Leeroy Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 First some 'history' I have removed the air conditioning brackets of my 74 GL coupe. Massive thing that seem to weight as much as the car!!! And that was without the rest of the air conditioning bits, so it had to go (besides 1400cc is to small for the convenience of 'air' IMO). Problem is that to remove this massive metal 'construction' meant I had to remove two spacers that were used as support in place of two of the regular head nuts. As EA63 engines are infamous for head gasket problems and the workshop manual is rather pedantic about the checking and re-torqueing of the heads I would really like to torque the heads properly. The FSM states that there are two special tools required to do this job correctly. Both are sockets to fit the head nuts. Have tried to source these from Subaru (Aust.) and after waiting serveral months have finally been told they are not available (I couldn't have guessed that :-\ ) So to cut a long story short (sorry once I start it is hard to stop:grin: ) are these sockets necessary? Unlike the heads on my 78 wagon (EA81 with dual range from an 81 Brumby) there does not seem to be much room around the head bolts. Any advice from others would be greatly appreciated! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 First some 'history' I have removed the air conditioning brackets of my 74 GL coupe. Massive thing that seem to weight as much as the car!!! And that was without the rest of the air conditioning bits, so it had to go (besides 1400cc is to small for the convenience of 'air' IMO). Problem is that to remove this massive metal 'construction' meant I had to remove two spacers that were used as support in place of two of the regular head nuts. As EA63 engines are infamous for head gasket problems and the workshop manual is rather pedantic about the checking and re-torqueing of the heads I would really like to torque the heads properly. The FSM states that there are two special tools required to do this job correctly. Both are sockets to fit the head nuts. Have tried to source these from Subaru (Aust.) and after waiting serveral months have finally been told they are not available (I couldn't have guessed that :-\ ) So to cut a long story short (sorry once I start it is hard to stop:grin: ) are these sockets necessary? Unlike the heads on my 78 wagon (EA81 with dual range from an 81 Brumby) there does not seem to be much room around the head bolts. Any advice from others would be greatly appreciated! Cheers Will do my best to check for you.Might take me some time but if you send a PM or email to remind me it will help. Most of the time you can grind down a socket and get by.I do have the special socket for the EA71 so maybe that works on the EA63. Should be finding out someday myself as I'll be getting another 1400 in a couple of months.And this one has an engine knock,I'm told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted May 9, 2007 Author Share Posted May 9, 2007 Will do my best to check for you.Might take me some time but if you send a PM or email to remind me it will help. Most of the time you can grind down a socket and get by.I do have the special socket for the EA71 so maybe that works on the EA63. Thanks moosens. I think the 'thin walled' (if that is the term!) socket is the same for EA63 and EA71. Yes I was thinking that it would be possible to grind down a normal socket. The other socket is a little more complicated, however, my FSM shows a broad 'U' shaped socket that looks like it fits on the head nut and then goes around the valve rocker assembly (Sorry, wish I could post pictures!). When I look at the drawings in the FSM the number 1 head nut appears to be completely behind the valve rocker. This is the one I am most concerned about as I doubt any socket will be able to fit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 Sort of like an hourglass shaped socket??That's the one I have. I'll get a pic when I have a little more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Whoa, hold up. Special socket? Please inform me. I got a feeling I'm gonna hafta pull my heads. Is there an SOA p/n? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Well,I just tried to scan the page and it wouldn't copy it. From an FPM for the 1977 model year,but the hourglass socket I'm talking about wasn't in there.they show a thin wall socket and a "C" shaped socket that gets around like a crows foot does. Hey,you know that head alignment tool is good to have too,and the spacers if your tightening without the rocker on. Hang tight and I'll make the time to find the early FPM's and scan and post,if nobody else does sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted May 11, 2007 Author Share Posted May 11, 2007 Well,I just tried to scan the page and it wouldn't copy it.From an FPM for the 1977 model year,but the hourglass socket I'm talking about wasn't in there.they show a thin wall socket and a "C" shaped socket that gets around like a crows foot does. Hey,you know that head alignment tool is good to have too,and the spacers if your tightening without the rocker on. Hang tight and I'll make the time to find the early FPM's and scan and post,if nobody else does sooner. Yes, my 1977 FSM lists the thin walled socket as part # 899988607 and the 'C' shaped one and part # 899988606. I do not think these will be the same for you guys in the US however, but you never know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Yes, my 1977 FSM lists the thin walled socket as part # 899988607 and the 'C' shaped one and part # 899988606. I do not think these will be the same for you guys in the US however, but you never know! yup,same numbers here.Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Both numbers obsolete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 Both numbers obsolete Maybe start asking about older mechanics that have moved on.You might get a good lead and find that one guy who kept old tools and parts when the dealer went to toss them.It happens,trust me.I have a good sized box of NOS that was about to be tossed that a Senior Master Tech snagged for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Dumb question: can't I just take the rocker assemblies off to access the head bolts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Dumb question: can't I just take the rocker assemblies off to access the head bolts? sure can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 Dumb question: can't I just take the rocker assemblies off to access the head bolts? Yes, looks like my only option too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Yep, that's what I'll be doing. Tried to get one of the broken intake manifold bolts out. I ground a slit through the middle of it to try and make it like a flathead screw, but when I did, I guess I weakened the two sides of the bolt between where I had cut, so they just broke off when I put some force behind the screwdriver, thus removing all the accessible remnant of the bolt. So I'm just gonna take the heads off and to a machine shop. They could probably use a once-over anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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