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Last years overheating problem on 1974 raw water cooled engine became this years project. Head Gasket needed replacement since it looked like it was leaking over the side plate. I new I was going to replace the side plate but when removed it had a number of pin holes in it. All but two bolts just snapped off the side plate so how do I drill out and use the replacement studs again? Also the interior has a black sludge that needs to be cleaned out but you can see the cylinder jacket ok with very little room between only two cylinders that I can see, is that bad? I am just trying to figure out how to keep this engine since it ran ok except for the over temp last year.
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There are lots of postings on this message board regarding how to drill out bolts and re-tap. My Atomic 4 is a 1976 and, according to Don, some of the later model engines used a type of steel for the water jacket side plate bolts that made them become sacrificial anodes of sorts. When mine broke off, I was actually able to use a very small screwdriver (an ice pick can work) and pick the leftover material out of the bolt hole. It looked like the bolt was still in there, but the bolt had actually turned into a material that could easily be picked out. I then cleaned up the threads with a coarse threaded tap, which I was able to screw in by hand as the threads were in very good condition. So, try this approach first before you start the process of drilling these bolts out. Also, the gap you see between only two cylinders (I think it is between cylinders 2 and 3) is normal and by design. -
Thanks Kurt. I was less than happy when I saw the way things looked after I took off the starter to get at the side plate. All the information on line helps greatly.Comment
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