Truck stuck in driveway.....

[Thewetdream]

Or completely ***** the job...... I’m over it ..... **** this ******** truck..... it’s my own ****** fault for even doing this job and of course I get the first one easily and completely **** the head on the second...... if luck was getting cancer I wouldn’t get it ....... I’m going to a dealership and putting a for sale sign on this bucket ...... 54k miles and I’m doing engine work like a ******* idiot

 

[BWL]

If you didn't drill through a water jacket you're still good. Just have to oversize and helicoil it. Will need a jig to line the drill up perfect though given the off centreness.

 

[Thewetdream]

For sale as is $15k

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

My friend, if one manifold bolt has you this agravated, you probably shouldn't finish the job. Auto mechanics isn't for everybody and it sure ain't for you.
We've all drilled a busted bolt crooked. Heck, you don't even know if you drilled into a water jacket or not. This could still be an easy, cheap fix. Your truck, your money, your decision.

 

[GTyankee]

If nothing else, pull the head off & take it to a machine shop
If they say it is ruined, i bet they have a source for a used head & can set it up for you

 

[Thewetdream]

My friend, if one manifold bolt has you this agravated, you probably shouldn't finish the job. Auto mechanics isn't for everybody and it sure ain't for you.
We've all drilled a busted bolt crooked. Heck, you don't even know if you drilled into a water jacket or not. This could still be an easy, cheap fix. Your truck, your money, your decision.

...... maybe you are right ..... but I used to be a marine mechanic for about 8 years as a kid before getting the job I am in now....... I’m just venting ..... been a long year ..... for all of us I’m sure

 

[Thewetdream]

I’m outside again before work .... grinding away

 

[BWL]

...... maybe you are right ..... but I used to be a marine mechanic for about 8 years as a kid before getting the job I am in now....... I’m just venting ..... been a long year ..... for all of us I’m sure

We've all been there

 

[Thewetdream]

We've all been there

26th hour logged on one bolt...... not much progress..... just using the dremel stones to try and see some threads and try to pick this out

 

[Thewetdream]

 

[Thewetdream]

We've all been there

should i be tapping with a m8 x 1.0 or m8 x 1.5 at this point? or buying a helicoil kit for any of those sizes

 

[Thewetdream]

sorry for the questions that may sound dumb at this point the brain is pretty fried

 

[BWL]

If you can drill a 21/64 hole still then I'd do a helicoil for the stock 8mm X 1.25. Perhaps others can confirm that's the stock size.https://www.amazon.ca/Helicoil-5546-8-Metric-Coarse-Thread/dp/B0002SREP4 . If not then you would have to go to a 10mm and also drill out the manifold to fit the larger stud. Perhaps someone else can chime in on issues that may cause. 5/16 is a more common size probably amongst your drill bits. See if that fits in the hole. If not then you can coil it. 11/32 is the closest standard bit if you need to tap it for 10 X 1.5.

 

[BWL]

I'd be tempted to pay somebody who's done it since getting the shallow tap done is a bit tricky if you've never done it and any further mistakes could equal new head, it's a quick job for somebody with the right tools and experience.

 

[BWL]

You'll need a bottoming tap because it's a blind hole and a taper or plug tap to start the thread since the bottoming ones are near impossible to start at the best of times. Back it out and blow with compressed air to get the cuttings out a few times along the way.

 

[Thewetdream]

ok ..... maybe ill just call the local shop in the morning and have it towed over there thanks bwl appreciate it

 

[89grand]

ok ..... maybe ill just call the local shop in the morning and have it towed over there thanks bwl appreciate it

That's not a bad idea. We've all attempted repairs we wished we hadn't started. You'll lose less of your ass if you pay someone to complete it, than you would if you sold the truck way under market value.

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

...... maybe you are right ..... but I used to be a marine mechanic for about 8 years as a kid before getting the job I am in now....... I’m just venting ..... been a long year ..... for all of us I’m sure

You might be able to find the specs on that head that include wall thickness and exact locations of the water passages in relation to the exhaust ports and manifold studs. I got similar info somewhere back in 1975 when I was porting/polishing heads from a 327 sbc motor. That **** has to be easier to find now with that damn interweb.

By the way, I was in no way judging you or mocking you. Your jump from Defcon 5 to Defcon 2 over an EZ-Out mistake is why I wrote about dropping that starter on my damn face. That happened when I went to defcon 2 over putting a 2 bolt starter in. Something I'd done dozens of times with no problems.

Step back, re-group, take a day or 3, rent a damn car if you have to and then go back at it. I always had a street legal motorcycle in case one of my junks couldn't be fixed in one day. I paid less than $1,500 total for the first 8 cars I owned. Think any of them needed workin' on? Yep, ALL of them!

Making Good decisions comes from Experience.
Experience comes from making bad decisions.

You can use that. I didn't write it, I just borrowed it and tried to remember it when I felt a Defcon upgrade coming on, LOL.

Now, go fix your truck.
I bet you're wishing you pulled that head off and had it on the bench for those 26 hours huh?. Now you know for when the other side starts breaking bolts. Sorry, I had to. [emoji38]

 

[Brian Sullivan]

I'm a mechanic, I've had that happen a few times.

 

[Thewetdream]

Hey fellas...... happy to report that 6 hours in the New Jersey pouring rain on Friday I was able to successfully helicoil the last bolt and the truck is fixed. My hands / arms / chest / back look like I was tortured for information on weapons of mass destruction but I’ll live lol. Thanks for all of the advice and pushing to keep going..... I get anxiety when I know my truck is super taken care of and not bastardized at all and I get like hyper if it’s going to get messed up.