Stuck rocker arm bolt
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 964
Likes: 1
From: Roseburg, OR
Stuck rocker arm bolt
I'm doing a head gasket job on my '90 Thunderbird (3.8 V6) and have been actually rather pleased with how things are going along, with the exception of two problems.
The most pressing of those issues is a rocker arm bolt that just will not let go. It has a set of aftermarket billet pedestal mount roller rocker arms on it and all of them came out easily except for one. It just won't budge. They have allen-head bolts holding them down that take a 6mm bit to remove. I have tried everything I can think of short of heating it to remove the bolt (hammers, impact driver, etc. etc.) Now I've almost completely rounded out the bolt and I think my next resort has to be an easy-out. Only I know the easy-out will break right off if I don't find a way to loosen that bolt up a little.
Of course, there is the idea to apply heat, but the steel bolt in aluminum head concept has me a little worried.
Idears?
The most pressing of those issues is a rocker arm bolt that just will not let go. It has a set of aftermarket billet pedestal mount roller rocker arms on it and all of them came out easily except for one. It just won't budge. They have allen-head bolts holding them down that take a 6mm bit to remove. I have tried everything I can think of short of heating it to remove the bolt (hammers, impact driver, etc. etc.) Now I've almost completely rounded out the bolt and I think my next resort has to be an easy-out. Only I know the easy-out will break right off if I don't find a way to loosen that bolt up a little.
Of course, there is the idea to apply heat, but the steel bolt in aluminum head concept has me a little worried.
Idears?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,777
Likes: 863
From: Foothills of NC
Try tapping gently on the top of the bolt for a few minutes with a hammer. If you can't get the hammer directly to it, use a steel rod as an extention, then tap.
You may have to do this several times, geting a little harder with the taps each time. The tapping jars the bolt in the threads and breaks loose the crud. I have done this with exhaust studs I knew would break off if touched, but didn't.
This is simple, and it works most of the time. A very good mechanic showed me this years ago. He said since he started doing the tapping thing he rarely had a bolt seize or break.
You may have to do this several times, geting a little harder with the taps each time. The tapping jars the bolt in the threads and breaks loose the crud. I have done this with exhaust studs I knew would break off if touched, but didn't.
This is simple, and it works most of the time. A very good mechanic showed me this years ago. He said since he started doing the tapping thing he rarely had a bolt seize or break.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 5,491
Likes: 16
From: Kuna ID
Forgive me if this sounds stupid, but I cant for the life of me picture what your setup looks like. Is the bolt recessed in something that would prevent you from getting a pipe wrench on the end of it. Could be someone(if it wasn't you) botched the installation of that one, and fixed so no one else could? I wouldn't think you'd have to apply massive amounts of heat to it, just start slow, heating it up as much as you are comfortable, it might just be enough.
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