Corroded engine bolts

So.....I come to change the rocker head covers for some ones I’ve painted a nice satin black (sacrificial, I know) and replace the bolts with stainless. The vertical piston has already been done, so the fun comes with the horizontal. Being closest to the deck, it picks up all the road crud. As expected, 6 out of the 8 bolts are stuck fast!

I apologise if I’m teaching anyone to suck eggs, but this is how I removed them, and it worked for me

Firstly, I had to get some stud extractors, as I’ve already admitted the bolts are knackered but as I already have stainless replacements, this isn’t an issue. I had access to a Snap-On stud removal kit, a left handed thread with a 13mm hex fitting. Similar to the one pictured here.



I had to hammer them in with the biggest BFH I could find.



Time for some heat, around the casing and with one of them, I even had to heat up the extractor so it expanded in the rounded bolt head.



Slowly unscrew and hope it bites and holds.



Voila!



I know there was a jerry can behind, but it was well out of the way of the heat