Cylinder head bolts won't budge

[slomove]

I am in the process of stripping down a used ZX1 engine as spare parts donor. No problems so far, but the cylinder head bolts just won't come out (not any of them). I never had this problem with my old engine when I took the head off in the past.

Should I just get a more powerful impact wrench (and are impact wrenches recommended for such stretch bolt anyway)? Or just use a longer lever on the regular wrench?

I am concerned that something gives before the thread moves (the bolt itself, the T60 torx bit or the bolt head torx pattern), leaving me even in a bigger mess.

Anybody knows a good trick?

Thanks,

Gert

[Doug Liedblad]

Has the engine been rebuilt before and someone used Loctite?

Try the 'red wrench' technique and heat them up. This should degrade the Loctite if any. Try turning while hot and after cooling off. By hot it should be > 300آ؛F. Maybe not that hot if it will warp the head.

Sometimes it works to try to tighten them first, strange as it seems. Just a bit to see if they move.

If they break, it ain't my fault. But I can probably get the broken pieces out.

Doug

[slomove]

Has the engine been rebuilt before and someone used Loctite?

Try the 'red wrench' technique and heat them up. This should degrade the Loctite if any. Try turning while hot and after cooling off. By hot it should be > 300آ؛F. Maybe not that hot if it will warp the head.

Sometimes it works to try to tighten them first, strange as it seems. Just a bit to see if they move.

If they break, it ain't my fault. But I can probably get the broken pieces out.

Doug

Unlikely that is has been rebuilt. It looks pretty newish as I got it from the junk yard and has supposedly "only" 62k miles on it.

When you say "heat up" you mean heating the entire lump? Or torch the bolt head somehow? This may be difficult since I am disassembling the engine while still in the trunk of the Hyundai.

Another question... I took off the stock intake manifold, fuel rail with injectors and throttle body. If somebody has a use for that I give it away for free.

Gert

[Doug Liedblad]

If not practical to heat the bolts, get a bigger breaker bar and use a 3' cheater.

They will either come loose or break.

Either way you can get the head off.

Unless the torx head strips then....

[slomove]

Thanks Doug, I got it lose. Amazing what a 3 ft long tube can do.