The cylinder head replacement story begins…

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 1936 ford pickup

NOTE: photo is of NAVARRO head and new head gasket sitting flush on block and you can see some studs are too short. Photo is before pilot counterboring.
Bruce in Modesto, Ca.

[Brendan]

seams like a lot of work for something that runs good , i would just leave it alone and drive it. i have a stock 36 ford pick up with the orignal 21 stud , it always runs

[SoCalCoupe]

Originally Posted by Bored&Stroked

I don't think I've ever attempted to remove studs with the engine in the car. It
always seems there is at least one that might just break off (or does). When they have been in there the number of years they have, sometimes they don't want to leave their home without a fight.

It can be a very exasperating and stressful experience . . . especially when you feel that aweful moment when one snaps off. Argggggggggggggh

Full disclosure: I actually did break one off and spent the last two weeks getting it out while still in the car. I actually did get it out finally, a MAJOR PITA. That's why I chickened out on attempting to remove the rest of the studs even though it was really tempting to go ahead and finish the job. I still had one stuck, one broken, and 36 more to go. Like I said above, I used penetrating oil for a week on the stuck one and heated it cherry red four times but still couldn't get it to budge even the tiniest bit, in or out.


Was really discouraged and thought I was going to have to remove the engine and take it to a machine shop. Saw the trick on YouTube of welding a washer to the stud, welding a nut to the washer, and then wrenching it out. Don't have a welder so shopped around for one. A lot of money for a single use tool.



Looked around at videos and posts about easy outs. Not all that great but worth a try so long as you're really careful about not breaking off the easy out. Bought a really high quality set that included multiple sizes of high speed left hand drill bits. Worked with that for hours until I finally chickened out to avoid breaking off the tip in the block.


Here's a Motor Trend article on the drill and pick method. Bought a set of transfer punches and center drill to get a really accurate start on drilling. Started that two weeks ago. Yesterday morning I took a deep breath and moved up to the final drill diameter: 3/8". The remains of the stud came out and the threads cleaned up really nice! The left hand drill bits were "trick" that finally worked for me.






Like I said, I decided to quit this project while I was ahead. I now have the skills and tools to continue fearlessly ..... but not until the engine's out of the car. Rather than sell my fancy heads, I'll wait for that day, or another flathead project.



Got all the head and block mating surfaces cleaned up and installed a new gasket with the old head finger tight and breathed a big sigh of relief. I should be driving my car by the end of the week!

[Bored&Stroked]

Great Job! Relentlessness is what it is all about - with research and the best tools you can afford. And to think, you now have some new tools to use the "next time".

[RKS.PA]

Brad, I applaud your persistence, too!!! Think you've made the right decision, given that you want to get your coupe back on the road and enjoy some fall driving!!

I've successfully mig welded nuts on stuck studs with the engine in the car and wish we lived a little closer!!! (It, too, is a pain, but very satisfying when you finally wrench them out!!)

Regards....Dick.

[SoCalCoupe]

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Today was the best day since I started this project. Got everything put back together and warmed it up in the driveway, back to where I started. Corrected a couple of radiator hose leaks and a fuel line leak then went on a 2-mile test drive through the neighborhood. (With my cell phone and the towing service number.) No issues. I'm going to do a cooling system flush just because this a good time.


Pulled the battery tray out while doing the job. It looked like a$$ so I wire brushed and sanded it and did a couple of coats of rattle can rustoleum on it. Big cosmetic improvement. BTW, the nuts and bolts to attach the battery tray are really fiddley and hard to reach.


The paint wore off the head stud nuts during the torquing on and off so I bought a set of chrome nut covers. Going to get some clear silicon to stick them on.


Oil on the dipstick looks nice and oily, no sign of a water leak.



I spent a lot of time and money to return to zero but I learned a lot.


Plan to take it to the San Diego Early Ford V8 breakfast on Wednesday morning and the El Cajon cruise night the same evening.


Life is good!

[Tim Ayers]

Excellent! Glad it all worked out and learned something new along the way.

[Ol' Ron]

It's been awhile sisnce I had to do this, probable back in the 50's. But back then they were newer and came out easier. Good choice in Cylinder head, now consider milling them for 45" piston to head clearance.
Gramps

[tubman]

To clarify things, I think you mean .045".

(Us old guys sometimes talk in "thousandths".)

[tubman]

Sorry, duplicate post.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by tubman

To clarify things, I think you mean .045".

(Us old guys sometimes talk in "thousandths".)

I think that's fairly close to a smidge more than a 32nd, and a smidge less than a 16th.... from another old guy!

Coop

.

[theriddler56]

SoCal,
Try heating studs near the block enough to melt ‘beeswax’ on the block end of the studs. The wax will suck into the threads (same idea as sweating copper fittings) providing lubrication between the threads, let cool then use either stud extractor or double nut with lock washer in between nuts.

[RKS.PA]

Sometimes the "tuition" is worth it!!

[SoCalCoupe]

REALLY out-smarted myself. Started flushing the cooling system with Evapo-Rust at the same time starting with new head gaskets and am getting weepage from three head-bolts. Three head-bolts I didn't touch in the aborted replacement project.


Noticed some VERY uncomfortable ease on re-torquing head-bolts after a heat cycle. Am I going to break the d**m things off torquing to spec? Some guys in the EFV8 club say, "yes you are." OMG.



On a different note; El Cajon Cruise night was awesome. Lot's of everything. Felt like being in the center of U.S car culture. Low-riders, rat-rods, flatheads, hemis, millions of SBCs, life is good.


My wife is on travel so I took my 97 year-old mother. She was 15 years old when my 1941 Ford was new.


Lots to think about.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoupe

El Cajon Cruise night was awesome. My wife is on travel so I took my 97 year-old mother.

Man, it just don't get no more COOL than that! What was Mom's reaction to all of that excitement?

Coop

.