Matt H

1) What in the world do you guys use to remove the bolts inside the cam tower? Is it a 6mm allen? Were you able to buy a very long 6 mm allen socket (not key as I dont think I could turn it)?

2) Once the cam tower is off what is typical head removal time? Exhaust is already off so there is really nothing holding it on, intake is also off.
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

Ski

Matt, a long 6mm, mine is on a 3.8 drive socket. Once the cam tower is off, break the head bolts, remove the washers, tap it with some wood and hammer and it should come right off - 20 minutes max.

You do have the water neck and the water passage bolts out?

David Floyd

I just cut the L off of a long Allen key and use a 6 mm socket.

"Wake" the bolt up before taking a wrench to it.

Maybe 30 mins, from where you are at now for the head to be off.

David Floyd

Bret,

You beat me... by seconds this time.

Matt H

Holy jeez is that it? Good deal, I was gonna wait until the morning may just go get the tool now!

David - I always "slap" the wrench instead of apply gradual pressure, seems like if you apply gradual pressure with an allen key they just round everything!

Ski - were you able to get that at Sears? Yes, I have the water passage bolts out AFAIK (that is how this project started!).
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

Tom M'Guinn

Me too. Might want to pick up a carbon fiber dremel cut off wheel while you are out. Snap-on makes a loong hex socket for this too, if you can find one. You can also grind down the chrome part of the Craftsman short hex scoket (at your own risk). One the tower is off, you can remove the head if all the other stuff is disconnected from the head (water lines, intake, exhaust from headers, etc.)

PorscheDoc

I second the cutting off the allen key. I actually only had to use a regular allen key with a visegrip for some torque to get them off, putting them back on i did it like the above guys had done. My mistake was cutting a cheap quality allen key, because when i torqued them back on, it twisted the key, and if i wouldnt have caught it, i would probably had allen key shards laying inside the cam cover. Seriously once you get the cam cover off, should take you no longer than 15 minutes to get the head off. Mine went back together much faster than i took it apart for some reason.

Matt H

The Snap-On guy lives like 5 houses down and he doesnt have one, I just got back from his truck!!

I dont own a dremel, I have been putting it off, looks like tomorrow mornings first purchase, I would much rather have the socket but the Harbor Freight store is like 50 miles from the house (in F.W., why the hell they put it there I will never know).
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

Bones944

A word of advice here, dip your allen wrench in a little wheel bearing grease after you break the cam tower bolts loose (which shouldn't be a problem, they are tightened at like 18 ft/lbs or so) as this will make it MUCH easier to extract them from the cam tower. Do the same when replacing them. I also found it helped to apply a little grease to the cam followers to keep them in place when reinstalling the tower, otherwise they'll slide out. The cam followers also are "worn" to their respective cam lobes so make sure they are reinstalled to their corresponding lobes.

Matt H

I want to scream, why does the simple **** always have to be not so simple? This should take like 5 mins. but the GD socket wont go in the hole, no one has the right tool and I dont have a method of cutting another one!!
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

Matt H

which shouldn't be a problem, they are tightened at like 18 ft/lbs or so

Not even close, I was going at it with a long handle hex and I am a strong guy, I couldnt get them to budge even a little. I bet these are in there with 50 ft/lbs or more. GD P.O.
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

Bones944

Go to Sears and buy a long allen key and cut the angled end off with a hack saw and insert it into a socket. You will only have to file away the edges a bit from the hacksaw.

Bones944

Check that torque spec if you have a shop manual but it is low like 18ft/lbs or so, I don't remember the exact spec. Them buggers have been in there awhile, you just need the leverage from a ratchet.

Matt H

The head has been rebuilt recently, the last guy that has the car had a shop in Cali. do a bunch of work to it, they are quite fond of impact wrenches. You should see the bolts in the clutch! Now I remember why I do almost everything by hand.
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

PorscheDoc

Matt, take your long allen key (uncut) and attach a vise grip laterally down the 'L' part of the key and that will give you enough toque to get them loose. You do need to wake up the bolts though. Take a punch and a ball peen hammer and hit the center of the bolt with a couple good smacks, then you should be able to pop them loose. If you do not wake them up, you will have a hell of a time getting them loose and will round the heads.