Header help

Peanut Gallery · Oct 8, 2011

I noticed the other day that the stock cast manifold on the 302 V8 in my truck is cracked in a few places. I am looking at putting some shorty headers on it so I don't have to replace the hole exhust system. I know it's going to be chore to get the bolts off becasue the hole truck is rusty. Need to know of any tips or tricks to help getting those off? I have some PB Blaster, or is there something else better to use?

The engine is bone stock so it has stock manifolds and heads, so I am guessing that it has cast heads. Hopping that I don't end up snapping the heads off the bolts and have to replace the heads.

TIA
Sean

CHOP SHOP · Oct 8, 2011

Good luck, may the force be with you. :booo:

If it can break, it will.

WA-Wheeler · Oct 8, 2011

Do it by hand! No air tools! Drench the bastards in PB, then be careful.....very careful.

RidgelineMotorsports · Oct 8, 2011

WA-Wheeler said:
Do it by hand! No air tools! Drench the bastards in PB, then be careful.....very careful.

X2, and when you are turning them out, make sure to go back in with them occasionally about a 1/2 turn to free up anything in he threads, similar to when youare tapping a hole. Good luck!

Ice · Oct 9, 2011

X3. And when backing them off, if they get hot, stop and let them cool. Too much heat will weaken the stud and make it more prone to snap. Replace them with new nuts when you're done.

skinny_pedal · Oct 9, 2011

Honestly just break the bastards. Get the manifold off. Then take an air hammer and rattle the **** out of the broken studs. 9/10 times they come out with a stud remover after being rattled.

340SHORTY · Oct 9, 2011

throw the PB in the garbage can... get some Kroil and you will never get another can of PB crap..

zukkev · Oct 9, 2011

Kroil is ol' skool---used to use it til i discovered PB years ago---the kroil went the trash! :haha:

CHOP SHOP · Oct 9, 2011

Just twist them off and getter done.

If they are gonna snap, then NOTHING you do is going to prevent that.

Its a crusty, bolt seizen, manifold bustin, ford.

Its just what they do. The only engines worse are small block mopar exhaust bolts.

Just be glad you dont have a 460. They break the bolts off before you even get close with tools.

zukkev · Oct 9, 2011

CHOP SHOP said:
Just be glad you dont have a 460. They break the bolts off before you even get close with tools.

True that! :haha:

Land Pirates Off Road · Oct 10, 2011

We will start up the rig just for a bit to heat up the heads. Makes it a little bit of a bitch at times with the hotter exhaust... But it helps the oil get in to break them free...
We replace them with studs when ever possible and SS ones at that from ARP.

Thegreasemonkey · Oct 10, 2011

Land Pirates Off Road said:
We will start up the rig just for a bit to heat up the heads. Makes it a little bit of a bitch at times with the hotter exhaust... But it helps the oil get in to break them free...
We replace them with studs when ever possible and SS ones at that from ARP.

this, i would also try to quench the bolts to cool them off. hot metal expands so in theory that should help. may the force be with you!:cheer:

Peanut Gallery · Oct 15, 2011

Thanks for all the tips guys.

Thegreasemonkey · Oct 16, 2011

any luck?

Oil can · Oct 16, 2011

Thegreasemonkey said:
any luck?

break em all, its a good reason to get knew aluminum heads.......:bling:

good luck!:corn:

Peanut Gallery · Oct 22, 2011

Thegreasemonkey said:
any luck?

I have not attempted this just yet. Looking to try it over Thanksgiving. Hopping to have a friend give me a hand with the project.

Peanut Gallery · Dec 18, 2011

Ok I finaly got to do some work on the truck. I ordered up some headers for it to replace the cracked one. I ordered up some stainless ones, but was unhappy with the quality of the stainless so I had them coated. Here is a few picts.

So over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend I was able to get them replaced, a bit thanks to my sister boyfriend Jason. I soaked the bolts with PB Blaster for a week before and I think that made all the difference. We didn't brake a single bolt, but did have to cut two of them because they were double nutted they got bound up. Then got the news ones back on and no more exhaust leaks.

The old and busted

On to the new parts.

The project didn't go off without a hitch thought. Did get some parts brakage, first was the dipstick tube. It need to be removed to get the header in, it apperently has not be out of the truck sence it was first put in. As with the rest of the undercrage it must have been rusted into the block. So it broke at the joint where it enters the block. Had to get the drill out and luckely when drilling it chought the tube just right and and it pulled out a but so I was able to get it out.

Anyone know where I can get a replacment?

Another think that broke was a spark plug, I think it got cracked when trying to get one of the manifold to exhust bolts out. The manifold must have put pressure on the plug to crack it. So the next day I went to the parts store to get a replacment.

On the drive back home I noticed that was starting to loose power, had it on curse and it had to keep down shifting to keep speed. So I pulled over and popped the hood and noticed that one of the spark plug boots had fallen off and was sitting up against the header. So after getting shocked I turned off the truck and got the wire back on. It must have been vibrated loose when I ran over the rumple strips on the edge of the road, the ones that are suposed to wake up sleeping drivers. So yesterday I put new plug wires on it, luckely it had warmed up and was nice. I also put some head boots on the ends of the new wires hoping it will not happen again.

I also installed a new coil hoping to get it to run better.

Totalled · Dec 18, 2011

Accell wires suck. Order up Taylor's when you replace them in a few months.

Fram filters also bring the suck. Walmart has Motorcraft filters for like, $3.59. Their oil is cheap too.

Dealer or junkyard for the dipstick.