Stuck / severed bolt
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 478
Likes: 56
From: Woodstock Georgia
Stuck / severed bolt
I've got a bolt at the water pump outlet that is stuck and broken flush with the intake manifold. The last time I had a stuck bolt I swore to God that I would never use an easy-out again. What's the consensus on removal. Reverse drill bit .....as I'm going to have to drill at this point. It's soaked with pb blaster.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
You may have to drill it out or try an easy out. If you use an easy out that is too small you can break it off in the hole you just drilled. Since the easy out is hardened steel you are screwed. Even using one the correct size can break off. The hole you drill should leave a small wall thickness on the stuck bolt. I agree with Roger the air boat guy. You have to get the drilled hole centered. Start with a center punch, followed by a center drill, then drill a small hole followed by increasingly larger hole until there is a a small wall thickness. Heat the broken off bolt with a torch if you can. Hammer in the easy out and good luck.
If you wreck the threads it can be repaired with a Helicoil. It may even be possible to leave the broken off bolt flush and weld on a threaded stud. The last resort is to get a new intake manifold. If you have to keep your original manifold you can always take it off and take it down to a shop that has an EDM machine (electro discharge machine) and they can burn it out and save the threads and the manifold.
Good luck.
If you wreck the threads it can be repaired with a Helicoil. It may even be possible to leave the broken off bolt flush and weld on a threaded stud. The last resort is to get a new intake manifold. If you have to keep your original manifold you can always take it off and take it down to a shop that has an EDM machine (electro discharge machine) and they can burn it out and save the threads and the manifold.
Good luck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,291
Likes: 493
From: Salmon Arm, BC
Remove the manifold, cover things up with cardboard and duct tape (to prevent contamination),and then weld a nut onto the remaining stud poking out of the head. Make sure you really get the nut and stud cherry red while welding, that helps break the bond once things cool down.....make sure its cool to the touch before you try to spin it loose with a socket.
Good luck!!
Good luck!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
The last one I did went like this. Drill broken bolt dead center with 1/8in bit. Slowly work up to proper size bit for tapping virgin hole and retap. I was able to get top of original threads and worked bolt remains out of original threads with tap. Sometimes very hard to get hole dead center. I got lucky, does not happen too much these days. These bolts sometimes get wet from coolant, corrode and can be really stuck and easy to break. Good luck, mds...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 5,691
Likes: 12
From: columbus oh
I've got a bolt at the water pump outlet that is stuck and broken flush with the intake manifold. The last time I had a stuck bolt I swore to God that I would never use an easy-out again. What's the consensus on removal. Reverse drill bit .....as I'm going to have to drill at this point. It's soaked with pb blaster.
..go back with STAINLESS fasteners....
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
You can try to grind a slot in the end of the remaining stud; then get the biggest screwdriver you can find to fit it, put the screwdriver in the slot and hit the he!! out of it with a hammer to try and bust the corrosion loose (presoak it with PB Blaster and let it sit overnight), then try to back it out. If the screwdriver has a square shank on it, you could put an adjustable wrench to it, also. E-Z Out and welding a T-handle to it are good ideas also.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: Penfield NY
Just read this post about freeze penetrants yesterday. Haven't tried them yet myself but supposed to be better than the conventional stuff like PB Blaster. Might help with the breaking-free part of your problem.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...pray-name.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...pray-name.html
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Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Actually what I meant was to use a punch and put a ding close to the outside edge of the bolt,put the tip of the punch in the ding , angle the punch and tap lightly to rotate the bolt counterclockwise. I've gotten many a bolt out that way !
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,865
Likes: 1
From: I may be getting old but I refuse to grow up
Remove the manifold, cover things up with cardboard and duct tape (to prevent contamination),and then weld a nut onto the remaining stud poking out of the head. Make sure you really get the nut and stud cherry red while welding, that helps break the bond once things cool down.....make sure its cool to the touch before you try to spin it loose with a socket.
Good luck!!
Good luck!!
This is what I do most of the time
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
mds...
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Broken bolt
Is this an steel or alum. intake. if alum. the bolt is probably corroded in there. Everything that has been said will work, be very careful drilling in alum. As said use stainless steel bolts or use a good anti seize on the threads. Good luck.
Paul
Paul
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Baton Rouge Louisiana
A combination of several techniques liste above.
Grind or cut a screwdriver slot in the broken fastener.
Make sure you have saturated the area with penetrating oil.
Use an Oxy-Acetylene torch to heat the fastener, this will change the size of the fastener and help draw the penetrant in. Dont try to over do the heat.
Get an impact driver from a motorcylcle shop. You put the flat blade screwdriver bit in the driver and hit the end with a hammer. The hammer blow will seat the driver bit securely in the slot and an internal cam will rotate the bit a small amount. Continue to hammer and rotate untill you can back the fastener out by hand with a flat blade screwdriver.
If you brake off an easy out you can drill it out with a carbide bit from a machine tool supply. (UseEnco.com)
You can also drill out the fastener with a small drill and stepping up to a larger drill until you get to the root diameter on the fastener. Then use a pick to snag the small metal threads and peel them out of the hole. If you get off center too much you can re-drill and heliCoil.
Grind or cut a screwdriver slot in the broken fastener.
Make sure you have saturated the area with penetrating oil.
Use an Oxy-Acetylene torch to heat the fastener, this will change the size of the fastener and help draw the penetrant in. Dont try to over do the heat.
Get an impact driver from a motorcylcle shop. You put the flat blade screwdriver bit in the driver and hit the end with a hammer. The hammer blow will seat the driver bit securely in the slot and an internal cam will rotate the bit a small amount. Continue to hammer and rotate untill you can back the fastener out by hand with a flat blade screwdriver.
If you brake off an easy out you can drill it out with a carbide bit from a machine tool supply. (UseEnco.com)
You can also drill out the fastener with a small drill and stepping up to a larger drill until you get to the root diameter on the fastener. Then use a pick to snag the small metal threads and peel them out of the hole. If you get off center too much you can re-drill and heliCoil.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: MIDLOTHIAN TEXAS
most methods mentioned here are to drill , however the trick to drilling out a bolt is to use heat and a LEFT hand twist drillbit. frequently just the counterclockwise drilling will loosen it and it will come out while drilling.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 2
From: Sherwood Park AB
Remove the manifold, cover things up with cardboard and duct tape (to prevent contamination),and then weld a nut onto the remaining stud poking out of the head. Make sure you really get the nut and stud cherry red while welding, that helps break the bond once things cool down.....make sure its cool to the touch before you try to spin it loose with a socket.
Good luck!!
Good luck!!
Worked for me with a broken EZ out.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
From: Salem MA
true, i have a pretty big left hand bit set, i just step up in size slowly and once it starts cutting the threads the whole thing usually turns out.