Head bolt question

[mastercamper]

So I’m doing heads on on 03 got new heads on and torquing got the passenger side squared away and on the drives side I have one that won’t budge on that last 90 degree turn. Im going to give it another try tomorrow. Should I be concerned?

 

[michaels]

Are you using a long enough cheater pipe?

 

[DiscoHasBeen]

So take all this with a grain of salt, I'm not a trained mechanic. I have however had to wear many hats at my job and mechanic has been one of them. First I would try a different bolt. I assume you are using the original bolts? One of them fits in there. If that doesn't work, I'd use a slightly shorter bolt. Given that it's just one personally I'd rather use a shorter bolt torqued to spec.

 

[mastercamper]

Are you using a long enough cheater pipe?

Yep

 

[mastercamper]

So take all this with a grain of salt, I'm not a trained mechanic. I have however had to wear many hats at my job and mechanic has been one of them. First I would try a different bolt. I assume you are using the original bolts? One of them fits in there. If that doesn't work, I'd use a slightly shorter bolt. Given that it's just one and your options are to not torque to spec (bad idea) or trash the engine(?).

They are new head bolts.

 

[Swedjen2]

Clean out the tapped hole that's giving you problems. It's probably got some junk at the bottom. Air gun and or magnet.
Then measure the depth with a Vernier caliper, then the gasket thickness, then the hole depth on the head...add in the washer thickness, add it all up and then check the length of the bolt from below the head to the end of the threads. It better be shorter than all the holes and washer.
If not, then you know why the head gasket failed in the first place.
Compare the tapped hole thread depth in the block from one to another unless that's the last one.

 

[Flyfish]

Clean out the tapped hole that's giving you problems. It's probably got some junk at the bottom. Air gun and or magnet.
Then measure the depth with a Vernier caliper, then the gasket thickness, then the hole depth on the head...add in the washer thickness, add it all up and then check the length of the bolt from below the head to the end of the threads. It better be shorter than all the holes and washer.
If not, then you know why the head gasket failed in the first place.
Compare the tapped hole thread depth in the block from one to another unless that's the last one.

X2! Yea, there is something inside there. Either crap or even liquid can hydro lock it.

Remove that bolt, inspect and clean inside. Check the rest that you haven’t done yet also, make sure they are dry inside.

Hopefully you pre-soaked the bolts in oil or are adding anti-seize or something to the bolt threads.

 

[mastercamper]

So the bolt will be good to pull out and reuse? I sprayed air in to blow it out before I put the head on. This was a preventative job the gasket didn’t fail per day just seeping a little coolant in the back. Plus it’s a set of heads that I had machined. With new bolts and gaskets.
Only thing I can think that I did was 1 of 2 things.
1 I over tightened the bolt
2 I may have put a long bolt in where a short one goes

 

[Flyfish]

I may have put a long bolt in where a short one goes

That’s definitely possible. Can you stick a screwdriver down through the head to measure it’s depth vs other remaining open holes. And there should be one mismatch with the remaining bolts.

Removing and reusing that bolt is probably a coin toss.

 

[Tugela]

I assume you are using the original bolts?

Using the original bolts is a great way to become proficient at head gasket replacement through repetition. The OP doesn't mention whether he's using new bolts or re-using the ones that he removed. Hopefully the former.

 

[mastercamper]

Well the boat just needed. Rest

 

[mastercamper]

Using the original bolts is a great way to become proficient at head gasket replacement through repetition. The OP doesn't mention whether he's using new bolts or re-using the ones that he removed. Hopefully the former.

New bolts been around too long to reuse the old ones

 

[discostew]

New bolts been around too long to reuse the old ones

But the new bolts you put it together with the first time need to be replaced.

 

[Swedjen2]

You can get by reusing washers unless they're cupped and non-critical screws and bolts but you must replace all stretch bolts. No way to get around that unless, like Tugela said, you want to get good at replacing head gaskets.