1996 3.9L Going after the head gaskets...
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From: Palm Bay, FL
1996 3.9L Going after the head gaskets...
Hello Friends!
OK, so it is time to do the head gasket thing. I have only done this once before, on a 1994 Chevy 350, and going to need a bit of support here. My first concern is relieving the fuel pressure. Can I do this without any special equipment with junk from around the house, or am I going to have to spend a few bucks on a fuel pressure gauge/tester to use the hose off of that?
OK, so it is time to do the head gasket thing. I have only done this once before, on a 1994 Chevy 350, and going to need a bit of support here. My first concern is relieving the fuel pressure. Can I do this without any special equipment with junk from around the house, or am I going to have to spend a few bucks on a fuel pressure gauge/tester to use the hose off of that?
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From: Palm Bay, FL
Thought that Dodge would be like Chevrolet in the flanges for the exhaust to exhaust manifold connection. See I was somewhat mistaken. This is nearly impossible, might consider the sledge hammer. Wondering if it was engineering genius or cheap <expletive deleted> management that chose to go with simple (going to rust and create great frustration) nut-and-bolt.
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From: Palm Bay, FL
This is not pretty.
On either side one bolt came off from the flange connecting the exhaust pipe to the manifold.
And on either side, one bolt (on each side) did not.
On the left side I was able to grind down the head of the bolt using a pair of pliers on the head and an impact wrench rotating the nut and bolt shaft, to the point it slipped through the holes in the flanges. But on the right side it was the nut that rounded off underneath, not the bolt head (by the way, I had to resort to a socket on top and bottom - both were tight fitting - and breaker bars, top and bottom, for the impact wrench was able to get the nut about a half inch down the bolt but then the nut froze. Tried backing off and running back down, but would not progress).
If you are familiar with the 3.9L, it is the bolt towards the front of the car, not the one closer to the firewall.
I can't get at the bolt head with my drill and standard bits, and certainly not with a grinder. Unless someone out there can offer a better plan of attack, I suspect I need to get a longer drill bit and pray I can destroy the integrity of this side's head enough to push the bolt through, as the nut underneath can only be reached with about 14" of extension bars and still has about one inch of bolt extending through it, in a fairly tight squeeze all the way up to it. I frankly am hoping that you guys out there know a simple solution - I will be more than happy to admit my inexperience and accept the accompanying embarrassment in trade for a simpler solution to this mess!
May I double the curses I contemplated in my previous post on the engineers/management at Dodge who chose this type of assembly....
On either side one bolt came off from the flange connecting the exhaust pipe to the manifold.
And on either side, one bolt (on each side) did not.
On the left side I was able to grind down the head of the bolt using a pair of pliers on the head and an impact wrench rotating the nut and bolt shaft, to the point it slipped through the holes in the flanges. But on the right side it was the nut that rounded off underneath, not the bolt head (by the way, I had to resort to a socket on top and bottom - both were tight fitting - and breaker bars, top and bottom, for the impact wrench was able to get the nut about a half inch down the bolt but then the nut froze. Tried backing off and running back down, but would not progress).
If you are familiar with the 3.9L, it is the bolt towards the front of the car, not the one closer to the firewall.
I can't get at the bolt head with my drill and standard bits, and certainly not with a grinder. Unless someone out there can offer a better plan of attack, I suspect I need to get a longer drill bit and pray I can destroy the integrity of this side's head enough to push the bolt through, as the nut underneath can only be reached with about 14" of extension bars and still has about one inch of bolt extending through it, in a fairly tight squeeze all the way up to it. I frankly am hoping that you guys out there know a simple solution - I will be more than happy to admit my inexperience and accept the accompanying embarrassment in trade for a simpler solution to this mess!
May I double the curses I contemplated in my previous post on the engineers/management at Dodge who chose this type of assembly....
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: northern Alberta
can you drop the exhaust manifolds off the head with the engine in the truck, then pull the head? With the head and intake out of the way it may give you enough room to get in with a die grinder and cutoff wheel to slice the manifold bolt and free it?
other idea is to sawzall the exhaust pipe off somewhere below the joint you are fighting with and pull the manifold out. granted you would be stuck having the pipe rewelded after.
other idea is to sawzall the exhaust pipe off somewhere below the joint you are fighting with and pull the manifold out. granted you would be stuck having the pipe rewelded after.
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Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Chapel Hill, NC
Speaking from experience of the 5.2 (not sure if it applies), the bolts should be fully exposed on the sides so you can cut them - I'd suggest a dremel. I feel your pain man, those bolts and the nuts are the hardest to get to.
When you're putting it all back together (after the job is done), put the bolt on the bottom and nut at the top. Will save you a lot of heartache in the future.
When you're putting it all back together (after the job is done), put the bolt on the bottom and nut at the top. Will save you a lot of heartache in the future.