Broken Head Bolt

[T-stone]

decided to swap my l24 to an l28, got an engine from a buddy.

taking the head off i snaped the number two head bolt, i drilled a hole in it and hammered an easy out down the hole, whent to wrench it off and broke the eas out.

im wondering if i could get away with a broken bolt and not have any leaks, probly unlikely.

also how much would it cost to get a shop to extract the bolt?

[Gary in NJ]

It's gonna have to come out. Have you tried soaking it in acetone/ATF overnight and then using heat?

[T-stone]

i have only tried the eas out, i am quite limited here at the house.

tried redrilling but the metal on the eas is alot tougher than the bolt, would a drill press work better, or should i forgo the eas out?

[Gary in NJ]

Do you still have enough bolt left for the easy-out? Can you post a photo?

An Acetone and ATF 50:50 mix works VERY well to loosen stuck fasteners.

[easyguy71]

Is there enough stub sticking out to weld a nut to it? Weld inside the hole of the nut to the stud bit remaining. The heat from the welding often breaks it free of the rust and allows it to be turned out.

[bobc]

Been there, sort of done that. Actually, I had a manifold stud break off. Did the same thing with the ez-"not" out. And you found out the same thing, i.e., the metal on the easy out can't be drilled into. If the welding a bolt method doesn't work, then I'm afraid you're headed to a good machine shop. Here's the how to on the weld-on-a-larger-nut method:

"Place a close-fitting washer over the top of the bolt to protect surrounding material.

Take a nut that is larger than the actual thread of the broken bolt, and weld it to the broken bolt.

Weld in short bursts until the weld fills the nut. This will heat the bolt but not the surrounding material. Using a 6011 welding rod in a stick welder has been reported to work well.

Let the welded nut cool completely without using any water or spray. The bolt will contract and break the grip of the rust.

Some more info on welding on nuts.

A tig welder is the welder of choice.

It is critical to put some penetration oil like Kroil (and not WD-40) on as it cools just low enough for the oil to not just boil off. This will draw oil into the hole. This is the only time I have seen penetrating oil actually penetrate a stuck bolt."

There is also another way that they apply an electric charge to the bolt and actually dissolve it. It's a form of welding as I recall. A good engine shop should know what this is.

As to can you do without it, no, wouldn't even try it.

Bob

[d240zx2]

Excellent description, Bob. I'd change the electrode selection, however, to completely avoid weld spatter, as 6011 has globular transfer rather than the spray transfer of some high-strength stainless-based rods.

[easyguy71]

I just spray the area with spatter-guard. Shields it quite nicely.

With the mig I don't need to bother with the washer, just use a nut that is the right sized center and fill it up.

If you are able to solid weld inside the diameter of an 8 to 10 mm stud and fill the nut with a rod, I do have to applaud your patience. If you do it with no pores, I bow down to you!

Wish I had tig as an option. Clean and once you know what you are doing, it's easier.

[ajmcforester]

Try soaking it out like Gary suggested or use a penetrating oil for several days, then try an easy out. You need to get it out! Are you going to have any machine work done? If so they can take care of it , they usually charge about $30-$50 extra which is better than frustration.

[T-stone]

Im going to try welding a nut to the bolt and turn it out, i am an experionsed welder so this seems the easiest bet for me.

will keep posted on everything

[T-stone]

ok, welded a washer to the stud, then welded the nut on the washer welded around the washer fusing the washer and nut together.

then welded inside the nut filling it.

crossed my fingers and turned the stud out.

Thanks for all the help, wouldent have thought of welding a nut on the stud.

[Zed Head]

TIG, MIG, 6011, high-strength stainless-based rod, and/or splatter-guard?

An opportunity to learn something new.

Congratulations on fixing a major show-stopper.