Head removal

[Lord Warlock]

What is the best way to remove the right side (passenger side)cylinder head while the motor is mounted in the car?  the exhaust manifold is so tight that getting a wrench on the bolts that go through the manifold look difficult to get a wrench around, do you go through the fender itself to access them?

Is there a difference between the heads on each side? I have a spare head sitting on the shelf i could use, but don't know if its a left or right side head.  

The main reason why i'm looking to remove the head is that I have two valve cover bolts that snapped off in the head and now need to be drilled out and new threads tapped.  When i start the motor, oil gushes out under the valve cover and leaks on to the exhaust manifold causing a lot of smoke.  Shame to have to remove the head to correct, the motor runs pretty nice considering it hasn't been driven in 20 years.  

[ws23rt]

My vote is to drill out the broken bolts before your last resort (removing the head).
I would start with a dremel and a small ball end bit (burr type) to make a good center for drilling. Drill through with something small first 1/8 or less.
Next follow with a left hand drill bit. A good chance that the threads and all will come out when the drill gets through the bolt. (no.7 or 13/64 if you have 1/4 20 bolt)

If you can't save the threads than an F-drill and 5/16 tap is next

[cudaken]

My self as well would try to remove the broken bolts.

Far as the heads, both sides are the same. On removing the factory manifolds. Just loosen the exhaust manifold bolts, they will not come out all the way in the car. Just get the threads out of the head.

Ken 

[Lord Warlock]

guess i'll try drilling out the bolts first, if i manage to screw it up badly then i can always remove the head and swap it out with the spare.  The spare came off the 440 block in the car now, the current heads are the original 440's heads on the numbers matching motor i tossed when i cracked the original block.