I like to heat the area and the bolt and then quench the bolt HOPING to get a ping sound and it usually will back out easily then..

 

Delayed a day since I failed to realize the dealership did not give me the retainers I needed. What keeps the retainer on the valve stem?

The good news is I have another day to let the PB Blaster soak in.

 

The two valve stem locks go on the valve stem and the spring pushes the retainer up and wedges against locks thus holding the entire valve assembly together.

 

Hey Ozzydodge I'm in the middle of replacing a broken valve spring too. Did you have to buy more of those little valve stem locks. If so where did you get them. I checked all the local pasrts stores and nobody says they can get them.

 

They are a dealer item only. You can download the parts manuals in my sig link or call the dealer and go through their sales counter. They are approximately three bucks each.

 

Got them from the local Dodge dealer, they were cheap. Sold in halfs (each side is considered a lock.

 

Took the exhaust off at the flange, pretty easy considering the bolts popped out easy (outer 1/2 of threads rusted off).

Got all but 3 head bolts out, and the only 15mm socket I had failed. Serves my right for having some cheap import sockets among my craftsman. Off to sears tomorrow for 15mm sockets.

Oh and I broke the inside of the fuel line out taking it off the wrong way. Don't try to pry it out. Do they sell new quick connect retainer springs or do I need a new fuel line now?

 

On the fuel line, did you damage it on the intake side or the truck side? Either way the part has to be replaced unless you want to cut it off, add rubber fuel line hose and worm gear clamps for the time being to get it running and give time to find the replacement parts.

 

Manifold side.

So I got all the bolts out thanks to a craftsman 1/2" breaker bar. I took the bolt out of the compressor and gave the head a good yank, won't come off. So in total I took these bolts off in the head area:

5 small head bolts
10 large head bolts
1 A/C compressor bolt
exhaust manifold bolts

What else needs to be unbolted? On older cast iron heads I would just pop a large screw driver in somewhere for leverage and it would come off, I did not want to try that with aluminum heads. It looks like perhaps I need to completely unbolt the compressor and move it out of the way?

Oh and the intake push rod is bent, will grab on of those tomorrow at Dodge. Thanks as always.

 

There is a ground strap on the back of the head. If you have bent push rods then i would be on the lookout for other damage