Engine Stud Removal
Discussion
Hi,
New member just joined and already looking for some assistance.....(also posted in the Midlands Regional group - hope that isn't a problem).
Have a Triumph Stag (my wifes in fact) with original 3.0 V8 and it looks like the head gaskets are shot.
Stripped it down and got the nearside head off happily in a couple of hours on Friday but spent all Saturday unable to remove the offside head. Managed to get 3 studs out completely and one has snapped off 5mm inside head.
The last one though simply won't budge. We've had a variety of tools on it including dedicated stud removers on long bars, tried to free the head with jacking it up on the exhaust manifold and lifting the engine on the lifting hook at the same time to try and help shift it and smacking it around with a lumpy ona wooden block.
Used a lifetimes supply of various penetrating/freeing fluids and even had the tools attached to a rope and cranked on that with full deadlifting power and it won't budge.
Chances are it is going to snap (as per the other one) if I give it any more pressure and I will then have 2 studs sitting in the head. Hoping i can free this last one then get the head to move to free the already broken one.
This head hasn't been off in years and jusdging by the state of the stds that have come out, which are utterly manky, it is completely bonded into the head.
Does anyone have any crazy ideas that might help? Need to be pretty careful with it obvoisuly as alloy heads with cast block and lack of available replacement heads in case of damage would be problematic.
Does anyone know of anyone who could help with this while we wtil have an inch of one stud available?
Does anyone know anyne Midlands based (although will travel pretty much wherever at the moment) who could drill it out or go the molten metal route if need be?
All suggestions apart from throwing it in the bin gratefully received.
New member just joined and already looking for some assistance.....(also posted in the Midlands Regional group - hope that isn't a problem).
Have a Triumph Stag (my wifes in fact) with original 3.0 V8 and it looks like the head gaskets are shot.
Stripped it down and got the nearside head off happily in a couple of hours on Friday but spent all Saturday unable to remove the offside head. Managed to get 3 studs out completely and one has snapped off 5mm inside head.
The last one though simply won't budge. We've had a variety of tools on it including dedicated stud removers on long bars, tried to free the head with jacking it up on the exhaust manifold and lifting the engine on the lifting hook at the same time to try and help shift it and smacking it around with a lumpy ona wooden block.
Used a lifetimes supply of various penetrating/freeing fluids and even had the tools attached to a rope and cranked on that with full deadlifting power and it won't budge.
Chances are it is going to snap (as per the other one) if I give it any more pressure and I will then have 2 studs sitting in the head. Hoping i can free this last one then get the head to move to free the already broken one.
This head hasn't been off in years and jusdging by the state of the stds that have come out, which are utterly manky, it is completely bonded into the head.
Does anyone have any crazy ideas that might help? Need to be pretty careful with it obvoisuly as alloy heads with cast block and lack of available replacement heads in case of damage would be problematic.
Does anyone know of anyone who could help with this while we wtil have an inch of one stud available?
Does anyone know anyne Midlands based (although will travel pretty much wherever at the moment) who could drill it out or go the molten metal route if need be?
All suggestions apart from throwing it in the bin gratefully received.
I've had two stags, and two head gasket failures (all the magazines that say that 'any car nowadays will be fine' have no idea what they are talking about.)
As you seem to have realised, the problems are that:
The bolts and heads corrode together (being different metals)
The bolts are not straight, so you can't just pull the head off the block with shear brute force.
I haven't done it myself but I understand the usual technique is to get some clearance between the head/block and then hack-saw the bolts off....and then remove the studs from the head/block later. Only work's if you can get that initial 1/2 inch of movement though.
To be honest it sounds like you are doing very well at the moment, the only thing I would say is that you can buy new heads. If you have to ruin the head to get it off the block well...it's not the end of the world, but don't wreck the block or it's suddenly a much bigger, more expensive job (new engine). I have heard of people putting so much force on the head (literally lifting the car by a head) it shears the engine mounts off. The guy who did mine last drilled the bolts out with a custom made, hollow drill bit of the correct size. No where near you though, sadly. He is Adam Dormer of AD autos if you want to talk to him, maybe he has some he can lend/sell you?
P.S. Good Luck, and may your bores be nice and smooth when you finally get a look at them!
As you seem to have realised, the problems are that:
The bolts and heads corrode together (being different metals)
The bolts are not straight, so you can't just pull the head off the block with shear brute force.
I haven't done it myself but I understand the usual technique is to get some clearance between the head/block and then hack-saw the bolts off....and then remove the studs from the head/block later. Only work's if you can get that initial 1/2 inch of movement though.
To be honest it sounds like you are doing very well at the moment, the only thing I would say is that you can buy new heads. If you have to ruin the head to get it off the block well...it's not the end of the world, but don't wreck the block or it's suddenly a much bigger, more expensive job (new engine). I have heard of people putting so much force on the head (literally lifting the car by a head) it shears the engine mounts off. The guy who did mine last drilled the bolts out with a custom made, hollow drill bit of the correct size. No where near you though, sadly. He is Adam Dormer of AD autos if you want to talk to him, maybe he has some he can lend/sell you?
P.S. Good Luck, and may your bores be nice and smooth when you finally get a look at them!
Algie a proverbial problem with the Stag the neatest solution is to find a garage or someone who has a Snapon induction heater clip it the stud and it gets red hot in seconds a few cycles with this usually does the trick alternatively Knight racing services at Daventry have a jig for drilling them out
Ian
Ian
Favourite method seesm to be to bolt fabricated brackets on the head and use hydraulic rams/bottle jacks to lift the ehad off.
See: http://www.tscusa.org/tech/cylinder_head_removal.a...
John
See: http://www.tscusa.org/tech/cylinder_head_removal.a...
John
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