Brendan

When removing the intake I had snapped a bolt that holds the passenger side coolant adapter back by the firewall. this is the adapter that sends coolant to the hot water valve for the heater. Ok so far so good. I grabbed my easy outs in various sizes and started small. Eventually I got the the larger size and F&#@! The easy out snapped off in the bolt. Now Ive got a problem. You cant drill out that hard steel to my knowledge. Does anybody have any good advice regarding this dilemma? (I really cant stomach pulling the head to correct this issue...I know someone is going to suggest it). I am at a loss and dont want to do further damage...... Thanks in advance.

hacker-pschorr

Pull the head!!

Brendan

DOH! Hacker....briefly....be your avatar. Thank you...continue on.

macreel

Brendan... can you show us a photo?

Randy V

Reverse drill bit.

EZ outs totally suck - I've never had a good experience with 'em.

bcdavis

I did the same thing once.
I never got it out.
I tried super-sharp drill bits.
I tried liquid wrench.
I tried welding a bolt to the stud.
I tried cutting a slot, to use a giant screwdriver.
I tried everything, and gave up.

I think you have few options, but to pull the head...

Those ez-outs are made of HARD material.

Even if you get a diamond bit, etc,
you will still need to re-tap the hole, and use a larger stud.
The whole thing sucks.
It made me realize never to use those things.
It's better to drill the stud if you have to, rather than try to drill the ez-out...

fst951

There are three options that I see. The first you have already named, pull the head.

The easiest I see is to take a welder, preferably a TIG system....which you probably don't just have sitting in the basement and weld a mild steel nut to the easy out. Heat up the easy-out until it glows red hot an allow it to cool for about 30 seconds and then weld the nut to it.

You can also do this process with a MIG, but you must have a oxygen and acetlyne-spelling? with a soldering tip in order to heat up the easy out enough to weld the nut to it. Once it is glowing red hot, hit it with the MIG and a 17 mm ACF (10mm inner thread) and melt the two together. Make sure to turn clockwise to loosen the easy out. Next wait for the new easy out and nut to cool and then use the oxy-acetlyne torch to heat up the aluminum right around the bolt so the whole thing loosens a bit. Make sure not to catch anything on fire!

The last thing is to drill out the easy out. Virtually impossible without a solid carbide drill bit and a bushing to keep it from shaking. If the carbide breaks off, no getting it out without the use of an EDM

The last thing that you could try is a carbon arc cutting torch. They make them in very small wire diameter and you just hook it up to your A.C. stick welder and burn right through the easy out. This takes some skill, however and practice a couple of times before you try to work on the head. Keep a CO2 extinguisher around just in case. Don't set the intake on fire as you won't put it out!!!!!!

Pulling the head is the safest, but I have gotten them out before. I don't recommend easy outs in the future. Your best bet is to drill the center of the bolt just like you would use and easy out and then blast some MIG wire into the center of it. The immense heat causes bolts to expand rapidly and break off the corrossion. Next weld a nut onto the top of the bolt and wait for it to cool. Finally heat the area around the bolt and gently turn it. Letting the drilled bolt sit overnight in penetrating oil also helps.

I am terribly sorry that I forgot! Drill the center of the bolt and add a little Nitric and Sufuric acid with a dropper. About 70% nitric and 30% sulfuric in about 6 molar concentration. It will eat the damn thing out like clockwork in a period of about 6-12 hours depending upon temp. Hardly effects the aluminium. I learned this in college when drilling aluminium templates with small drill bits! It is the best way and I forgot it. Only works on horizontal or near horizontal surfaces obviously.

Best of luck.

Brendan

AAAHHHH, Why dont I get the easy ones. At any rate. Mac...Ill grab a photo on the a.m....
I dont really have the option to weld...although Im sure I could hire someone. My other thought was this. Metal hole saw that is roughly the diameter of the original 10 mm size then tap it out with the appropriate thread. Im fairly confident the diameter of the housing is enough to compensate for a larger diameter bolt.
As far as Randy's comment, ez out.....NOT.
Thanks and let me know what you think of the hole saw idea.

bcdavis

Hole saw sounds like an ok idea...

borland

Brendan,

When you say you "snapped a bolt". Do you mean you sheared off the head, or more likely.... I suspect that you rounded out the socket with the improperly sized allen wrench.

Stuck bolts should be worked back out by repeated tightening and loosening in very short increments.

I suggest you first try vice grips on the bolt head. If that doesn't work, then cut a thick slot with a rotary grinder and apply a large flat bladed socket wrench.

Optionally, you could also try a SAE hex socket at the next size up after grinding the tip to aid driving it into the socket by hammer.

WallyP

The aluminum mainframe for a C-5 weighs about 1200 pounds and costs several hundred thousand dollars. When one of the guys would break off a hardened tap in a mainframe, Jon from Manufacturing Research and one of his techs would bring the EDM system to the line and burn the tap out without even hurting the threads the tap was making. No idea whether any machine shop near you might have a portable sinker EDM...

BTW - "EDM" is Electrical Discharge Machining. An unbelievable process, that machines tungsten carbide more easily than aluminum!

fst951

You may not want to use a hole saw as you don't have a centering hole. It will likely walk all over.

Good luck!

GlenL

Hacker beat me to it! Unbelieveable WYAIT opportunities with that one. In fact, you should pull the engine!

Otherwise, get a left-handed drill bit. It will hopefully catch and the bolt will back out. Get several and if it doesn't walk off-center you can drill it out. If it does then you can oversize and maybe helicoil it.

Brendan

Not beautiful but you can see the hole with the snapped bolt. Im going in deep with a diamond tip bit on a dremmel. If Im not out in 8 hrs, please notify the authorities.

Garth S

WoW, it's never the easy access ones that snap, is it?! If not already pulled, the removal of the fuel rail would improve your excavation space ( looks like the gland nut has already been off, but not by a flare wrench). Best of success with the diamond tip.