I have an OT truck so please move this to the correct forum if needed. I am not sure how to place it int he correct forum. I have an '88 351W that has some broken exh. studs on the pass side. I am wondering,it is cheaper to buy new heads (and where to buy them) or remove and send them to the shop? With labor rates sky high now is why I am wondering. I guess if I can find a set of Cleveland heads that might make it worth it. Thanks, Mike
Cleveland heads won't make your life any easier, as you will have to change a whole bunch of other parts to make a functioning Clevor engine. Quit over thinking it, pull the head, throw it up on the bench and get after those broken bolts with a good Easy-Out set and some left handed drill bits. Re-tap the holes and put it back on.
Lynden WA shows to be right up near the border North of Seattle. There are a lot of rodders and shops in the area. I don't know your experience and abilities, but having your heads repaired is going to be cheaper than new heads IF the only repair is some exhaust studs. This is true if you DIY, R&I and take them to a machine shop, or have your truck towed. If your current stuff is shagged out it can be cheaper to replace, but this is depends on how bad. Some people will try to remove these in the engine bay, but in most cases, it's worth it to remove the head(s). Access and tools available determine this. @FrozenMerc touches on swap; intake, exhaust and probably cooling changes are required. That's a LOT of project creep for someone asking about a broken stud!
Hitchhiker lives in Edison, not far from you, and runs Seattle Speed Shop. Shoot him a pm, he knows everyone in the far north end.
Yeah, I was thinking off the cuff if it was worth it or not. I am still leaning to just pulling the head(s) and drilling and tapping etc. IF they are off I may just have them polish the ports to help her breathe a little better. I will see what the cost is and if it is worth it. One shop was going to charge approx. $1200 to repair the studs so I thought 'let me check what new costs' Summit has aluminum heads for $500 ea. So not too much more and she loses some weight. So I will see what a shop charges. Mike
Hope the info helps you decide. I will mention that comparing shop rate to do a pain in the butt repair to the cost of new parts without labor is apples to oranges big time. The heads will also require gasket set, fluids and quite possibly other parts and labor. I don't know if the shop quoted labor in-car or R&I heads which would also include the other stuff.
Why pull the heads to get broken exhaust bolts out is my question. With it being a pick up there is all kind of room to get to them to try, before resorting to head removal....
@porkshop , Possibly. Just a guess, but here's a picture. It's not pretty. 88 Bronco 4x4. Truck would be similar. I know left rear is not fun, even with wheel off, jacked up and a bunch removed. Right rear isn't much better and it's usually the end bolts or studs that snap. It can be done. It has been done. It's one of those where it's a coin toss which takes more time and guarantees results. https://davidsclassiccars.com/image...-cu-in-windsor-v8-3-speed-c6-automatic-11.jpg
@RodStRace I get it, but I worked at a Ford dealer and have done a ton of them...Angle drill and reversed drill bits work wonders...
You don't mention anything about the condition of the engine you are dealing with. Did the studs break when removing the engine from something? Is it in the vehicle or on a stand? High mileage or low? All these things can make a difference in what you need to do, and how best to go about it. You don't want to put high dollar heads on a worn engine.......but if it was rebuilt some time in recent history or in very good condition........it might be worth shopping around for some aftermarket heads. Fords aren't as readily available as Chevys, so somewhat harder to get a good deal. If pulling the head(s) for repair, it may cost as much to refurb them as some aftermarket heads. Tell us more about the condition of the motor you have. As for removing broken studs, its not always cut and dry that you will succeed without screwing things up. Best way is removing the head and having it burned out if you can find some shop with machine to do it. Drilling it out at home can be done, but its seldom easy.
Ekimneirbo: the engine only has 110K on her and I am sure as heck not going to do it-don't realy trust myself to get them dead center. That and for me at least it is easier to pull them than try and do it in the truck. RodSt.Race: Yep, you are right. I saw the picture on Summit with valves and springs already installed for $500 ea. I forgot that I need to install the valves and springs. That and the work quoted was in truck. For me at least it is easier to spend a weekend remove both heads send one or both to the shop (the driver side seems to be good w/o leaks). Then wait a week or two and spend a weekend to reinstall. It will probably still come out to about a grand-knowing my luck. Thank you all of your input. Mike
Just buy some used E7TE heads for dirt cheap or if you're adventurous get a pair of "explorer" heads [GT40P] and bolt them on. Hi perf heads only get benefit from the extra flow if you're going to rev it .[be honest ,this is a truck!] You'll then need headers, exhaust ,and intake and gearing to support this. Less is More!!!
That is what I was referring to, drilling "on center" . You might call a few machine shops both automotive and industrial and see if any of them have a Tap Disintegrator. They can quickly clear the bolts and it should not cost any where near your estimate. Then maybe a valve job lap and some guide seals and head gaskets. Might want to check timing chain play and replace that while all the accesories are unbolted. The video below shows how simple the process is. https://www.google.com/search?q=Utu...ate=ive&vld=cid:ed4407c1,vid:PpwnTkeeGqY,st:0
They make guide plates to drill out exhaust studs for most vehicles these days. I do a couple V-10 Fords a year. The same plates do the V-8's as well. They are different than your older motor though. It is not my favorite job to do, but easier than taking the head off
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