Head problem. How much effort?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,215
Likes: 1
From: Mt Isle Harbor NC
Head problem. How much effort?
Lets just get this out of the way. I'm an idiot.
Ok, now to the problem! I just installed my kooks exhaust system and only had a minor problem after install: a busted kooks paper gasket on the drivers side. I unbolted the header yesterday and put my stock metal gasket on in its place and was tightening the header bolts and suddenly... SNAP ... the bolt breaks.
I'm not sure if it is flush with the head or not... I haven't removed the header yet.
Local exhaust shop (recommended by the forum) says he can't do it without removing the head. But! If I just bring him the head, he will try to back it out.
How difficult will it be for me to pull the driver side head off? Any advice?
Ok, now to the problem! I just installed my kooks exhaust system and only had a minor problem after install: a busted kooks paper gasket on the drivers side. I unbolted the header yesterday and put my stock metal gasket on in its place and was tightening the header bolts and suddenly... SNAP ... the bolt breaks.
I'm not sure if it is flush with the head or not... I haven't removed the header yet.
Local exhaust shop (recommended by the forum) says he can't do it without removing the head. But! If I just bring him the head, he will try to back it out.
How difficult will it be for me to pull the driver side head off? Any advice?
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,879
Likes: 3
From: Hobart, WI
I would get a mirror or whatever it takes to see how it broke. Likely it is not tight in the head cause it was pressure on the bolt head that broke it.
You can easily get it out if you can grab the bult with vicegrips.
You can easily get it out if you can grab the bult with vicegrips.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
First, check the other bolts and make sure they didn't bottom. Sometimes the stock bolts bottom in the hole and then they will break. Were you using a torque wrench, it shouldn't have broken with the torque wrench. If it is bottom, it will be harder to remove. The exhaust shop is also the wrong place to take it. If you have to remove the head, take it to a machine shop that knows how to deal with aluminum heads. Also, do a search on LS1Tech.com for this subject in external engine, I have read of this happening over there many times and they have gotten them out. Might be some useful information there as well. What ever you do, don't panic and start drilling 
what he said
Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 743
Likes: 1
From: Bartlett IL
Go to sears and get a e-z out kit and a center punch. The kit should include some reverse drill bits and some that kinda look like a cork screw. How you do it is you drill a smaller hole in the middle of the bolt (use the center punch for a starter dimple) with the reverse drill bit and some times your luckey and the broken bolt will come out then. If not you use the other bit and its like a reverse thread self tapping screw. It will screw into the hole in the bolt and pull it out. BTW this will be a pain in the a$$ without a right angle drill. Maby its easy to pull out the inner fenderwell. I don't know, I've never had one out. I would try not to pull the head as to not ask for more problems. Gasket leaks ect. btw you MUST torque head bolts.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,215
Likes: 1
From: Mt Isle Harbor NC
Thanks for the advice so far. I can't see how I can do it with out taking off the head. I will check out ls1tech for the group of special people like me who have done this.
If anyone knows of any tricks about the head removal please chime in!
If anyone knows of any tricks about the head removal please chime in!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,613
Likes: 0
From: Spring Tx
If you havent removed the header yet, how do you know where the bolt broke. The flange is 3/8" thick, so you could have as much as 3/8" to work with.My headers came with grade 8 header bolts, if yours didn't , I damn well would replace them with grade 8s...
