Removing head studs and other adventures

Farace · #1 (**permalink**) 05-14-2004, 09:39 PM

Is there a trick to removing the head studs? I tried putting another nut below the head nut and jamming them together, but when I try to turn the stud, the two nuts together turn and the stud won't give. I want to give them a good cleaing on the wire wheel, and I want to have better access to the interior of the block to better clean that.

Other adventures: I was attaching my connecting rods onto the new pistons today. One of the new wrist pins is way too tight in the connecting rod bushing. Just gets wedged in place. Put the old wrist pin back and it's fine. Okay, not the ideal solution, but I'll live and it will save me another trip to the machine shop. The next two wrist pins fit just fine. Then I got to the last one and saw a crack a third of the way across the wrist pin bushing. So of course, I figure I better change it, and while I'm at it I may as well have the tight one honed. (Another trip to the machine shop, oh goody.) I'm thinking I better have another good look at the other three . . .

**Roadtrip** · #2 (**permalink**) 05-14-2004, 09:46 PM

Bob - To tell the truth, I wouldn't try and remove the studs. I think you're just asking for trouble. After these many years I'll be those bad boys are stuck in there good, and you'll probably just break something trying to take them out. Did you have the machine shop clean the block or did you do it yourself?

Farace · #3 (**permalink**) 05-14-2004, 09:59 PM

The machine shop cleaned it. The grease on the outside at least. I was a little dismayed at how much white chalky corrosion is in the water jacket. It's coming off okay using a small wire wheel on a Dremel tool. I wanted to clean the studs well so the head wouldn't catch on any corrosion on them and so the threads would be clean. I suppose I can wire wheel those, too, and forget about getting into some of the nooks and crannys behind the studs. I suppose I can console myself with the fact that with most engine designs I'd never have seen this well into the water jacket anyway.

**ossodiseppia** · #4 (**permalink**) 05-15-2004, 06:49 AM

The last thing you want is for one of the studs to snap off or break your block. Leave them be. Clean them as best you can and then slather them up with some good quality anti-sieze.

Farace · #5 (**permalink**) 05-15-2004, 03:11 PM

Turns out the cracked bushing isn't cracked at all, just stained along the split.

I've now got all the parts home from the machine shop. Got the valves and springs installed in the head and I'm going from room to room in the house looking for my micrometer. (Don't you hate it when someone cleans up after you and you can't find things?) My goal is to have the car driveable by Memorial Day, which, if I don't need too many parts that I haven't ordered yet, might just happen. It's those parts I don't know I need yet that will slow me down. Or if my TA doesn't come back in time. or . . .