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Header bolts vs. studs

Billy T.

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Just an FYI, make sure if you are installing headers and are going to remove the studs and use bolts, that they are not too long.
I'm sure somewhere in this page there is this nugget of wisdom, he'll, it might even be common knowledge, just I didn't think about it. What started as pulling the drivers side header to put a couple of dings in it so the torsion bar and z bar don't rub, now looks like the entire engine is coming out to assess the head damage and see what can be done. Numbers matching engine and stock heads.

John Wayne was correct when he stated life is harder when you are stupid!!
 
Because of the coolant leak? The end studs/bolts go into the water jackets. Not broken if that is all that happened. Re-install with thread sealer...
 
I hope that when you say the bolts are too long that you didn't drive them through and crack the head. But why pull the whole engine when you can have that head off in a couple of hours?
 
I would think it would be pretty damn hard to crack a head with a 3/8" bolt, you'd have to torque that bad boy way more than I'd think the bolt could take before breaking unless the casting was already thin? Like Dave said, you sure it isn't the coolant coming out of the header bolt since they go into the water jacket? This is why most use studs... so you don't have to deal with draining the coolant. Don't ask me how I know:lol:
 
Ok. Thanks guys. I really appreciate the input and know now I cried wolf when I didn't have anything to worry about. Yes, it's coolant coming from the bolt/stud holes. I'm new to mopar so this did freak me out some. I didn't know if the header bolts went into the water jacket or if I punched an internal hole somehow. Previous experience with small block Fords, I don't recall this ever happening to me. I did notice all of them were draining fluid but by that time, I had already convinced myself I really screwed something up. When I installed these headers, the coolant was already drained as I removed the engine to change out the stock k member with a QA1 system.
 
Glad to hear. Wasn't long ago I learned the same way as you haha.
 
Sometimes it's good to leave a stud in the corners or at least the front holes. The stud can give you a good place to hold the header when installing or removing and make it easier to align the rest of the bolts.
 
I had the same thing happen on a 360. Took the manifold off and the stud came out, water everywhere. If your not expecting it, you think there a big problem. Good to know RB engines are the same.
 
Except Mopar big blocks don't have coolant in the intake manifold.
 
So the engines came stock with exhaust studs? I have an exhaust leak and haven't fixed it because I'm afraid of snapping a old rusty bolt off in the head like on another project.

I hope you situations turns out ok. The other day, shortly after I got my car, I went to go fix an oil leak from a valve cover to find that two bolts were broke off. I have no idea how those got broke but the last guy found a way. I was over my head so I took it to my dads repair shop for a free fix. My dads newest tech drilled one bolt out, tapped the hole, and put in a stud. The he went to the second one and drilled into the water jacket when he went through that bolt. That hole was tapped, threaded, and had a stud installed with a sealant and it hasn't leaked in 500 miles. Needless to say that stud will never be removed.
 
Yes.
Now the aftermarket aluminum heads have blind exhaust bolt/stud holes that do not go into the water jacket......just some food for thought for ya.
 
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