Broken head bolt .

[evilunclegrimace]

This is a first. In 47 years I have NEVER broken a head bolt off in an engine block. ( and I still have not)

This started as a blown head gasket on the drivers side between cylinders 3 & 5, not a big deal for a truck that has 276,000+ miles on it. Pulled the drivers side head and cleaned everything in order to replace the head gasket. While I had it apart I decided to clean the combustion chambers and found a crack in the head that runs into the exhaust seat. Again not a big deal, I have spare heads in the shop. Installed a replacement head and decided to do a little preventative maintenance. This is where things really go south.

I figured that if the drivers side gasket failed it would be a good idea to change the Passenger side gasket while it was this far apart. It was a good call and at the same time it was not, I pulled all of the head bolts and the last one spun with very little effort and this is what I found.

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[evilunclegrimace]

this how much thread is stuck in the block

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[SAATR]

Time to get the welder and a few 1/2x13 nuts. Should be an easy fix... famous last words.

 

[SAATR]

Oh, can you get a good close up of the break? On both pieces?

 

[evilunclegrimace]

Oh, can you get a good close up of the break? On both pieces?

Yes when I can find my camera, my phone does not like to focus up close.

 

[evilunclegrimace]

This was the start of this fiasco

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[Schurkey]

I pulled all of the head bolts and the last one spun with very little effort

If you loosen the head bolts in reverse-order that they get torqued, that wouldn't be the last head bolt.

Is the broken piece hard to unscrew? I'd give it a twist with a vice grip. I bet it comes right out--there's no tension on it now. Maybe some corrosion.

 

[evilunclegrimace]

If you loosen the head bolts in reverse-order that they get torqued, that wouldn't be the last head bolt.

Is the broken piece hard to unscrew? I'd give it a twist with a vice grip. I bet it comes right out--there's no tension on it now. Maybe some corrosion.

It is stuck, Vice grips will not turn it. There is no need to un torque a cylinder head in reverse order. The gasket is already compressed and there for it is not able to be reused.

 

[andy396]

I had the same thing happen on my 396. Now you’re not alone.

 

[Schurkey]

You're better-off releasing stress on the head and block in the opposite order that created the stress. Almost all torque patterns are some variation of a spiral from the center outward, best to un-torque from the outside in. Yes, you would not re-use the head gasket.

Sorry to hear it's stuck. As said earlier, weld a nut onto it and back it out. I might drop a flat washer over the broken stud as a "shield" for the block deck.