Head Bolts

Well I managed to get the dreaded pully nut off.. It too an entire
afternoo with a rattle gun and a big compressor.

And I then decided to pull the head and replace the head gasket.

So far I have managed to get 8 out of the 10 head bolts out. The other
two have been burred and the socket cannot get a grip.... Any ideas on
how I can get the last two hed bolts out??

Thanks guys

Frank

 

How badly are the bolts rounded? are you using a 12 point or 6 point
socket? 6 point sockets are much stronger and wont round the bolt as
much. If a 6 point wont work then get the next size smaller and a hammer
(use a strong socket) also make sure its at least half inch drive,
preferable 1" and a big power bar

 

also dont use an extension if you can help it and put pressure on the
socket pushing away from the way you are turning: (helps to use two people)

-socket
/* <- pressure
/
/
/ direction ->

 

Thanks Caleb!!

The last two head bolts came off by following your instructions. I'll
replace all the head bolts when I get time to put it all together
later this week.

Is there anything I should do while I have the head ofF?

Is it woth having it crack tested or hardness tested?

Thanks again.. You saved me a great deal of pain.. I have been telling
my wife what a great group this is for information... She wants to
know if anyone has advised me to get a towtruck and move it to a Honda
repairer yet?? (It is her car and it has been off the road for three
weeks now while I have been building up to getting the head off.

Thanks

 

What kind of car is it? 88-95 civics have an updated head gasket (and
bolts) you can use. You should always have the head surfaced after you have
removed it.... and it wouldn't hurt to pressure check it first and have the
valves faced.

 

get the surface of the head planed at a local shop especially if you did not
take the bolts out in reverse order of torque sequence. You should also
consider having the valves reseated, and magnafluxed to look for cracks. I
ALWAYS replace head bolts on aluminum headed engines as a rule. You will be
suprised how much more power will be restored if you have the head gone
through completetly.

 

when i put on my new exhasut my bolts were also rounded...get a compressor
and a chivel and a air gun thing and have some new nolts of course

 

resurfacing an alloy head is not so easy. most shops try to use the
same tools/speeds they use for detroit iron & it doesn't work - the
material just bunches up in front of the cutter head causing deep
gouges, not clean cuts. after that, the new gasket goes on ok, but
starts leaking after a few hundred miles. you're better off just
cleaning the head surface carefully by hand with a putty knife. having
it tested & refinished by someone with the right equipment to factory
spec is real expensive.

 

how do you magnaflux an alloy head?

 

you should check the cylinder head to see if it is warped and get it
planed if it is, when you put it back on the block make sure you tighten
the bolts in the right order and use a torque wrench, while the head is
off its a good idea to replace the valve stem seals and reseat the
valves. once its back together you have a 1000k wear in period.

 

The car is a 1990 Accord Exi 2.2 liter

 

Just for future reference, sockets such as these from Snap-On can be a real
life saver when dealing with rounded nuts http://tinyurl.com/4h8mj. As a
less expensive alternative, Craftsmen also offers similar units though I
can't find a url for them at this time (if I remember correctly a comparable
set is $40-50).

Eric

 

Glad you asked..with liquid penetrant materials and UV light.

OK, your right, the word magnaflux is used incorrectly here, ,but the point
was to get the machine shop to check it for cracks, and most laymen know the
term magnaflux over LPI......any good machine shop will have the LPI
chemicals.

Liquid Penetrant Inspection

"LPI Inspection is a non-destructive test method that uses an oil-based
chemical solution of dye, visible or fluorescent, capable of migration in
surface openings. It is used to locate cracks in ferrous or non-ferrous
materials, as well as some ceramics and plastics Read FAQ

Applications - Detecting surface flaws in non-porous parts. Typically used
in aerospace, castings, forgings, automotive, leak testing, general metal
work, power plants, etc."

Above taken from http://www.magnaflux.com/products/overview.stm

The small kit is CHEAP (ie, $12.00 on Ebay) for the serious DIY guys/gals

This kit would have saved me from installing a used cracked head on a BMW
325 a few years ago. Once the head was cleaned and dipped (the British guy
used a weak solution of Traffic Film Remover or TFR) that worked better to
clean alloy that I have EVER seen) the crack was invisible to our naked
eye. Only after it got hot did the crack expand enough to cause a leak. We
didn't catch the crack that ran right along parallel underneath the
camshaft. I'll never make that mistake again.

Hope this is useful.........

Eightupman

 

The machine shop I use, uses a belt sander setup. The do not take off very
much material at all. They set the level head on the belt for a few seconds
and then lift it to check if the surface is level and clean. If it is
warped, you will see the distinct "misses" where the belt sander does not
touch. Down for a few more seconds, and if it is completely surfaced, it
is measured to see if a thicker gasket is needed. I have not ever seen one
cut out of spec thickness.

I personally would never go after an alloy head with a puttly knife, or
anything that will run the risk of gouging the surface. Especially if you
have never done it before. You could try a brass wire wheel on a drill. It
is abrasive enought to knock off the crap, but will not gouge the head.

 

good, if you're going to resurface, that's the way to do it.

just to be contrarian, there's a school of thought regarding resurfacing
warped alloy heads on alloy blocks [honda] that says /not/ to do it
because the two surfaces are frequently warped to fit each other. need
to check both surfaces first. if they're both warped, leave alone.

 

good! your handle implies detroit iron - some of the mustang guys a
know, while sincere, are so stuck in that iron age, nothing else seeps
through. [pun intended].

 

Well the handle has nothing to do with cars actually...but it does fit. I
AM in fact a muscle car guy (Chevy to be exact)at heart, BUT also know that
unless you are doing an out and out resto, that is not where the current
repairs are taking place. Sadly (for Honda) I have done my fair share of
Honda work, probably to a ratio of 2-1 vice any other make or model. That
COULD be due to the sheer volume of Hondas onthe US roadways, OR they do in
fact break down just as much as other cars. I am a firm beliver that the
DRIVER is at least 50% to blame for failures...not doing periodic maintence
for example.....