Intake bolt hole broken
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
Intake bolt hole broken
Title should have been "HEAD bolt hole broken".
When I bought my car the drivers side head had a small triangular chunk of the rear corner broken off. It's where the rear corner of the intake manifold bolts down to the head. I'd say about 50-60% of the bolt is meshed in with the threaded hole, the rest is just missing. Is this possible to repair since they are cast iron heads or are new heads in my future?
I didn't know the problem existed until I took the intake off for the first time 4 years ago. I got it seated back with no real problems. I had forgotten the problem until last spring when I switched back to a stock manifold so I could run the EGR system. I don't think there was much left to thread the bolt to and now I seem to have an oil leak off the back of the engine.
When I bought my car the drivers side head had a small triangular chunk of the rear corner broken off. It's where the rear corner of the intake manifold bolts down to the head. I'd say about 50-60% of the bolt is meshed in with the threaded hole, the rest is just missing. Is this possible to repair since they are cast iron heads or are new heads in my future?
I didn't know the problem existed until I took the intake off for the first time 4 years ago. I got it seated back with no real problems. I had forgotten the problem until last spring when I switched back to a stock manifold so I could run the EGR system. I don't think there was much left to thread the bolt to and now I seem to have an oil leak off the back of the engine.
Last edited by Ak. Mal; Oct 28, 2008 at 11:50 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
To properly salvage it, you would need to remove it, have it welded to fill in the missing metal, machine the flat surfaces and re-drill/tap the hole. It would cost you more than a replacement intake. But, if you want to maintain originality, that's the way to do it. "Bubba" would fit a wooden 1/4" dowel rod into the existing hole, mix up some JB Weld putty-epoxy, fill in the broken area [around the dowel rod], then remove dowel and drill/tap for a Keen-sert threaded insert (NOT a Heli-coil in this case), and install the insert with some thread-lok. Paint it and you're done. It might hold, if you don't have to put much torque on the bolt.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
Sorry about the title. The intake is fine. The damage is to the rear corner of the head. A helicoil won't fix the problem, because a triangle piece of the cast iron broke off the head exposing almost half of the threaded hole.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,891
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
I'll try to get a photo tonight, but I don't know that I can get my camera into that tight of a space.
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,305
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From: Lewisburg WV
thegazman
From your description...you have a problem that's going to require head removal. Don't do what I did!!! I rebuilt the top end of my engine and spent over $500 on my heads; new springs, guides, screw in studs, machine work. For a little more I could have bought a better set of heads...vortec fast burn modified for higher lift.
Ken
Ken
Thread Starter
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
The engine is not stock. It was replaced by a previous owner. The heads that are on there now are '69 or '70 (Can't remember the date) double hump heads. Not sure if they are small or large valve. But based on some of the retarded decisions the P.O. made, I'd be surprised if it was the large valve.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,305
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From: Lewisburg WV
thegazman
Boy, I feel for you. I once had a set of old double hump heads on a Camaro and had the bolt holes for the alternator rust out. Don't know what to tell you. But, I would be careful how much money I put into those heads.
Thread Starter
Race Director
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
Click for the full version.
I wouldn't spend more than $100 to get this fixed. Anything more than that and I'll just have an oil leak.
I wouldn't spend more than $100 to get this fixed. Anything more than that and I'll just have an oil leak.
