Torx Manifold Bolts
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 66
From: SoCal
Torx Manifold Bolts
I am taking off the manifold on a L-98 with the torx bolts. 2 of the torx bolts stripped the threads as well as broke 2 torx tools. Has this happened to anyone with these torx heads, and does anybody have any idea how to get these backed out of the manifold. Any ideas much appreciated
Thanks.
Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,193
Likes: 1
From: Cincinnati Oh
Re: Torx Manifold Bolts (stretchman87)
I'm suprised the bits broke, but as with all things on a decades-old car:
Penetrating oil (let it work for a few minutes), and a bigger wrench.
If you can be safe with a torch (and have checked for fuel leaks/vapors), then heat up the area immediately around the bolt threads (be careful, some of those bolts can be longer than you think). The aluminum takes heat in really well, so you wont need to work it too long. Then take the wrench to it and it should slide right out.
:smash:
Otherwise, I hear acetyline cuts through it like BUTTA!
Penetrating oil (let it work for a few minutes), and a bigger wrench.
If you can be safe with a torch (and have checked for fuel leaks/vapors), then heat up the area immediately around the bolt threads (be careful, some of those bolts can be longer than you think). The aluminum takes heat in really well, so you wont need to work it too long. Then take the wrench to it and it should slide right out.
:smash:
Otherwise, I hear acetyline cuts through it like BUTTA!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 835
Likes: 3
From: Water Winter Wonderland
Re: Torx Manifold Bolts (stretchman87)
Cheap Torx bits are brittle and will break. I've broke a few until I bought a set of Craftsmans at Sears.
I wouldn't heat the aluminum manifold underneath the bolt's cap. The bolt screws into the cylinder head, not the aluminum manifold. Heating the manifold will expand the aluminum and make things even tighter. And aluminum has a relatively low melting point - you certainly don't want to reduce your nice intake manifold to a puddle of molten aluminum!
I'd try an impact driver. This is a device once very popular by motorcycle mechanics and used to remove phillips-head crankcase screws. It looks like a heavy steel screwdriver handle with a 3/8" square drive on the business end. Put on your Torx bit with extension. Then you wack it with a hammer while turning, and the mechanism provides significant torque as well as providing the inherent persuasion that only a nice, big hammer can provide. And it also carries a therapeutic value, as it will make you FEEL REAL GOOD taking great big WACKS at it. :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash:
:cheers:
[Modified by ELEVENS, 1:17 PM 2/18/2003]
I wouldn't heat the aluminum manifold underneath the bolt's cap. The bolt screws into the cylinder head, not the aluminum manifold. Heating the manifold will expand the aluminum and make things even tighter. And aluminum has a relatively low melting point - you certainly don't want to reduce your nice intake manifold to a puddle of molten aluminum!
I'd try an impact driver. This is a device once very popular by motorcycle mechanics and used to remove phillips-head crankcase screws. It looks like a heavy steel screwdriver handle with a 3/8" square drive on the business end. Put on your Torx bit with extension. Then you wack it with a hammer while turning, and the mechanism provides significant torque as well as providing the inherent persuasion that only a nice, big hammer can provide. And it also carries a therapeutic value, as it will make you FEEL REAL GOOD taking great big WACKS at it. :smash: :smash: :smash: :smash:
:cheers:
[Modified by ELEVENS, 1:17 PM 2/18/2003]
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 66
From: SoCal
Re: Torx Manifold Bolts (Ramanstud)
I should have mentioned what I have done so far. Penetrating oil was the first thing (letting it set over night) , second thing heating the bolt with a torch, third thing trying to hammer in a allen wrench. Trying anything at tis point. None of those worked. Oh yeah, the 2 torx tools that broke are craftsmen bits. Took back and they replaced them, but now the bolts are too far gone to use them. Sears has a new tool that came out that you hammer over the bad bolt and twist it right out of there. That will probably be my next attempt. Either that or break off the head of the bolts. Oh yeah, did I mention how much I hate torx.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 66
From: SoCal
Re: Torx Manifold Bolts (85_togo)
what size are those torx? i am getting ready to do the same thing, figure it might help to get the torx bit in advance!
TIA :cheers:
TIA :cheers:
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 66
From: SoCal
Re: (scorp508)
Thanks, I will try one of those with the ones I have not taken off yet. Still have the bolts on the passenger side of the manifold to take off. They either pop off easy or too tight and just strip of break a torx bit. This is just the first part of all the fun. Replacing head gaskets and doing a valve job on this car. Hope this doesn't keep happening.
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Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,655
Likes: 24
From: Charleston SC
Re: Torx Manifold Bolts (stretchman87)
I just had this happen to my cam retainer bolts on my LT1. I found a 12 piont socket that was close to the out side diameter of the bollt head and used a hammer to seat the socket. Then just used a extension and socket wrench and they poped loose had to seat the socket twice on one of them but this method worked like a champ.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,923
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas NV
Re: Torx Manifold Bolts (stretchman87)
I broke my Torx bit broken about 5 times already. I don't think we stripped any of the intake torx bolts. We stripped the runner bottom bolts. I found a local machine shop that warranty those torx bits. They mail the broken one back to the manufacture and give me new one. I eventually bought a T-45 from Sears.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 5,297
Likes: 0
From: Stamford VT
Re: Torx Manifold Bolts (VQT88Vette)
steel bolt + aluminum heads = suck.
Even with my iron head setup, I managed to break a torx bit (a craftsman... I break those a lot) and stripped a bunch of the torx heads on the bolts. When I installed my accel base, I decided that I preferred the stock torx bolts over regular hex bolts because they looked better and most importantly, had a bigger head, so I felt it would distribute the holding force over a larger area.
Even with my iron head setup, I managed to break a torx bit (a craftsman... I break those a lot) and stripped a bunch of the torx heads on the bolts. When I installed my accel base, I decided that I preferred the stock torx bolts over regular hex bolts because they looked better and most importantly, had a bigger head, so I felt it would distribute the holding force over a larger area.
