When I did the minor refresh of my engine in '05, I decided to upgrade to ARP studs & nuts for the head. Not sure why, I just thought it was a good idea. I did a lot of research and suspected that the next time I pulled the head off it was gonna be a fight. This weekend I found that to be true.
The issue is with the 2nd & 4th studs on the driver's (exhaust) side of the engine. All the others spun out very easily, they still look new. If you're ever pulled a head off a 22R-series, you know these 2 head bolts can be difficult to remove as they get "baked" into the rocker rail casting and the head, due to being a cramped fit between the exhaust ports. Oil in the annulus between the castings and the head bolt gets cooked from the extreme heat, cementing the head bolts in. Some have even snapped the head off the bolts trying to get them out.
The stock head bolts are actually "necked down" in the straight unthreaded section. But the problem gets worse with the ARP head studs, as they are actually slightly larger in diameter, so the tolerance is even tighter here.
I was able to easily pop all 10 of the nuts off the studs, and 8 out of the 10 studs came out by hand. Then it was on. What I had to do was soak the studs in plenty of Aero-Kroil, trying to get it to soak down into the baked oil crust. A few gentle heat cycles, some tapping with a plastic mallet and careful prying, I was able to get the rocker rail to slide up and off the problem studs. That was Friday evening, by the time I got this far it was past dinner time and I was cold (unheated garage). I kept the studs soaked in Kroil all night and all day Saturday, gave them a few more taps with the mallet. Today I gave them a couple more heat cycles, more Kroil, and started some firm hits under the lip of the head with the plastic mallet. Eventually I could see a thin gap opening between the block and the head, so I knew I was winning the battle. Lots more Kroil, then I double-nutted the top of each stud and was just able to get them to bust free and start to turn.
Head is off now, all studs out and accounted for. Crank & pistons coming out next.
Question: does anybody know the approx. weight of a stripped 22R block? Trying to figure out if I can get this thing off the stand and into the back of my Highlander by myself. I borrowed the engine hoist, can't use that now.
The issue is with the 2nd & 4th studs on the driver's (exhaust) side of the engine. All the others spun out very easily, they still look new. If you're ever pulled a head off a 22R-series, you know these 2 head bolts can be difficult to remove as they get "baked" into the rocker rail casting and the head, due to being a cramped fit between the exhaust ports. Oil in the annulus between the castings and the head bolt gets cooked from the extreme heat, cementing the head bolts in. Some have even snapped the head off the bolts trying to get them out.
The stock head bolts are actually "necked down" in the straight unthreaded section. But the problem gets worse with the ARP head studs, as they are actually slightly larger in diameter, so the tolerance is even tighter here.
I was able to easily pop all 10 of the nuts off the studs, and 8 out of the 10 studs came out by hand. Then it was on. What I had to do was soak the studs in plenty of Aero-Kroil, trying to get it to soak down into the baked oil crust. A few gentle heat cycles, some tapping with a plastic mallet and careful prying, I was able to get the rocker rail to slide up and off the problem studs. That was Friday evening, by the time I got this far it was past dinner time and I was cold (unheated garage). I kept the studs soaked in Kroil all night and all day Saturday, gave them a few more taps with the mallet. Today I gave them a couple more heat cycles, more Kroil, and started some firm hits under the lip of the head with the plastic mallet. Eventually I could see a thin gap opening between the block and the head, so I knew I was winning the battle. Lots more Kroil, then I double-nutted the top of each stud and was just able to get them to bust free and start to turn.
Head is off now, all studs out and accounted for. Crank & pistons coming out next.
Question: does anybody know the approx. weight of a stripped 22R block? Trying to figure out if I can get this thing off the stand and into the back of my Highlander by myself. I borrowed the engine hoist, can't use that now.
...an empty block should be no problem
