[riggs314]

'06 Solstice...can the head be removed without touching the valves? Yes, I know the timng chain will have to come off.

Took off exhaust manifold. Discovered broken/missing stud (end stud towards front of engine). Drilled it out...may have gone too deep. Trying to tap new threads...tap now broken off in hole!

Should have left everything alone!!!

If I can remove the head, I should be able to take it over to machine shop class at vocational school and get the tap removed. May have to weld the hole shut and start all over again.

Maybe need to replace head from junk yard source? The local scrap yard has a "grade A" cylinder head for $212.50.

Think I will go get me some beer...

 

[1 LIL NDN]

riggs314 , Some where there is another post about the fromt stud missing . Could it have been a blind tap never used ? Take a picture and send it to Werkracing or DDM Works and ask if there was a stud in that tap. Unless you broke it off nobody else did either.

 

[Sting Ya]

riggs314 , Some where there is another post about the fromt stud missing . Could it have been a blind tap never used ? Take a picture and send it to Werkracing or DDM Works and ask if there was a stud in that tap. Unless you broke it off nobody else did either.

Good point having removed my manifold and header a couple of times on my 2.4 if you post a picture Riggs I'll run out to the barn and check my car later today

 

[TX08manualGXP]

well, he said he was trying to tap the hole and broke the tap. Your machine shop should be able to get the tap out, fill and re-drill. However, if you think you went too deep then I'd be concerned about the other side. You won't have to mess with the valves themselves but getting the chain off and not disturbing the tensioner may be another problem. You might see if DDM or someone can tell you what dangers are of drilling that hole too deep and maybe you can get away with putting it back like it is. good luck.

 

[1 LIL NDN]

I'm just saying Unless he broke it off. There were others that said one was broke off So maybe it didn't have one in there. Just saying cause I don't know . ASK one of the Vendors .

 

[riggs314]

YES...it is a broken stud! I have included a picture that shows the way it was found. I had seen it there before and always assumed it was another bolt/nut attachment point. As I was taking everything apart, I put a socket on it and it spun freely so reached in and pulled it out of the rectangular hole it was trapped in!!

Here is where I stand today. As I was making the last drill in order run in the tap. Started smelling anti-freeze. Where is that smell coming from? Noticed a wetness in my drilled hole. Oh crap...took a small paint brush and soaked it up from in the hole. Smells like anti-freeze. Of course I now have to start cursing and throwing things as smoke is coming out of my ears and my face is a deep red!! Like an idiot, I go ahead and try running tap in....breaks. More cursing, more tantrums! Call it quits for the day and go inside the house. No water leaking visible in the morning when I go back to garage to work

This morning, I decide to put it all back together and fire it up and see what happens with the broken tap still in the hole. Goes back together smoothly in a matter of minutes. I sanded down the gasket surface on the head and the manifold. Ran a scotchbrite over the old gasket (I do have a new one on hand). Double check everything and fire that mother up! Idles for ten minutes and no sign of water leak. No exhaust leak, either. Too much fresh snow and salt on the road to take it for a spin. Shut it down, check thirty minutes later and no signs of water leak. Fire it up again and let it idle for 20 minutes. All appears to be OK. A few minutes ago, as I am writing this, UPS drops off the new header. I have not opened up the box yet. At this point I think I will idle the car a few more times and keep checking for leaks. I want to be darn sure everything is OK before I tear it down again. Wondering if I should put some of that coolant leak stuff in system just in case.

Picture was taken this morning after test runs. Yellow arrow shows stud location. Green arrow shows stud/nut as found in rectangular hole.

 

[Sting Ya]

Riggs :First off good luck and hopefully it works if you plan on adding some coolant antileak GM sells a pellet that you grind a couple up and add to your radiator the last time I bought them from the parts guys they were 5 dollars and change for a pack. Some dealers actually added them to new corvettes (aluminum heads)during prep as a preventative measure.I have used them on a couple of cars that I swapped the heads on and never had any leakage problems .Hope this helps!

 

[riggs314]

Sting Ya - Thanks for reminding on that one! My auto mech. buddies have told me of a particular GM product that comes from the factory with the leak stuff put in it because it is a known leaker! Forget what vehicle it is, tho'. I have 10 new nuts ordered from the local Chebby dealer and will pick them up in a day or so and will ask them about the stuff GM recommends.

Exhaust manifold off again tonight. Will try to install Solo header tomorrow. I have to loosen a bolt on a bracket that holds the Cat in place. Screws into the aluminum block. Mighty tight and do not want to snap the head off of this one so have it soaked in PB blaster right now.

Have heard of cracking problems with this header. I believe someone said they have been modified to help prevent this. Sure enough, brackets have been welded in various places to stiffen it up.

 

[Sting Ya]

Aluminum head Chevy motors, did you get a new exhaust manifold gasket ? You should also replace the 02 sensors while you are at it easy to do with the car apart .The nuts should be torqued to 10 foot pounds and I use some blue lock tite on the threads for insurance . There is a bolt tightening sequence post on the forum if you can't find it Google "ecotec 2.4 manifold bolt torque specs " and it will come up Good Luck!

 

[2.4solstice06]

DONT USE STOP LEAK!!! It is true the stuff works as a last resort for that 93 corolla you want one for winter out of or any other beater, but it does more harm than hood. It will plug your heater core eventually and you will have no heat. Next it will plug your radiator and you will overheat. It will also make your coolant look like diarrhea, literally. I see this all the time. If you are going to use it, I recommend blocking off your heater core while running it through, and draining and refilling the system after running the car for enough time to plug the leak. But the best advice I can give you is DONT USE IT as a just in case!

 

[riggs314]

I have always heard the same info. But it is a fact that some aluminum block and head engines come from the factory with "stop leak" in them due to the porosity of the aluminum and other issues. GM has a "pill" or "cookie" that they recommend. My Chevy dealer is out of stock right now but when they come in, I may try it just to be safe, so to speak.

 

[TX08manualGXP]

I personally don't think you have ran the engine long enough for the t-stat to open and circulate the coolant and it is then that it will weep out of the hole. how many threads did you cut before you broke the tap and are you sure you cannot get it out? If it were me and I could not get it out, I'd clean it and dry it real good and do my best to fill the sides of the tap with JBweld or something like that. maybe you can use a syringe but I'd try that and would over fill the hole so the header pushes on it and keeps it tight. this way you can avoid having to use stop leak.

 

[riggs314]

I have found out that it is no big deal to remove and replace the manifold and does not take much time to do it. Right now, I have a couple more nuts/bolts to reinstall and then I will fire it up again, let it idle and maybe take it for a spin around the block. Yes, I agree...engine has not been hot enough to really prove anything for sure. The new stud came in yesterday and by looking and measuring it, I did not go too deep with the hole. Head removal does not scare me but fooling with the timing chain settings does. Hope to have more definitive information later this afternoon...

 

[[email protected]]

You can remove the head without removing/messing with the valves, no problem there. The procedure for timing the engine back up is not that bad, but you are going to need to remove the crank pulley and the front timing cover to do it, which also is not bad, just takes a little time when the engine is in the car.

If you end up needing to remove the head, I can get you the procedure for timing the engine if you do not have it, it is pretty straight forward and easy to do.

Let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[TX08manualGXP]

That's great Dave. thanks for your support.

 

[jwvess00]

Hi there!

If the gasket covers that hole and seals it from leaking water, how could the stud (were it in place) have gone through it?

Part of me wouldn't want to trust the gasket, though gaskets do just that all the time. I guess I'd be worried about the sealing surfaces/clamping loads in that area.

So, I'd think about doing one of a few things:
1) Drill the hole, tap, and install a pipe plug.
2) Clean it well, fill it with JB Weld, let cure before using. I don't think it will have a problem handling the heat in that area though I could be wrong.
3) When installing the gasket, use sealant around that part of the gasket.

 

[TX08manualGXP]

Yeah, #1 may be out of the question. he already tried that and has a tap broken off in the hole.

 

[riggs314]

Sunday update...said the heck with it and put it back together with the new header. Just got back from a ten or so mile drive and no sign of water leaks. Yes, the broken tap is still in the hole. I decided if it did not have an exhaust leak with the broken stud, then it will probably be ok as is. Maybe when I originally thought I saw anti-freeze, it was just PB Blaster weeping out of the hole as I was using it to hopefully help loosen the broken stud/tap. Temperature of the coolant got up to 198 or so on the drive and then would lower to about 187. Bounced back and forth. On return, idling in the garage, the temp got up to 203! Dashboard readout. I never did see the cooling fan come on. Maybe a problem there now. Also here a ticking noise on acceleration that I never heard before. In the garage, I idled it up and no noticable noise...just on acceleration. Using a rubber tube as a stethoscope, I could not determine where it was coming from. I know the exhaust header (has a shield) and headers put out a lot of heat. Should a shield need to be used on the header? Steering reservoir was hot to the touch. Why is it whenever I try to do one thing on a car, it always leads to other problems?!!! I did not use sealant on any part of the new gasket.

 

[D-ROD]

Riggs314, I too notice a ticking noise after the s.s. header was installed this spring. No noticeable power lost and the car runs fine. I'm wondering if the s.s. header is magnifying the ticking noise. Talk to my mechanic, and he said it could be a lifter sticking. Car has 31,000 miles on it. He also said to change the oil and filter and add a oil additive with it (lucas brand) will sometime quiet the lifters. I did this last week and it did seem to help. I use full synthetic oil (5w-30) and the oil additive was also synthetic. Could it also be an exhaust leak, maybe by the cat or new header?
Keep us posted on what you find out.

 

[Sting Ya]

Riggs:Sorry to hear about your issues but as we all know sometimes things just don't go as planned that said : It was a great day today in Columbia Station other then everything around me flooding it was 60 ,opened up the barn and wished I could take the car out but the back 40 is pretty wet. Anyway let's look at your issues .Before I did my turbo in stall I had the same set up as you except that I run a Performance AutoWerks cat. I'm guessing that you replaced the exhaust manifold gasket and nuts with new ones when you did the swap . Did you replace the nuts and bolts from the header to the cat? (grade 8)and did you use some copper gasket sealant on the cat to exhaust manifold connection?don't need it on the header to engine . I sent you a post with the torque specs 10 foot pounds for the exhaust nuts and a forum site for the tightening sequence .I always retighten everything after I run the car and everything gets good and warm .This is maybe all you need to do.I have never run a heat shield with my header but I did have it coated which is supposed to keep it cooler and have never had any overheating problems I go up to the Woodward Dream Cruise every year and sometimes the cars just crawl for 25 minutes at a time ,203 is not something to worry about .Ticking noise sure sounds like an exhaust issue if it was a lifter you would usually hear it at start up .Hope this helps I'll be checking in later if I don't hear from you I'm wishing you and your family a great holiday! Though of this last night did you loosen up the exhaust system (after the cat) for the install ?