Hi,
Thanks for the interesting update, and condolences on your family member loss.
" Unfortunately, I managed to drop a bolt (not a head bolt) into the gap between the timing chain guide and the head. I have not been able to retrieve it. "
Everything has to be somewhere.........I really would not be happy about leaving a loose bolt in an engine, especially when it might be close to a timing chain whirring around at a zillion miles an hour.
Do you possess / have you tried to use, a long flexible claw pick up tool, that might extract this wayward bolt? I have sold hundreds of these over the years. Or even a piece of welding rod with a wee bend on the end to hook it out.
Perhaps it has dropped into the sump? I assume you are putting fresh oil into the car. When you have the sump plug off, have a fish around inside with a piece of wire or a telescopic magnet, do try to locate it. Especially after all your hard work you don't want it going bang !
As above, ( per a111r ) I would use new manifold studs and nuts, especially on the inaccessible places as they will screw in by hand. Does your neighbour have any taps and dies ?? Just a cheap tap for cleaning out the threads in the head would be useful.
If you put 2 hacksaw blades in a frame (obviously side by side) and just saw a slot in the top of the stud you can use a stubby screwdriver to screw the studs in before tightening them down with 2 nuts. If you should do this, put a nut onto the stud before sawing, and then unscrewing the nut will clean up the thread. Also leaving the nut half a turn on the stud will stop the screwdriver blade slipping off when you fit it.
I hope you find the rest of the missing bolts, they will be laying about somewhere, probably wedged on a ledge while you was taking them out.
What did the machine shop at Wellingborough do to the head to sort out the porosity in the past welding?
Keep up the good work.
Steve.
