440 Engine-Removing Studs and Bolts

[RKC]

Need to remove water pump studs and various bolts/studs holding parts to engine without breaking them off. Is heat the best thing to use to avoid breaking anything off? How hot do the studs need to get? (I plan to put a cover over the fuel pump and remove the carburetor to prevent any fires.) Thanks!

 

[live4theking]

Have you soaked them with penetrating oil? An old timer told me a 50/50 mixture of atf and acetone works great.

 

[Xcudame]

If you have plenty of access, you can also use a butane torch and candle wax for really stubborn bolts! I've been working on my 64 Imperial and at almost 62 years later, a lot of stuff is corroded. Blaster penetrate seems to work better than WD40. ATF and Acetone works too! Just make sure you have good ventilation. Acetone will make you dizzy!!

 

[RKC]

If you have plenty of access, you can also use a butane torch and candle wax for really stubborn bolts! I've been working on my 64 Imperial and at almost 62 years later, a lot of stuff is corroded. Blaster penetrate seems to work better than WD40. ATF and Acetone works too! Just make sure you have good ventilation. Acetone will make you dizzy!!

How do you use candle wax? How does it help the process? Thanks!

 

[Davea Lux]

Take a propane torch and heat the area around the stud. I use a birthday candle on the hot metal. As the wax melts it should be drawn into the the threads on the stud and help free it up.

Dave

 

[MONC440]

Need to remove water pump studs and various bolts/studs holding parts to engine without breaking them off. Is heat the best thing to use to avoid breaking anything off? How hot do the studs need to get? (I plan to put a cover over the fuel pump and remove the carburetor to prevent any fires.) Thanks!

When heating the objective is to heat around the bolt thread area not the bolt itself, you want to try to expand the area just a bit and if the bolt stays cooler than the metal around it it will not expand as much. Also keep in mind hot bolts break easier that cool bolts.

I also have good luck with soaking with a good penetrating oil. Use a brass hammer or regular hammer with a brass spacer and rap the end of the bolt like you are driving a nail. The object is to shock it. Then use a small impact wrench on low setting and let is shock the bolt loose, sometime I alternate between tightening and loosening. When the bolt starts moving switch to hand tools and loosen it a few turns and if it gets real tight again soak it some more and alternate back and forth. I have also done this without an impact using a box end wrench and hitting the wrench with a small hammer to shock the bolt. When it starts turning don't go to fast because it the bolt builds up heat from friction it will expand in the threads and can get tight enough to break.

Good luck.

 

[Big_John]

IMHO, unless you have a really good reason to remove them, leave the studs alone.

The only ones that I can think of are the 2 on the valve covers and the 6 on the exhaust manifold (per head) If you need to remove them, I would assume the head is coming off anyway, so I would do it on the bench where you can get at them easily and therefore have a better chance of not breaking them off. Also a million times easier to deal with a broken stud.

 

[RKC]

IMHO, unless you have a really good reason to remove them, leave the studs alone.

The only ones that I can think of are the 2 on the valve covers and the 6 on the exhaust manifold (per head) If you need to remove them, I would assume the head is coming off anyway, so I would do it on the bench where you can get at them easily and therefore have a better chance of not breaking them off. Also a million times easier to deal with a broken stud.

Water pump bolts and long bolt holding brace for alternator, are some of the bolts I need to remove. Thanks!

 

[Fury1969WI]

... alternate between tightening and loosening. ...

IMO - once I realized (and started practicing) this it was a game-changer. It's like when your stuck in the mud/snow, sometimes you have to backup to go forward. It's counterintuitive but sometimes tightening a stuck bolt will free it. Don't go crazy, just looking to get some movement.

Also, don't sweat a broken bolt. It's not the end of the world and that's what welders and drills and extractors and Gen III hemi swaps are for.

Any bolts going into the water jacket will very likely have a lot of corrosion or "gunk" on the inside threads where they protrude past the pump housing, cylinder head, engine block, whatever. Once you get any movement spray and spray again with whatever oil you are using and work the bolt/stud back-n-forth until it spins freely.

Finally, I'm not aware of any studs on the water pump to the housing. Those should be thin head bolts. Would be interested to see pics.

GOOD LUCK, patience and time are your friend here (Oh, and 6 PT Sockets (ALWAYS!!)).

 

[Gerald Morris]

Water pump bolts and long bolt holding brace for alternator, are some of the bolts I need to remove. Thanks!

Definitely heat the block AROUND the tapped hole those 3/8"-16 threads are torqued in to. Use your choice of penetrant lubricants. I would try candlewax. Remember, you can COOL the bolt, shrinking it a bit by applying a wet rag to the end, while warming the block. I sometimes use doubled nuts in a wrench or socket when attempting to start a difficult bolt. One can be a stopnut. I include this last tidbit in case you sheer a hexagonal bolt head off, and then need to thread something. I pray you can do the job just with a little heat and lubricant.

 

[Milo]

Check this video for rusty bolts