Will I encounter and broken bolts?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
From: Houston texas
Will I encounter and broken bolts?
I ordered a set of hedman elites and for my 85 vette. My dads been saying that i might run into broken bolts when i take the originals out. Is this true? Whats the worst that could happen?
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
The worst thing that could happen is snapping 1 or more manifold bolts that are flush with the cylinder head. The fix would be to remove the head, drill out the broken bolt and extract the remnants.
A super bad day would be to drill the bolts out wrong, scrapping the head or requiring threaded inserts.
Except for that possibility, no big deal at all.
A super bad day would be to drill the bolts out wrong, scrapping the head or requiring threaded inserts.
Except for that possibility, no big deal at all.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
Worst broken bolts will be the exhaust manifold to the Y pipe.
If you are replacing everything (going to long tubes) it won't matter because you won't be reusing the Y pipe.
If you snap the head off a manifold bolt you should be able to get a vice grip on it or jam two nuts together to get it off.
If you are replacing everything (going to long tubes) it won't matter because you won't be reusing the Y pipe.
If you snap the head off a manifold bolt you should be able to get a vice grip on it or jam two nuts together to get it off.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
From: Houston texas
I put one of the headers on and it sounds goooood! I'll have to wait till tomorrow to put on the other one. i had a question. will i have to take the o2 sensor off of the old manifold and put it on the pipe? or will i not need it?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
Spray the bolts first and let them soak with WD-40 over night.
Once you get the bolt to budge the slightest amount, go back the other way [yes tighten it back up] spray more and then loosen. You may even have to tighten it before it breaks loose.....I know it sounds funny, but tightening just a hair and then going loose may be jsut what you need to keep from breaking it.
If at any time it starts to get harder to turn.....stop.....go back tight and respray.....then loosen again.
Growing up Poor in East Texas had me pulling junk out of the woods all the time for re-use. I learned to deal with rusty stuck threads at an early age.
Once you get the bolt to budge the slightest amount, go back the other way [yes tighten it back up] spray more and then loosen. You may even have to tighten it before it breaks loose.....I know it sounds funny, but tightening just a hair and then going loose may be jsut what you need to keep from breaking it.
If at any time it starts to get harder to turn.....stop.....go back tight and respray.....then loosen again.
Growing up Poor in East Texas had me pulling junk out of the woods all the time for re-use. I learned to deal with rusty stuck threads at an early age.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
From: Houston texas
Spray the bolts first and let them soak with WD-40 over night.
Once you get the bolt to budge the slightest amount, go back the other way [yes tighten it back up] spray more and then loosen. You may even have to tighten it before it breaks loose.....I know it sounds funny, but tightening just a hair and then going loose may be jsut what you need to keep from breaking it.
If at any time it starts to get harder to turn.....stop.....go back tight and respray.....then loosen again.
Growing up Poor in East Texas had me pulling junk out of the woods all the time for re-use. I learned to deal with rusty stuck threads at an early age.
Once you get the bolt to budge the slightest amount, go back the other way [yes tighten it back up] spray more and then loosen. You may even have to tighten it before it breaks loose.....I know it sounds funny, but tightening just a hair and then going loose may be jsut what you need to keep from breaking it.
If at any time it starts to get harder to turn.....stop.....go back tight and respray.....then loosen again.
Growing up Poor in East Texas had me pulling junk out of the woods all the time for re-use. I learned to deal with rusty stuck threads at an early age.
all of the bolts on one side came off with no problem. Lets hope its the same for the other.
Good stuff and good luck!
