[Steves 70SS]

I NEED SOME ADVISE ON HOW TO GET A BROKEN BOLT OUT OF AN ALUM HEAD.THE CAR I JUST BOUGHT HAS A GM CRATE MOTOR IN IT WITH THE FAST BURN HEADS.THE GUY MUST OF PUT TO MUCH FORCE ON THE BOLT. IT'S THE BOTTOM BOLT FOR THE ALTENATOR. I NEVER SEEN IT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. TOO MUCH GOING ON!!!
THE BOLT IS BROKEN OFF JUST INSIDE THE HOLE. THE CAR IS RUNNING WITH BRACKETS BUT HAS NO SUPPORT ON THE BOTTOM. IT SEEMS TO BE OK
BUT WHEN IDLING IT COULD USE THE SUPPORT. I KNOW ABOUT EASYOUTS BUT WASN'T SURE IF I SHOULD TRY IT OR TAKE IT OFF AND BRING IT TO A MACHINE SHOP. I DON'T WANT TO MESS UP THE HEAD. THE MOTOR ONLY HAS ABOUT 10,000 MILES ON IT.

THANKS,

STEVE W:chev:

 

[three63s]

broken bolt

I do a lot of broken bolts, I run a small specialty machine shop in upstate New York. It's not brain surgery if you have the room to get to the bolt and a set of good sharp drill bits. the way I do it is I drill right down the center with a small drill 1/8 is a good starter, you will feel it when it goes through the bolt, there is always a little space behind it. then I would use a 3/16 bit then a 1/4 then a 5/16. the 5/16 should be close to the tap drill size, doing it this way if you get off center a little you can compensate for it as you go up in size. Once the tap size drill is used you can generally clean the hole out with a tap and a air hose. If you break off a easyout in the hole you will have to take it to a shop. Easy out are hard and you cant drill through them unless maybe yo get a carbide tipped drill.
G & M MACHINE & TOOL CO.
ROBERT & RITA DAVIES
3332 STATE ROUTE 3
FULTON N.Y. 13069
315-598-3902

 

[69NovaSS]

I do a lot of broken bolts, I run a small specialty machine shop in upstate New York. It's not brain surgery if you have the room to get to the bolt and a set of good sharp drill bits. the way I do it is I drill right down the center with a small drill 1/8 is a good starter, you will feel it when it goes through the bolt, there is always a little space behind it. then I would use a 3/16 bit then a 1/4 then a 5/16. the 5/16 should be close to the tap drill size, doing it this way if you get off center a little you can compensate for it as you go up in size. Once the tap size drill is used you can generally clean the hole out with a tap and a air hose. If you break off a easyout in the hole you will have to take it to a shop. Easy out are hard and you cant drill through them unless maybe yo get a carbide tipped drill.
G & M MACHINE & TOOL CO.
ROBERT & RITA DAVIES
3332 STATE ROUTE 3
FULTON N.Y. 13069
315-598-3902

IMO thats good advice...the only thing I would add is to make SURE you are 100% square with the bolt before you start drilling..if not you could damage the threads in the head, or worse, very easily....BTW If you have to remove the head so that you can be perfectly square to the bolt I would then really think about taking it to a good machine shop...its already off at that point...they do that stuff everyday...and it really shouldnt cost much...Just my 2 cents...

 

[Real McCoy]

Good advice from the other two posts. That will work if the bolt is just broken off. If some fool has bottomed it out and broken it off, it can get ugly though. Another option you could consider is the left hand drill bit. They turn counter clockwise so as you drill, if the bolt gets free, it just turns out as you're drilling. E Z outs are ok for some things but remember they work by expanding the bolt diameter as they lock up in the hole. If you have to bore a 1/4 inch hole in a 3/8 bolt the E Z out expands the bolt and tighens it up as you are trying to get it out. If you use the easy out try to stay centered and keep the hole small to reduce the expansion from the E Z out. Just my experiences doing this repair. Good luck, RM

 

[71Novacaine]

If your gonna take it out with the EZ out be careful. I work on airplanes for the Navy and I have snapped many EZ outs inside of the bolt once that happens your screwed. I would try it and if the EZ out starts to flex I would soak it in WD 40 all day just keep soaking it and try again. If it still flexes just pay the couple bucks and get it taken out. Not worth the hasle of braking that thing off in there. The machine shop will thank you.

 

[Greg McMillan]

Anything but easy-outs!

All good advice above. Hope it isn't in too tight. My experience with easy -outs is the pits! Wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy. Anything but that. Think you will need to get it out though. You alternator barcket will likely fail over time from vibration.

 

[tjiordano]

If you know of a good welder, who knows how to tig weld with a steady hand, he can tig weld a tit onto the broken bolt and build up the weld to come out of the bolt hole with out touching the sides, then weld a nut to the tit, and the bolt will come right out. When I worked for Gale Banks Engineering, that's how I removed all the broken exhaust manifold bolts that broke off in the head. Good luck.

TJ

 

[Steves 70SS]

Broken Bolt

The Thing That Scares Me Most Is The Bolt Must Be In There Pretty Tight To Have Broken.


Steve W

 

[evldoer]

I have had bad luck with easyouts also. I do it like tjiordano, works every time. I have done it both with a tig welder and a mig.If it isnt in to far I usually hold the nut up there first and use the wire welder and weld insidethe nut until I have a good bite.The advantage you have is that the weld will not stick to the aluminum. And remember the heat from the welder will help lossen it a little also.

 

[Steves 70SS]

broken bolt

Thanks for all the replys, I think I will try and find a good welder and give it a shot. If it doesn't work, I will pull the head and bring it to a good machine shop.


Steve w

 

[Paul Wright]

I'm glad you turned off the caps lock. It's like SHOUTING!

 

[the FLYER]

not that it works everytime, but i've seen instances where if ya just spin it out... it's out. give it a test before ya take it into a shop ta get removed. i had a few guys bring in a head or an intake ta get a broken bolt out of that was flush to the part and i put "Thumb" pressure on it and took it out right in front of 'em... we joked about it but it was kinda embarrassing to the guy fer me ta just "take it out" right in front of 'em...

like i said, prolly not the case, but ya might try it...

hope it's an inexpensive fix for ya


Be Good !!!

 

[Hawk1]

Hard to believe that the bolt broke from being over tightened. You would think the threads would strip out first. It may have just sheared off and not be that tight. The left handed drill idea above sounds like a good one. That would be my first thing to try.

 

[lz07rp]

I'm not sure if those heads are like older heads or not but if you want to spend the money on gaskets trade the left head for the right that will reverse the holes from front to back if both heads have same bolt patterens. Just a thought.

 

[mrtimstik]

Thanks for all the replys, I think I will try and find a good welder and give it a shot. If it doesn't work, I will pull the head and bring it to a good machine shop.


Steve w

If you are going to do any welding on your engine and you have a ignition box like a MSD or Mallory, disconnect it completely or it could become damaged. Honest and for true, I have seen it happen.

http://www.msdignition.com/pdf/frm23775_6520.pdf on page 3 is the info about welding with these. Just trying to help.