I am in the middle of replacing the head gaskets. The right head is off; the left has a frozen bolt at the lower back but that is not my immediate concern. I reconnected the battery briefly to unlock the back door and while turning off the ignition, I accidentally turned the key the wrong way and cranked the engine for less than a second. Did that screw up the timing or anything else?

The stuck bolt is not rounded yet. I have tried to loosen it with an 18" breaker bar but it's obvious 24" is necessary. Is it advisable or possible to use an impact driver? Thanks.

 

No, you did nothing to the timing.

Spray the bolt down good with WD40 and let it sit for a day, then go back at it. Yes, you can use an impact...but just make sure it is going the right direction.

Brian.

 

I have sprayed the bolt with various brands of penetrating oil, hydraulic fluid, WD40 everyday for 2 weeks. Somebody on this forum said to put the other bolts back in to relieve the pressure on the back one and then take the back one out (I currently have 4 left in, including the stuck one). Is this worth doing? If I were to do that, would I have to torque down the other ones in the correct order? Can I reuse the old ones or do they have to be new? Thanks for replying. Happy holiday.

QUOTE=TlDeputy;626872]No, you did nothing to the timing.

Spray the bolt down good with WD40 and let it sit for a day, then go back at it. Yes, you can use an impact...but just make sure it is going the right direction.

Brian.[/QUOTE]

 

You can’t reuse the bolts and I would strongly caution against using an impact, the threads on the bolt holes are fragile.

 

Try Kroil, available at gun shops. Also, go both directions, tighten, loose, tighten, loose to break it free. You may have to apply heat. Good luck.

 

I had one head bolt that rounded. I ended up having to drill into it and grinding bits of it away (very carefully!) in order to get it out, and split several sockets in the process. I kept several of the other bolts in place in order to try to minimise the torque needed to get it free. It took me several days.
And that was the front one of the passenger side. I can't imagine how difficult it will be to get to one of the rear bolts.

 

[QUOTE=abran;626913]You can’t reuse the bolts and I would strongly caution against using an impact, the threads on the bolt holes are fragile.

If I have 4 bolts still in, fully torqued and add 6 more, the 10 bolts will not have been torqued evenly at the same time. Is that a problem?

Thanks for your time.

 

[QUOTE=LADisco2;626983]I believe "abran" is talking about whether or not to reuse head bolts while reassembling...not for what you are intending to do now. Personally, and this is based on 40 yrs of being a mechanic, I see no use in torquing down the head again. I've never heard of such a thing, until now of course, and do not see it helping at all. Maybe the person this technique did work for...it was just a coincidence.

Also, do not use chrome sockets. Use an 6-point impact socket 1/2 drive, of good name brand, bare minimum craftsman, S&K, etc...or go all in with mac, snap on, etc. Use your impact on the lowest setting, let it hammer/vibrate the bolt for a bit, lube, hit it again, lube, hit it again...notch the impact up another setting and work it in both directions, keep notching the setting up as you go, following the same procedure as mentioned. This mild hammering will help break loose any static tention or corrosion that may be holding the bolt. All else fails, apply a little heat to the bolt itself, it will expand slightly - breaking corrosion/static tention - let cool and impact again at lowest setting. Repeat until you see movement.

If/when you see movement...lube the living daylights out of it again and hand tool (ratchet) it out from here on out, working it back and forth as you go.

Good luck.

Brian.

 

[QUOTE=The Deputy;626995]Will get right to it. Will report back once the deed is done. Thanks.

 

Another solution proposed in an old thread: drill head off bolt, remove cylinder head, turn out remaining stud with vice grips.

Also, I have removed 16 bolts so far with a hex 16mm deep (chrome) socket and a cheap 18" breaker bar. The socket is also rounding and cannot be used any longer. Will a 24" bar be anymore effective, given the difficulty of keeping the socket seated on the bolt at that angle?

In re "apply heat": with a heat gun? a Bernz-o-matic torch? Seems risky given the proximity to oily grime all over the engine but willing to try it if it will work faster.

Thanks to all--this really helps.