Any one have any secrets about changing gaskets and bolts ? Do the bolts tend to break off 86 GT V6

Hello, Have fought this problem more times than I care to remember.
Some come off easy if the gaskets have been changed before. First, start soaking them with PB Blaster several times a day for about a week before you are planning to remove and make sure you drive the car. The PB and the heat / cooling processes will help any rust break free.

If you have studs and not bolts start buy using a well fitting 6 point socket and start gently loosening them. Then tighten ever so slightly, repeat this over and over until the nut becomes turnable. During this process keep soaking them with PB while you are working them loose.
If they don't com loose you can take a dremel with a cutter and cut a slit on each side of the nut being carful not to cut into the studs, then with a chisel or screwdriver you can break the nut off.



If you have bolts it's a different story, The problem is the PB doesn't want to flow up into the head where the bolt screws into.
Here's what I did, with a heavy duty hooked carpet or floor knife I dig out the gasket material around the bolt as much as possible, Then spray PB in them while using an air hose to try and blow the BP up into the threads. Then you can start trying to break the bolt free using the above method.

It is very important whether using a socket or a wrench that you do not apply hard pressure at a weird angle, this will snap the bolt or stud. Also, I use all studs on mine, that way if I have to replace the gaskets later and the nut is stuck I can just cut it off with a dremel.
Hope this helps! just my 2c

[This message has been edited by Ponnari (edited 05-19-2015).]

quote Originally posted by Randy F: Any one have any secrets about changing gaskets and bolts ? Do the bolts tend to break off 86 GT V6

Yes
If you're already depressed begin to up the dosage.

& yes.
They break very easily. My last encounter of this magnitude was not very pleasant. At one point I was starring at the business end of 6 pistons, but I forged on and got all the broken bolts out with the aid of several easy outs and a drill press.

Hope it goes better for you than it did for me. also do a search and read up on how to use VW manifold gaskets. They work real good.

Spoon

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"Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut

Yes, what "spoon" said, Be Careful. Trying to extract a broken bolt or stud is no fun task, especially if it in the car!

Link to VW Exhaust Gaskets for Fiero & other 60* v6's

quote Originally posted by Spoon: If you're already depressed begin to up the dosage.

...

Never done a Fiero, but plenty of other cars. Lots of PB Blaster and spray as you go slowly is excellent advice. A very light duty impact wrench - if it'll fit - is a good tool to have on hand as the vibration helps break corrosion and force is applied in only the right place in the right direction. You don't want anything that will rip anything apart, just a tool to apply some shock to the fastener. Heat and cool (eg, a torch and something like CRC Freeze Off) can be useful as well. Obviously, when you're done replace ALL the hardware. It's not worth future breakage!

I assumed the worst and pulled the heads. It gave me a chance to replace many old gaskets and cleanup the topend. It cost me about $120 for a stud kit, new headbolts, and the complete topend gasket set, all ordered on Amazon. I already had two broken bolts before the adventure and I broke two more after pulling them. Funny though, I used an electric impact gun on the firewall side and it didn't break any bolts. The small shock load really helps. Good luck

I never seem to hear anyone heating up the bolts with a torch a few times before trying to get them off - wouldn't this help break the rust bonds somewhat? I know this is effective with nuts on studs that are seized on and I bought my MAPP torch for that very purpose.

I guess it would also make the bolts somewhat softer too though...

A somewhat different scenario, but the bolts that hold the axles onto a Ford 7.5" IRS diff are notorious for being a *&%&* to remove, so it's a battle with impacts, Freeze-Off, MAPP, etc. Another technique that is useful there is rapping on the head of the bolt with a hammer to try and crack any corrosion on the head or threads.

When it comes to potentially tough bolts, I spend days soaking them with Seafoam and PB Blaster, tap the heads with a hammer, use a light duty impact wrench, and continually apply more PB Blaster. Since going through this annoying routine I've never had a known-difficult fastener break, but admittedly I'm in California where it's about as good as it can get. So, whatever.

quote Originally posted by Ponnari: .. First, start soaking them with PB Blaster several times a day for about a week before you are planning to remove and make sure you drive the car. The PB and the heat / cooling processes will help any rust break free. ..

Great tips. So it is ok to drive with PB soaked exhaust manifolds? I was always concerned about its flammability.

quote Originally posted by 2.5: So it is ok to drive with PB soaked exhaust manifolds? I was always concerned about its flammability.

I believe the PB would simply evaporate.... but I would think that driving the car when trying to prepare the bolts for removal would kind of defeat the purpose of spraying the PB on in the first place.

When I've been in the process of soaking down corroded/stuck bolts on the engine, I haven't used the car at all as I want the PB to stick around and do its job.