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One of the center bolts had a head snap off and all I can do is rotate it about 1/2 inch CW and CCW around the axis of the remaining bolt shaft before either end hits bolts for the RH head. I've tried a propane torch to heat it up, pry bars and even the BFH method, all with no luck.
Even broke a number of cobalt bits trying to drill the bolt enough to use an extractor, but I can't get a deep enough hole started.
Anyone have any ideas or techniques to help me out?
Welcome to my world. Heat, Kroil, BIG pry bar, are your friends. Heads snapped off both bolts on my thermostat housing last weekend I don't even get upset anymore about these kind of problems. Both my exhaust manifolds did the same thing to me. Good luck you will win the battle. Mike
Do you want to keep the manifold or are you installing headers? You can always put the O/A torch to it. Oh how I wish I had that kind of access to mine. I broke off 3 manifold bolts in mine last week end in an attempt to install header side pipes, its still waiting for my next move.....which will be pulling the heads. Good luck!
weld a nut on the broken stud. we do this all the time. center the nut, fill the middle with weld to the stud. sometimes you have to weld a washer on first, then weld on a nut. then twist that sucker outta there.
you could also try reverse drill bits, some have good luck with those, though I rarely do.
Just a thought based on looking at above pic.....
How about pulling the 4 spark plugs, remove the two outer
head mounting bolts.
This will allow you to turn the exhaust manifold counter clock wise.
Since the motors out can you spin the manifold bolt out of the head
by unwinding the exhaust manifold counterclockwise?
It looks like its stuck inside the manifold hole.
If you can move the manifold it is spinning in the head which is a
good thing.
Once off the engine you can soak and heat broken bolt stud and wack it out of the manifold, just barce the ears so you don't break the flange.
Marshal
weld a nut on the broken stud. we do this all the time. center the nut, fill the middle with weld to the stud. sometimes you have to weld a washer on first, then weld on a nut. then twist that sucker outta there.
you could also try reverse drill bits, some have good luck with those, though I rarely do.
Welcome to my world. Heat, Kroil, BIG pry bar, are your friends. Heads snapped off both bolts on my thermostat housing last weekend I don't even get upset anymore about these kind of problems. Both my exhaust manifolds did the same thing to me. Good luck you will win the battle. Mike
Battle will be won eventually, was just hoping to get help preventing an all-out war!
Originally Posted by Bjax
Do you want to keep the manifold or are you installing headers? You can always put the O/A torch to it. Oh how I wish I had that kind of access to mine. I broke off 3 manifold bolts in mine last week end in an attempt to install header side pipes, its still waiting for my next move.....which will be pulling the heads. Good luck!
I was hoping to preserve the manifold, but in the long run headers were on the desire list so destruction of the old manifold is a possibility.
Originally Posted by gungatim
weld a nut on the broken stud. we do this all the time. center the nut, fill the middle with weld to the stud. sometimes you have to weld a washer on first, then weld on a nut. then twist that sucker outta there.
you could also try reverse drill bits, some have good luck with those, though I rarely do.
I haven't even bought a welder yet and the stuck bolt shaft is now actually recessed into the manifold hole due to attempts to drill it out, so I'm not sure I'd even be able to weld the nut on the broken bolt without welding to the inside of the manifold bolt hole also. I tried the reverse drill bits with no luck either.
Originally Posted by marshal135
Just a thought based on looking at above pic.....
How about pulling the 4 spark plugs, remove the two outer
head mounting bolts.
This will allow you to turn the exhaust manifold counter clock wise.
Since the motors out can you spin the manifold bolt out of the head
by unwinding the exhaust manifold counterclockwise?
It looks like its stuck inside the manifold hole.
If you can move the manifold it is spinning in the head which is a
good thing.
Once off the engine you can soak and heat broken bolt stud and wack it out of the manifold, just barce the ears so you don't break the flange.
Marshal
That was my thought also. Unfortunately spinning the entire manifold hasn't worked. I can't get a socket on the head bolts because the manifold is in the way and closed-end wrenches wonf fit due to the closeness to the head itself. And while they'll fit, my open-end wrenches don't provide enough of a grip on the head bolts to start removing them. I'll try this approach again and look for some other tool that might work on those two head bolts. A potential problem with this approach is that the bulge in the manifold up against the block where the heat riser mounts might also prevent the manifold from spinning around the broken bolt even after (if) I get those two head bolts out.
Thanks for the replies. Keep any other ideas coming!
no mig, eh? well get a 2x4 across the top of the manifold and hit with a BFH. you'll snap the bolt off in the head, then you can drill and e-z out that once the manifold is out of the way and you'r not fighting the full length of the bolt, since your problem is it's rusted to the manifold, not stuck in the head : )
The broken bolt has maybe 3/4 of an inch of threads, and they are into the head. If you get the manifold far enough away from the head to cut the bolt with a sawzall just chop it off. Once the manifold is on the floor you can soak it down and let it set, then drive the shank of that bolt out.
The bolt has rusted in the hole in the manifold and gotten bigger. That's why it won't cone off.
Thanks for the replies guys. I'll let you know what finally worked once I get to that point. You've given me lots to consider...
Paul
Paul
take the head of the bolt that broke off and drill a 1/4 " hole down through it and use it as a guide to drill down into bolt and see if thet will help ??
Good luck ( I lived in Vancouver Wa for 10 years) nice place .
Wes
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Romoving Exhaust Manifold
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