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Crank gallery ball removal

89Mirageman

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Jul 5, 2006
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Quoting prove_it:
Heat and an impact 5mm hex socket. Slow and careful, they can be hard.



Do you heat the plug or the surrounding aluminum or both? When I tried a 5mm it felt a little loose but that must be it because this 5.5mm socket won't fit. This is a Hyundai head but I would think they'd use the same size as Mitsu.
 

G

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Heat the surrounding area only.
 

ApexHunter

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I essentially did both. While this is contrary to what you might think due to expansion, getting that little plug super hot seems to help break down the corrosion.
 

89Mirageman

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I texted my buddy at the machine shop and he said the same thing, a little heat and they come right out. I think Hyundai must have used some super sealant, loc-tite or something on the threads. I'll get them out though.
 

jepherz

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I just had my internals prepped by bogus, and although i didn't need to turn the crank, he still pulled the balls. No idea how necessary it is though, i just took his advice. "You can get a good look at a tbone by sticking your head up a cows ass...."
 
Last edited:

prove_it

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It's a split on the necessity of it. Half say it's critical, half say it's snake oil. From all the pics I've seen of the crud that comes out, I say it's very important when building a 2k dollar engine. I've built a few engines and never done this, and not had any issues, but that doesn't mean it truly is.
 

89Mirageman

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Back to those damn socket head bolts on this Hyundai head. I heated the piss out of one, put my bit in my 1/2" drive 18v impact and it keeps trying to strip. 5mm is too loose and a 5.5mm won't start. I took my grinder and a flap disc and took a little off and got the 5.5 bit to fit nicely, still the same thing. It wants to strip before actually breaking loose. As a last attempt I used my dremel to clean the plug and then welded the bit to the plug using my Miller 135 turned all the way up. I figured this would get it out and I could just order new plugs. Nope, tried it and the weld tore off. Not sure what else to try lol.
 

G

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If you are heating the bolt that's the problem. It get's tighter when you heat it.
 

89Mirageman

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Well ApexHunter had a good point saying that heating both could help to loosen the loc-tite or whatever they used to seal the threads at the factory. Also I will say I'm only using a small propane torch because that's all I have. Maybe that's not getting it hot enough?
 

G

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The heat from the surrounding area is all that's needed to expand the hole and break the seal/bond.
 

ApexHunter

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Yeah, i heated both, and i was sure to concentrate some heat on the plug itself. FWIW, aluminum has a linear thermal expansion rate that is nearly twice that of steel, which is what i assume the plugs are made of.

Anyway, i remember having trouble with one, so i switched to Map gas for higher heat and aimed it directly on that little bastard plug, and that seemed to be the magic bullet to break down whatever was on the threads.
 

89Mirageman

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Does anybody know the size of the socket needed? Again a 5mm is loose and the 5.5mm didn't fit. Could it be standard? I know the oil filter housings use BSPT threads, wonder if the head is the same?
 

prove_it

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Could be SAE then. Never had as big of an issue as you did.
 

G

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89, Post a pic. If I can get this out with heat you should be able to get that bolt out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif

IMG_0214.jpg
 

89Mirageman

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There was something to actually grab onto there though, these sit pretty much flush with the head. After a lot of searching on google I saw where one guy said he had to drill a few out. Leave it to me to get the stubborn one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

curtis

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May 4, 2003
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11,892
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Clarksville TN
Well never posted it publicly on here but I own a two ultrasonic cleaners, one is a hornady hottub made to clean AR-15 uppers and a large medical unit. Jewelry cleaners are 50 watts, the hornady is a few hundred watts can't remember exactly and the medical unit is 4500 watts and 2 cubic feet 24x12x12. The hornady is long enough to clean the crank but not deep enough where the medical unit I have has held 5 cylinder volvo heads as well as big block pontiac heads with room to spare. Shipping would be the killer if I started cleaning stuff for people but if you really need stuff done yell. You'll pay shipping both ways as well as something for the time in the cleaner and for the solution. This thing pulls more amps than my tig welder on full blast so can't do it for free. Engine parts trans parts doesn't mater it will clean it all, inside and out.

Don't know if everyone on here understands what this does but I can drop in a oil filter housing thats thick with 20 years of sludge and in one or 2 runs objects will come out sterile. Filled it up one night with tap hot water about 108 degrees put in a k series valve cover just to clean, well fell asleep watching a movie and 6 hours later water was up close to 170 degrees (friction of the water)and the paint/powdercoat as well as the epoxy primer/gray bottom coat was gone. f***er will strip the galvanized coating from the steel insert on a valve cover in about an hour and can do the tail shaft as well as all the internals on a 4L80E in about an hour. Bellhousing/case doesn't fit. Just hop over to google and you tube and do a search for ultrasonic cleaner theres a good video from eastern ultrasonics here click me

That video is the reason I bought these machines. Since I bought the big one over a year ago I've only bought about 6 cans of auto zone brake parts cleaner. Use to buy the sh*t by the case.
 

89Mirageman

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Success! I was able to get a few out after some heat and working them back and forth. A few others had to be drilled out unfortunately since I stripped the heads so bad. Next question, are you guys pulling the plugs from both ends or just one? I'm thinking one is enough and then use a long brush like somebody else mentioned.
 
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