My 225 engine has a homemade, 16-gauge, tubing header instead of a cast iron manifold and an aluminum (Aussiespeed) intake manifold.

This has made its installation/removal, a time consuming, frustrating, process.

I am wondering "what if" I replaced all of the studs that are, now, threaded so that half-inch nuts can be screwed onto them, with Allen-Head capscrews, screwed into the head, but still used the original washers and triangular washers, what would be the result.

The reason I would like to do this is, it is nearly impossible to get any kind of a wrench or extension/socket onto several of the half-inch nuts that are screwed onto the studs, due to the lack of header pipe clearance. It is a homemade header (turbo-mount) and, when it was being built, wrench-clearance was never a consideration...

Allen wrenches are thin and will go in where a regular wrench or socket/extension, won't fit.

Is it worth a try?

Any advice/information will be appreciated!

Bill. in Conway, Arkansas

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1964 Valiant 4-door sedan, 225 turbo/904

The problem with that is then you'll be fighting the length of the screw which will probably be an even bigger issue.

Also those studs have water in back of them, rusting them on pretty tight. Whenever I removed studs from a head double nutting was a risky proposition and had to resort to a stud puller. I could imagine a small allen head stripping out easily.

Would a really long nut help with access?

If so, you could use standoff's or couplers instead of nuts.....

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Most allen heads are hardened, so if one snaps off a trip to the EDM is in the future. Ask me how I know...LOL
Will

I have found that a 1/4" drive flex socket with 12 and 18" extensions are most helpful.

Next time you have the header off can you heat the areas around the mounting studs and dimple them in to get more clearance?

I think you would find that having all socket head bolts would suck.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I just pulled the manifolds from a 225 in which the studs were replaced by bolts. The engine had been together about 2 years and had clean green coolant. I swear to you if they hadn't been Grade 8 bolts that 2 or 3 of them would have snapped. I'm now going to search the board for the Dorman replacement stud part number.

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Joshua

I usually take pains to make sure the studs are only as long as needed for engaging all threads of the nuts (maybe even not the last thread). This cuts down on lots of hassles with wrenches, sockets, fitment... I like Dennis' statement and I also use flex/wobble extensions and sometimes 1/4" drive, or I have modified (ground down) 1/2" open end wrenches to fit them. Dimpling the headers next time they're off is a great idea too.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Thanks tp all.... it's ALL good adcice and I'm going to take it!!!

This board is irreplaceable!
Bill

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1964 Valiant 4-door sedan, 225 turbo/904