Quote:
Originally Posted by seattle gmc
Technically i don't have to remove them, and not they are not leaking. I was doing a little web searching last weekend, and it seems like they have a tendancy to fail and break on there own. Leaving you with the end of the bolt stuck in the cylinder head. So i think that i will be proactive on this one and change them out. I am worried that when i do go to replace them, is when they will break, which will make me wonder if i should have just left them alone.
Do you have any additional info on this TRUCKGUY99
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I have heard of bolts on these falling out on there own but breaking on there own is not common and is very unlikely. If yours is good and not leaking, I'd leave it alone. My brother has a 05 silverado and it still has original manifold bolts at 230k miles.
That 6.0 will have no trouble pulling a camper, but be prepared to pump a lot of gas. Overall they're great engines and will last a long time if you keep it maintained.
If you do have to remove them, here's my experience. I have an 88 Ford with a 460 and I had to remove the manifold bolts and studs because the old manifold was leaking do to a bad gasket. I found put it has the original gasket and that means the bolts had been in there for 26 years. Twice a day for a week I'd spray pb blaster on every bolt and stud. Right before you start to take them out, give them a few firm taps on the end of the bolts with a hammer. This helps to break loose rust scales that have clustered together around the threads. Before you start on the bolts, let the engine run for about 20 minutes. This will cause the metal around the bolts to expand which helps in more ways than you can imagine. Also, use a hex socket. If you get one with more than 6 points, there is a very good chance it will round the bolt off because it only grabs the very tips of the hex he'd corners and getting out a stripped bolt is tough to say the least. I did use an impact wrench but it was adjustable. I set it to its lowest setting which put it at less than 80 ft lbs. I used an extension and a deep socket and slowly backed it out. I've learned to turn it back and forth if your doing it manually. So if you turn it to the left half a turn, turn it back to the right a little and repeat until it's out. This will keep you from snapping the bolt and could save the threads. This is what an impact wrench does but at a different rpm. I did this exact method with mine and didn't break a single stud or bolt.