Broken Head Bolt

[Zed Head]

Waiting might be the ticket, if you can. I had the same thing, with a rusty stub sticking out of the block, about two vice-grip jaws worth. Over about two days I heated it, sprayed it with PB Blaster, let it cool, gave it a few torques to test it, then heated and sprayed again. Eventually one of the "torques" started it moving. Mine was broken because of coolant leakage and rust. The rust will fill every crevice over the thousands of heat cycles it sees, so the penetrant takes quite a while to penetrate through that.

[tlorber]

How are you going about heating it? I would try map gas (since it gets hotter than propane) near the threaded portion while putting constant torque on the bolt. As stated, give multiple raps to the top of the bolt while turning it.

Edited June 22, 2012 by tlorber

[Jeff G 78]

Are you using "vice grips" or Irwin Vice Grips? I have found that Craftsman and HF knock-offs are nearly useless.

[sam280z]

Kroil is the best penetrating oil I've used. I find it to be much better than PB Blaster which is much better than anything else. I've also heard of mixing equal parts ATF and acetone, but have not tried this myself.

Alternate heat and cold. Tap harder than you think you should on the bolt with a ball peen hammer while you attempt to turn with the vice grips. Sometimes using impacts (hammer to vicegrips) versus steady turning will break it free.

Edited June 25, 2012 by sam280z

[slowride]

Low budget dictates all options so i have a hole in the bolt half a can of PB worn out hammer useless vice grips broken easy outs and half a stick of dynamite. ( Last Option ) not laughing

[Diseazd]

Take it to a good machine shop.....they'll get it out......one way or another. You don't want to break it off flush. Sometimes we need to pay the guys that do it day in and day out. When they get it out they can clean all the threads out like new.

[Willoughby Z]

...Of course you have to drive it, they hard to push.

Now, that's funny.

[grantf]

If you do try to drill it using care you may want to try using a left hand drill bit and drill in reverse that way once the bit bites it may free up and unscrew. Anyhow keep soaking it.

[siteunseen]

I just put my new cylinder head on. I used anti-seize by permatex and turbo bolts. #9 wouldn't click my torque wrench @62lbs after almost positivley feeling the same as the other 13. I quit as I don't want to be in the same situation your in. Do people retorque after break in?

[Zed Head]

How to properly torque a bolt can raise a lot of discussion. I've read that anti-seize is not recommended on the threads of critical fasteners because it's too slippery and will result in higher than designed tension on the bolt. Bolts that turn without tightening are quite often in the process of breaking (think about the last rusty bolt you thought was coming out then it broke instead). I hope that's not your case. As for retorquing, I think that it depends on the gasket. Some are called out as "no retorque".

Here's a description from an actual anti-seize manufacturer on torquing fasteners- http://www.saftlok.com/safteze/antiseiz/index.htm

Another interesting page - http://www.mechanicsupport.com/bolt_torque.html

Google brings up a bunch on just "anti-seize" and "torque".

[slowride]

Took the block to a mechanic $40.00 and it's done.

pick it up tomorrow and and make this a bad memory i need to put this thing back together and get it running

There was an upside to this whole thing there was a bad freeze plug in the back of the block that i wouldn't have found if not

for the removal of the head so its all good. repairs under way

[tlorber]

So, after all the investment and input here, can you elaborate on how the shop got the bolt out?