosen up the head to get the gasket re-seated properly I discovered a Head Bolt that was not coming loose. We put a 1/2 inch breaker bar on it and a big air gun on it but that thing wasn't comin' loose. Anybody have any ways of breaking those free? Is it ok to put heat to it? I wouldn't think so but younever know. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks everybody!

Goose234

 

Just a little heat is ok, not a cutting torch or anything. Then take the socket, put it on the bolt, and hammer the $%^& out of it.

 

if its a bolt and not a stud, heating the bolt would make it expand and grab tighter. the only way heat would help is if someone used red loctite on it. you need to heat up the block.

you could also try a few taps with a hammer or use a drift and hammer to break the seal between the threads. just tap it straight down.

as a last resort, try a little tighten-loosen action. sometimes if a bolt will tighten a hair it'll break loose, sometimes it just gets tighter.

 

get a hammer and give it a couple good hard smacks. that usually does the trick. then put the 1/2" breaker bar on it and let her fly. is it one of the 2 head bolts that screw in directly in the middle of the exhaust ports(looking straight down)? they tend to get really hot and sieze. i snapped one off when doing the timing chain/head gasket on my '91. fortunately just the head broke off, and i was able to get it out with my craftsman bolt-out set.

 

Yes, I think it is one of the bolts by the exhuast manifold. If you are looking down at the top the engine, it is the second bolt in from the back on the right hand side of the head. Is that one of the bolts you say gets real hot?

 

I have been dealing with a oil leak above new timing chain cover where it touches the head. Decided to replace head gasket. Same bolt as you. I said the hell with it and put the engine back together without replacing gasket. I would rather have a oil leak then to break that head bolt on my only driver.

 

That theory is the same whether it is a bolt or a stud...

I've had to do this method on the 22RE before. I had several studs on a head stuck and when I finally got them loose the threads were covered in what looked like built up carbon/soot... Weirdest thing I ever saw. Had the had checked - no cracks.

I'd soak them bitches in PB Blaster then get a big ass bar. Use a torque wrench and try not to go over 20-30% of the install torque spec. They won't break.

 

Those are practically impossible to seal without pulling the head. One of the few poor design points of the 22RE... that and the plastic timing guides.

 

I used a 3/4 drive breaker that extended out to 2 ft on my 3.0. Something bigger might help. Good luck.

 

Fairly common problem... breaking head bolts is to, so be careful...
Do a search for
(head bolt removal trick )
The 4th thread down is the one i just recently posted on how i got the 2 stuck head bolts out of my 22rte..
i worked on getting then out for 3 days...
that method was the only one that worked for me...i did NOT want to break one...
once you get a tiny bit of space between the of the shoulder of the bolt and the rocker assembly you can get some WD-40, pb blaster, or something to break down the baked on carbon... it's NOT the threads that are stuck it's the build up around the shank of the bolt...

 

Make sure you clean the blind holes out REALLY well before you put your head bolts or studs in... or you can't get the proper torque...