tricks for a stuck head bolt?

[Anonymous]

Well, after 170k my 200 just blew. Not sure what happened yet because there is one head bolt- the center one just below the carb, that is totally stuck. Does anyone have a trick for this? I've tried everything I can think of.

 

[xctasy]

Reclamp the other bolts to factory torque. Loosen the offending bolt using a 6 to 8 foot long steel tube, such as scafolding rods, or a piece of thick boiler/exhast tubing. Engauge it over the breaker bar and socket, and give it a sharp blow. If that won't shift it, I'll consider celibacy.

The socket can be a 12 point socket or a 14 mm (soft hammerd on), rather than the 9/16, if you have issues with it hanging on. It worked for my old 200. A soak in petrating oil in that valley where the exhast heater stove and carb is will help if you want to wait a day.

 

[addo]

I'm a big fan of 6-point sockets in this application. Thoroughly de-crud the area, and as XE says, torque all the other bolts up, before loosening this one. Have a helper apply downforce to the socket as you turn. The binding is under the head, not in the threads. A "focused" blow or two downwards with a 3-5 pound hammer may assist as you turn.

Adam.

 

[kukm66]

The best penetrating oil I have found is No-K-Rust but is very difficult to find here in the southwest. A friend of mine was a machinist and turned me on to this stuff. It blows away anything on the commercial shelf.

 

[Falcon62]

I haven't run across a stuck bolt that wouldn't yield to my impact wrench. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

well, I got it finally. And of course lost some knuclke skin when it let go.

Anyway, what I found is that the #1 cylinder rod broke. The timing is pretty bad seeing as there is a bus union strike in L.A. and that is my backup transportation! But I now I have an excuse to upgrade.