I'm just a simple man trying to change a simple headgasket. I remove all the head bolts rather easily, except one. I mean these bolts were practically flying out. Then this one would not budge. I even upgraded my rachet size just to avoid a trip to Sears. thing is turning but very slowly, nothing like the others. So as I'm turing this final bolt and it f**king SNAPS!!! At first I though it was the socket, but to my horror is was not.
I was hoping I would be able to pull the head off anyways, but no. That b still feels like it has 10 bolts running through it. I guess I need to go to Sears to get a drill bit that actually works and a tap. Boooo. Boo I say. :mad:
Just wouldn't be a TC if everything went according to plan.
man that sucks, sounds about like my luck :( was the headgasket blown? I hope things get better for you.
I don't think the headgasket was blown. I was replacing it just because the I had everything torn down and it seemed like the engine was never torn apart before so why not. All the gaskets were brittle and looked factory installed. That would been the only gasket I wouldn't have replaced, and I didn't want to tear the engine apart sometime down the road (probably soon) just to install that one gasket. Silly me.
I just wish "Luck Be a Lady" hadn't came on shortly before it happened. :giggle:
If the head of the bolt is snapped off, the head should come off no problem. The only things holding it on are two dowels and the broken bolt.
I would recommend putting a prybar in the notches between the block and the head (near the back and probably the front too), and prying on it a little. Should break it loose.
I think that bolt was (is) seized to the head. Which is what I'm really pissed about. I tryed prying, even lifting the engine in tehe process, and that head is not budging.
I know when my friend tried to pull the head off his 2.3 he had to have a special tool made up to get the head off.
He inlisted the help of the collage metal shop class. It was 3 sided and bolted to the head and had a 3' bar welded to it. And guess what it was still a PITA to get off.
Well, that is not good. Don't really know what to tell you then, aside from drilling out the bolt like you said.
I don't know man... Darkthunder never had these problems... lol its the name change :)
good luck with the head btw ;)
Man somthing has got to be up. I've torn down 7 2.3t's and never had to realy pry the head off. I just grabbed ahold of the lower intake and it would pop right off. Do you have the exhust mani unbolted? There is a support bracket for the turbo that bolts to the block. That could make you think the head it stuck on there. Itis very hard to see from the top it goes from the lower turbo bolts to the block.
Ugh! I been drilling, drilling, drilling, hammering, drilling, yelling, drilling, hammering, hammering, drilling, drilling, pulling, drilling and pleading and this thing still will not budge. I am almost certain that I could reassemble the engine "without" the head bolts and it will run fine. I am so tempted to run out there and cut that head in half, but I'll prolly hit the block and then I'll have an extremely large paper weight in my engine bay. Which I pretty much have anyways so I think I may just go to hunting for a long block.
put it back together and run it as long as you can with the one broken head bolt then if the head gasket blows go and hunt for a long block. atleast try to get something out of the engine.
That really sucks man. I say run it until you have a problem. Never Know maybe if you have the plugs in if you bump the starter with the cam at so all the valves are closed. But I tell you not to do anything to mess up the head. Trust me I have 5 spare cracked heads. If the head is good try to keep it that way. just my .02 cents
I started putting it back together today. Does anyone have 3 exhaust manifold bolts handy? I'll gladly take them off your hands. :D
I though for sure one of those head bolts was going to snap when I torqued them down. Guess I lucked out. :)
I'm just gonna turn up the boost to 18psi and run it til it pops.
Do I see another "Brokeblock Mountain" thread coming? :D Hell, crank the boost up to... um... hell, just wire the wastegate so you get every bit of boost the turbo can produce. Then you can pick the head up when it comes through your hood :rollin:
why push it so hard? why would you want to spend money if your dont have to? treat it like you would if you didnt know the head bolt was broken. hell its a TC!!
I see a blown head gasket in that engine's near future :dunno:
Doesn't help that the 2.3 only has 4 head bolts per cylinder, having one missing sure won't help things.
I am treating it like I didn't know the bolt was broken. 18 psi is the general max for the stock IHI. I'm gonna drive it like I normally drive it. If it breaks it breaks, if it doesn't it doesn't. In the mean time I will be looking for a long block to replace it with, because I seriously doubt I will be able to seperate that head and block without ruining one or the other.
Did you at least spray a bunch of penetrating fluid down in there - or is the hole completely blocked up with rust? It may have time to work while you are heating the engine/blowing the headgasket/distorting the head. I wonder if expanding the head a bit with some heating from a torch would have helped any?
really I would pour penetrating oil to the bolt.. then in a day or so heat the side of the head where the bolt is . there is no way that one bolt could stay on after that. I just bought a engine and I am worried about the header bolts and all...
Well acording to Mr. Murphy when (not if) it breaks it will be at the farthest point away from your home on a dark highway with no cell phone.
If you absolutely must drive it; i.e. it's your only transportation; I would crank that boost all the way in so you're running less than 5 PSI and drive it like it's made of glass.
Otherwise... it's torn down enough to easily pull the longblock and take it to a machine shop and have it fixed right. If that bolt was stuck in the block enough to snap off you aint gonna twist it out of the hole with a pair of vice grips. Plus, I dont think drilling and tapping a head bolt hole is gonna cut threads strong enough to hold a headbolt in place... Hell, they say not to even clean head bolt threads in the block with a tap because the small amount of metal it removes just chasing the threads will weaken them.
FYI, if you end up needing a 2.3 turbo head. I have one that I'll sell for $50 plus shipping if you cant find one anywhere else. You shouldn't need a head though. Drilling that out will be the easy part.
You can always put in Helicoils.. they make great threads..in any metal
http://foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=10145&page=2
Oil in coolant, engine is going bye-bye. I'm done fooling with it. In retrospec I think the headgasket was already gone, or perhaps the head is cracked... who knows, I really don't care. Cougarman has got an engine for me and he's gonna drop it in there too so the TC should be back on it's feet soon.
Cool, I hope ya get it back on the road soon!
BTW, how's the calendar comming?
It's coming along... just need a weekend and uninterrupted computer time to finish it up.
Then they wonder why we have tears in out eyes. I found a 1995 T-Bird coupe that was beaten by the owner, because the Repo guy was coming.. all Glass, interior and every inch of the body was destroyed.. Open hood and the engine suffered the same fate.. Sorry to Rant But I feel you should Restore the Turbo.
what the hades are you talking about?