Ok I have 3 exhaust manifold bolts broken off in the heads of my 79 F250 351M.

I have debated back and forth on the repair now for some time. As the last owner had just replaced the intake and carb without removing the heads to fix the issue. (The motor hasnt even been started since he did this)

So I have been left with a few choices and now am asking the site for direction.

1. Do nothing, So what it has an exhaust leak be white trash its for snow use only (not my fav idea)
2. Remove the intake and carb, pull the heads and have a machine shop remove the broken bolts. Just the thought of that bill around 70 for the gaskets and prob around 100 for the bolt removal (PS WHY THE **** are intake gaskets so expensive for this motor GM 350 gaskets are cheap) Unless you have a cheap source?
3. I was told other Ford heads will fit this motor that may give it a lil more life? Whats the story on this? Will my edelbrock performer intake and headers still bolt up?
4. Buy a set of stock 351M heads somewhere.

 

are the stuck bolts impossible to get out? Could you pull the entire front clip off your truck to get good access to drill and use an extractor to pull them maybe with a little heat too like a small propane bottle??? just a thought

 

are the bolts broke off clean? One trick is to get a nut and set it over the broken bolt and weld (mig) the nut to the broken bolt. If possible heat up area and hopefully get broken bolt out. the heating of the bolt during welding sometimes breaks the bolt loose. If doing this procedure disconnect battery and ignition. or any sensitive electronics in question. Kind of a pain in the azz but something to try before pulling heads. catch you later.

 

Price is dependent on supply and demand. Fewer Ford blocks...the 302 (28 oz imbalance) had a relatively short life compared to the life and millions of Gen I SBCs. Therefore, it costs more to build a Blue Oval than a Mouse. Even moreso with the 351M/400 engine series.

 

I'd take them off. It would be just too much of a pia to try to drill 3 out.
The only other heads that will bolt on would be 351 Cleveland heads, which are basically the same head.

 

Pull em and drill em out. Or if you're not comfortable, take em to a machine shop...a competent machine shop should have all three out in a matter of minutes. Or...find a junked rig with a 335 series and rob the heads off that.

 

I hate to remove a part and put a stock part back if there is any feasible way to upgrade it. Would be a great opportunity to have the heads ported, or replace them entirely (if anybody makes aftermarket heads). While you're at it toss in a mild cam to really take advantage of your intake and headers. Look at it as an opportunity for improvement!

Of course it all depends on your budget, which mine is 0 right now, so I understand that.

 

Back a number of years ago when I pulled the original heads off the 360 I had in my 76 at the time to get them rebuilt, I had several stubborn bolts to work with. When I got the heads off the truck I soaked the bolts with penetrating oil and slowly tried to work them out. Some broke clean off so the heads were sent off to the cylinder head shop with the manifolds still attached to them. There was an extra expense involved in having the shop remove the broken ones, but it got done and the heads got headers bolted on in place of the manifolds.

OJ

 

This has worked well for me in the past, I had one that broke off clean and I was able (luck maybe) to use a easy out and liquid wrench.

 

3 broken bolts? Eh, I'd just leave them. It's frustrating if you think about it I know, but from my experience, you take the heads off, you're going to see valves that aren't sealing right, and cylinder walls that need attention, you'll want to rebuild, with the broken bolts in one head you'd be better to replace it on a rebuild, as long as you're replacing you will want to upgrade a little, you know how it goes, it'll end up as a whole engine rebuild.

If you want to get into that then absolutely go for it, but if you need the truck on the road, not in the shop, and you can't be dumping money right now, just leave it.

If you really aren't comfortable with the leak though, my next recommendation would be to just take the intake carb and only that one head off, not even look at the chambers or valves, get the bolts out, new gasket under it, and slam it right back on, anything more and you'll be convincing yourself of just one more thing every day.

If you are looking to get into a project though (depending on what you're using the truck for), you can slap on some Australian closed chamber heads, and they'll bolt right up to your intake, and exhaust, and get your compression way up. With that though you run a huuuge risk of pummeling to death a bottom end that has remained unchanged for 30 something years (what happened to me), and then needing to do a total rebuild, so, like I said, the safe thing, just live with it.

Goodluck! AleX

 

heat them up red hot then touch a wet rag to them or tack a nut to them ether one could work good ive used both