Replacing head or engine 2012 3.0L

[Siggy]

It all started over 6 months ago with a bad #6 injector. It had the infamous issue where the whole pocket with the plugs and injectors had filled up with water for years. I’ve only had the car a few years so I had no idea that was an issue.

I bought the fuel injector removal tube and the result was it broke the head of the injector off.

I borrowed a 15 lb slide hammer with vise grips on the end and we slammed it for 30 minutes. Zero movement.

I fabricated a couple coupling nuts welded to some flat bar on its edge and tapped a hole in the side to crush and grip the injector tube. Two 3/8” bolts used as Jack bolts. Nope. Not moving.

Took it to an automotive machine shop and they said they would get it out. Called today, guy said he’s got one more thing to try but everything has failed and he wasn’t optimistic.

So I’m at a crossroads. The car has 205,000 miles but is in excellent shape, otherwise. Local Indy says $4000 or more to remove the head because the engine has to come out. I’m not too keen on dropping $4-5,000 on a car that’s worth $6,000.

That gives me a couple options. Do it myself. If I do that, I’m thinking about either replacing the head or replacing the engine. People say you have to pull the engine to get the head off but I’m questioning that stance. It that true? Any chance you can get to the necessarily lower bolts from underneath? It looks like it’s just lower exhaust manifold and turbo related bolts?

Second option, if I have to pull the engine is just replace the engine with a lower mileage engine. I assume there’s a lot to that, things like all the injector flow rates need to be gathered and updated in the DME. I’m guessing it’s more than just the injectors that are like that. Is swapping the engine worth doing or is it a giant pain to get all the electronics accepting the different engine?

I’m hoping I can just take the head off and replace it. That would be the best case for me.

All the electronics are already off, the intake is off. Seems like taking the exhaust manifold off and the timing chain and it’s just about ready to come off?