Murphy decided to pay me a visit this afternoon...

[Snook]

Getting the car ready for the fenderwell header re-install and was installing the studs ahead of the work. I'm sure a lot of you have experienced that sickening feeling of tightening a fastener and it threads in OK but just spins when any torque is applied. Yup, the head had a stripped exhaust bolt hole. The header gods were smiling on me though as the offending hole (could be a euphemism for the ex) was on the #8 hole and I was able to get a 25/64ths drill bit on it for a 3/8-16 helicoil install. That went OK after I filled the garage with a cloud of expletives getting it done. Any other cylinder and I would have been looking at pulling the head. What made it doable was the inner fenders have been cut for the fenderwell headers 20 years ago, so I have a clear shot at #8 & #7.

Chuck (snook)

 

[Budnicks]

Sometimes I want to shoot that dang 'Murphy guy'...

yeah been there done that
had one on an old set of 906 heads, with all brand new parts
new performance valve job etc.
already installed painted etc.
Someome made one hole into a 7/16-14 thread,
I thought, how strange (?)
I had already installed the heads, lucky it was at the back hole on #7
end, when I finally noticed it
luckily the larger bolt (no more stud & barrel-nut) fit thru the
cast iron HP manifold, no problem, washer under the head
off it went, added a lil' thread sealer it was fine no leaks,
had the car for a long time too

After, I called & asked the guy I got them from,
an old MoPar car buddy in Sacramento Ca., now lives in Nv.
what's the deal ?
he said;
he totally forgot about even doing it,
he said:
he did it while they were on the car too,
he stripped out a stud while trying to dbl nut it & torque it in
& he had a huge water leak, and pulled the stud out completely
threads & all & he needed it fixed quick,
no Helicoil would fix it, too hogged out...

I trust him, known him for a long time
he told me to take it off he will replace the head etc.

I never did...
okey fixed & never leaked

 

[hemi446]

Murphy sucks for sure but if this is the only time he visits you that means some else is really screwed

 

[Lefty71]

You dodged a bullet for sure......the heads seem like some really decent material, but stuff happens....
I always have an awful time stripping out the pulley mount holes on the stock balancers... that's some crappy cast iron there...

 

[dodgedifferent2]

Luck.

Last week was Murphy week for me.

Troy bilt horse Rototiller Motor blew (Now motor swapped to 9hp Honda)

Old Waterloo boy walk behind tractor. Stripped fuel bowl bolt on a 5 HP Honda

Toilet tank. One bolt seized and could not access with a grinder. (Only toilet in old farmhouse with 5 kids)

Wife's van. Lug nut would not come loose (drilled out stud). Changed all lugnuts to one piece design.

Jack on trailer I use to haul scrap seized up. Decided to finally fix lights and bolt was seized in frame with no access to get vise grips on it.

Exhaust fan in bathroom died. Afraid to tackle that job because of possible screw issues. ;-)

I was at a store and the cashier went to open a roll of loonies (Canadian $1 coin) and she smacked it on the till drawer and 25 loonies exploded all over the place. Rolled into the lanes. My response. "That's been my week.". Got my change and ran out of there leaving Murphy behind

 

[Lefty71]

Exhaust fan in bathroom died. Afraid to tackle that job because of possible screw issues. ;-)

This is very wise given your toilet tank issue... I had a customer once who decided to DIY a toilet seat replacement.... Confronted with one seized bolt (and appearant anger management issue ), he managed to break the toilet bowl AND smack the entire wall hung lavatory off the wall..... It made for a nice remodeling job for me.