Help: Head bolt access.

[B-Reight]

Hi all, i'm currently whipping the heads off the 390 to replace all the valve springs after one of them failed. The passenger side head was easy, but there is no access to the rearmost head bolt on the driverside. Is it possible to do with the engine in situ by undoing the engine mount and jacking the engine up or am i going to have to pull the lump?

Ta
Ben

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

I've done it before with the engine in, so as you said just remove the mounts and just it up.

[adam quantrill]

Yeah I have too - but I remember that one bolt near the back was hard to crack and I had to use a 3 foot breaker bar on it - which scratched the windscreen surround when it finally went... ;^(

[The Hatter]

It's still tight to get that last bolt out even with the engine lifted, but it can be done. You need a very short extension bar on a 1/2" drive socket too.

[matt-man]

As above, I did mine when the engine was in the car...

Had to use impact sockets and get someone to hit the top of the socket whilst I put a long extension bar on and gav it my all!!!

Use the right tools!

[Barkychoc]

You need a 1 metre breaker bar preferably 3/4" drive and no question an impact socket.
I broke 3 standard (not stunning quality) 1/2" drive sockets before buying an impact socket.
I'm sure the head bolts are imperial but a 16mm socket was a perfect fit.

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

Barkychoc said:

You need a 1 metre breaker bar preferably 3/4" drive and no question an impact socket.
I broke 3 standard (not stunning quality) 1/2" drive sockets before buying an impact socket.
I'm sure the head bolts are imperial but a 16mm socket was a perfect fit.

You only need an impact socket if your using a impact gun etc. (even the electric ones can be very good, but may take a while you think it not working then it does)

As long as the quality of the tools are good, a 1/2" drive will be fine, I use 3/8" to put them back together with (3/8" drive torque wrench). and remove if the one I've done to the correct torque. I've never broken a 1/2 driver, but have a 3/8" on ones that have been done up by monkeys.

My 300lb torque wench I use for hub nuts is still only 1/2" drive. 3/4" drive is really only for trucks etc, or maybe for removing overly tight hub nuts. there is nothing else on a wedge that would need 3/4"

Top tips when removing very suborn bolts

1. Sometimes tightening them can help break the seal esp if the bolt is rounded on the loosen bits.

2. Work out where the end of the wrench / your hands will be when it does give, as it will go with a snap. and you could hurt yourself or break something on the car or the screen.

[adam quantrill]

3. Do up the ones around the last one you are trying to break, to relieve some of the strain on the bolt.

[rev-erend]

Adam - yep .. top tip. That really helps