I did it. The one thing I feared the most. While pulling the intake and exhaust manifolds on my slant six, I broke off one of the mounting studs (the furthest one forward). I was able to drill all the way through the broken stud, but while attempting to back the stud out with a bolt extractor (the square type) I broke it off. I've now tried to drill through the extractor in an attempt to get it and the rest of the bolt out. I would like to avoid pulling the head at all costs, as this has already become much more of a project than I anticipated.
Any suggestions or success stories on getting out of such a sticky situation?
Thanks,
Jim
jdr1234
04-14-2006, 11:28 PM
Looking around the web for a solution, I found this: Stud Extraction (http://www.dimebank.com/tech/BrokenBolt.html)
It looks like you may have to pull the head and have it fixed. Here's from the above mentioned page:
"Oops again...
So you broke off the EZ out? Now you're in bad shape. Take the part in question to a machine that has a plasma cutter or an EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) machine and get them to remove the remains. They'll cut that sucker out in nothing flat, very precisely. It probably won't even cost much, but you *will* have to remove the part in question.
If you're good with a welder and brave, you can try welding a piece of stock to the broken bit to give yourself some purchase to turn it all. "
Here's another link with very similar information:
The Art of Extraction (http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/may2003/techtotech.cfm)
one short of
04-14-2006, 11:41 PM
If you can not weld to it get the pics and hammer out and go to work.
swami2806
04-15-2006, 12:36 AM
Pulling the head is easy on those, and you already have the manifolds off.
mtthwvn73
04-15-2006, 04:14 AM
While in vocational school (I'm still in there), we learned how to get a bolt out of a piece of metal with a oxy-acetalyne torch. If you have it out some ways you won't have to worry about it going through your head. Did you use any type of lube or penetrating oil? Before i do any kind of loosening of rusty bolts I always use PB blaster. That stuff works wonders, it will actually eat through a foam cup. If you try to weld another piece of metal to the bolt, try using some of that PB Blaster and letting it set of a while, i guarantee that stuff will break it loose.
Jimal Temus
04-15-2006, 07:00 AM
I used Deep Creep on all the studs and nuts. I actually had issues with 6 of the studs; 5 came out with their respective nuts, and this one that broke. Was able to salvage 2 of those, and have replaced 3 of the remaining 4 (this one being the 4th).
I think I'm going to try the left-hand drill bit as a bit of a Hail Mary. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll have to pull the head. Swami, you're right, taking the head off at this point would be easy. I just don't want to drown myself in the "might as well's". You know...might as well resurface the head, might as well get a valve job, might as well have the head rebuild...
Thanks,
Jim
bherder
04-15-2006, 09:18 AM
I used Deep Creep on all the studs and nuts. I actually had issues with 6 of the studs; 5 came out with their respective nuts, and this one that broke. Was able to salvage 2 of those, and have replaced 3 of the remaining 4 (this one being the 4th).
I think I'm going to try the left-hand drill bit as a bit of a Hail Mary. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll have to pull the head. Swami, you're right, taking the head off at this point would be easy. I just don't want to drown myself in the "might as well's". You know...might as well resurface the head, might as well get a valve job, might as well have the head rebuild...
Thanks,
Jim
Unless you really need a valve job, I wouldn't, just because of the fact that I've seen too many guys with 'miles' on their engines get valve jobs... (Or head rebuild) and then they have a nice fresh, tight top-end ... But still with a worn bottom end.... After awhile they're buying short blocks and doing it all over again... I'm sure there will be those who disagree with me on this, but I've just seen it often enough to think twice about it.
On the bright side, if you do pull the head, You can always throw in a new set of valve stem seals and clean all the carbon off the top of the pistons and inside the combustion chambers on the head... These are always good things ;) The only downside I can think of (Besides the work) is having to do the dreaded 'Adjusting the valve lash'... I always hated that...
