help with head studs

[bmoss85]

okay so i got my engine in the stand tonight and i started tearing it down and i realized that i cant get a socket on the nuts to take the head off. it has arp studs. can anyone tell me what size socket i need, and do i need to turn it down on a lathe or something to get it to fit. i havent been able to get anything to fit in there to take the nuts off.

 

[IJ.]

14mm thinwall 12 point
(a 9/16 will work as well)

 

[jdub]

If you got a Sears nearby, a Craftsman 3/8" drive of the above will work fine.

 

[IJ.]

John: Often wondered when you guys use the 3/8 drive socket do you use a 3/8>1/2 drive adaptor on the socket>1/2 drive extension>Torque wrench or a 3/8 extension then the adaptor>Torque wrench?

 

[jdub]

The 3/8" drive socket has thinner walls than the 1/2" Craftsman socket. Yep...a 3/8>1/2" adapter on the socket...1/2 extension to 1/2 drive torque wrench (least that's the way I do it).

You could get a 1/2" thin wall socket too though...always had all of the above in the box and it's worked fine.

 

[bmoss85]

thanks , i tried to put a 14mm and a 15mm in there and could either one to go in straight down on the nut. also the car has an hks mhg, can it be reused or should i just not any chances and buy a new one.

 

[jdub]

It's 14mm or 9/16", 12 point like IJ said. Did you rotate the cams and give it a try?

You can reuse a MHG, but all the old viton coating has to be removed. Acetone or paint thinner works well. After you get all the old viton off, coat it with copper spray before you put it back on.

 

[cuel]

There isn't any crusty oil build up in there holding you up, is there?

 

[bmoss85]

no, i took the cams out, im gonna see if i can get a socket w/ a thinner wall, that should. somebody did have to put them on there at some point.

 

[jdub]

BTW - there's a torque pattern for the cams too

 

[IJ.]

BTW - there's a torque pattern for the cams too

A very specific one not to mention a low Tq setting that's below most wrenche's range

 

[bmoss85]

ive got the toyota shop manual, ive pulled the head on my last supra but it had stock bolts. i didnt know this one had studs. just something else i dont have to buy during my rebuild. just dont have a 14mm thats thin enough to fit, to take off the nuts for the studs.

 

[Adjuster]

JDub's right on the money, the 3/8's deep 14mm 12 pt with a 3/8 to 1/2 adapter works great.

Or buy the right 14mm deep socket 12 pt in 1/2 inch, and your even better.

When you pull the head, see if you can pull the studs out first, prior to pulling the head. (They have allen heads in them.. I've found that easy out's work better to remove them than the allen wrench.. Especially if someone decided to loctite them into the block..)

I've re-used my Greddy MHG a few times now.. On 4 motors, and the orginal MHG job, so 5 times now...
Use brake cleaner, and it removes all the rubber/viton on the HKS MHG. Then put the gasket between your tourqe plate, and the block when they cut your bores, and it's the right size bore too... Clean it up with brake cleaner again, blow dry with compressed air, and then I've found using brake quiet spray on both sides works great to seal up the gasket.

Key is this. Coat it with a few light coats untill you get a nice thick coating of the brake quiet on both sides.
Your engine should have the front cover on, and be ready for the gasket and head. Don't put in the studs yet.
Take some form-a-gasket, or "The Right Stuff" and put two small beads down on the block between the front cover and the block. (As per the TSRM.) and then very carefully, lay the coated MHG into place WITHOUT SLIDING IT AROUND. You want to drop it onto the pins and it's done.

Now, with a friend helping you keep the head steady, place it straight down over the gasket and onto the alignment pins too. NO sliding it around. (IF you do, pull it all off, clean it all up, and coat the gasket again.. and start over..)

Ok, now comes the time for you to use those head studs! They work great to align the washers into your head.. You lube up the ends with moly grease, and both sides of the washers, and then slip the washers down the studs as you put them into each hole.. (Otherwise, you are going to find, the washers DO NOT FIT down easy, so you have to pull the F'n studs anyway to get the washers into place.. Do it my way, and save yourself the curses I've had to invent when I loctited the studs into my head, and then found out the washers don't fit... and found out that easyout's are the easy way to removed stubborn head studs...

Ok, once your washers and studs are in place, and you have the nuts lubed up and on the studs, follow the TSRM pattern, and tourqe the head down in a few passes to about 95lbs (This seals up the head and head gasket with the still uncured brake quiet, and you will have zero leaks in my experiance.)

Good luck, and enjoy.

 

[bmoss85]

thanks for all of the info. i probably wont be able to work on the engine again until next week. the engine is supposed to have eagle rods and arias pistons so i was hoping i could have the pistons skirts coated and hone the block. its only supposed to have 2000 miles on it.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Craftsman tools suck. Take that deep socket and grind the wall down so it will fit between the lifter bore castings.

Then throw that craftsman junk out and get some REAL tools.

 

[jdub]

I wouldn't say Craftsman "sucks" Frank. Granted, there's better tools out there, but way expensive for the backyard mechanic. For most folks Craftsman works fine and if you bust one, Sears replaces it no questions asked.

 

[starscream5000]

I've had no problems with my Craftsman tools :dunno:

 

[Frank Rizzo]

There IS a difference.

I mostly work on diesels so......

And I'm probably the only one here that has a tool chest in my room. And it ain't filled with crapsman....

 

[bmoss85]

yeah i use matco at work, but i get a 55% discount on their tools when i order off of the net. my dad uses nothing but craftsman and thats i use to work on my car, especially since my car is at his house.

 

[MassSupra89]

There IS a difference.

I mostly work on diesels so......

And I'm probably the only one here that has a tool chest in my room. And it ain't filled with crapsman....

I've got my Snap-On box in my room... and Craftsman at work.
There is a difference in some tools, but it's not worth triple the price for most of them... I hate using craftsman ratchets but for things like sockets and screwdrivers I like being able to abuse/break/replace them whenever I want without getting pissed I have to wait 3 days to get my $100 wrench fixed.

I've always used 14mm 3/8"drive>3/8"-1/2" adapter> 1/2" torque wrench on the headstuds. I've even lost a few 14's and adapters and it's only $20 to get a new one at Sears:icon_bigg