Cross threaded injector hole in head

[BgBlDodge]

My buddy the other night accidentally cross threaded the injector line nut on #6. When we got a mirror back there and looked it was only about 1/4-3/8" of the first 2 threads that were damaged. The injector line nut itself was fine. Is there any way to fix this without pulling the head?

 

[Sledpuller]

Find a bottom tap. If only two threads are messed up, you should be fine.

There are many products that repair threads at the parts store.

 

[XLR8R]

Tyler, you guys really shouldn't drink so much when you tinker... :chug:

but it sure makes a good excuse to pull the head and bomb the crap out of it! :Cheer:


BTW, a bottom tap that big ain't cheap.

 

[Sledpuller]

True, True, very expensive, but I bet its cheaper than a new set of head bolts/studs, gasket, and machine work to true that head up.

 

[BgBlDodge]

Well he's been wanting to o-ring it. Just not right now. And he's got a new set of studs sitting in the back seat. And mike he wasn't drinking when he installed them. It was just his first time to do them by himself. If it wasn't on #6 I could probably figure out a way to fix them but not on #6.

 

[XLR8R]

True, True, very expensive, but I bet its cheaper than a new set of head bolts/studs, gasket, and machine work to true that head up.

Granted.... but how could an injector line nut cause the head to be tweaked out of true?

Well he's been wanting to o-ring it. Just not right now. And he's got a new set of studs sitting in the back seat. And mike he wasn't drinking when he installed them. It was just his first time to do them by himself. If it wasn't on #6 I could probably figure out a way to fix them but not on #6.

Aha!
Now I understand: :doh:
College - along with various other carnal pleasures of an exuberant youth - has handicapped you guys with the inability to perform everyday tasks while sober... :hehe:

 

[XLR8R]

BTW - is that Chris' truck?

Those studs were in his back seat at HRP...

 

[GFB]

Granted.... but how could an injector line nut cause the head to be tweaked out of true?

I was under the impression that 9 of 10 times pulling a head off a cummins would be out of spec and need some machine work, especially if it will be running higher than stock boost levels if you wanted the new gasket to hold up.

 

[Sledpuller]

Granted.... but how could an injector line nut cause the head to be tweaked out of true?

If you take a head off of a Cummins, 99.9% of the time, it needs trued up.
Do you know anybody that just kept replacing head gaskets, over and over?

And a lot of times, the block needs decked also.

If your head gasket isn't leaking and you have no reason to take it off, I wouldn't do it.

I would loosen the body and jack it up to fix that hole.

 

[Jim Fulmer]

Couldn't agree more with Gene, every head I have ever seen or heard tell of that is either removed or bought (even new) needs to be decked, especially if it is getting an O-Ring.

On the blocks: I had one decked earlier this year that took .012 to make it flat as all the short bolt holes were pulled up......checking flatness is basic stuff kinda like torque specs.

Jim

 

[Billysgoat]

Dex, ya'll might be able to get just the line nut from a junkyard or injection shop, use it and a piece of tubing to hold the nut straight and get the nut to restart straight. Sometimes if the moon is right and you hold your mouth right you can use a nut to straighten threads. Barring that try to find both a taper and bottom tap you can borrow from a machine shop, getting a bottom tap started back there is gonna suck. Put the valvecover back on and lay on top of it, it works for getting back there.

 

[BgBlDodge]

BTW - is that Chris' truck?

Those studs were in his back seat at HRP...

Yup. Poor guy. First time installing injectors by himself and he screws up his head. I tried everything in the world to make it work and felt sick when I had to tell him his head was jacked. I just wish it was number 1 or 2. Would make life so much easier.

You can thread the nut in a couple of threads but then that's it. It flat won't go any farther.

 

[XLR8R]

Granted.... but how could an injector line nut cause the head to be tweaked out of true?

Still wondering how...?

I was under the impression that 9 of 10 times pulling a head off a cummins would be out of spec and need some machine work, especially if it will be running higher than stock boost levels if you wanted the new gasket to hold up.

If you take a head off of a Cummins, 99.9% of the time, it needs trued up.

Obviously, but that's a different situation.
Imagine telling a customer "we jacked up one of the cylinder head's line nut threads, so we're gonna have to pull it for reconditioning since it's now out of true"... I'm thinking No Sale! :hehe: