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Sparky

CRUD! Snapped a head bolt

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Sparky

This just happened tonight...should be fun tomorrow getting it out!

 

4C4F9CDD-474C-4DF7-9F69-67A114CF7FA4.jpeg

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TonyToro

Ooooh..... No good. Hopefully it comes out tomorrow without much trouble.

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SylvanLakeWH

:no:

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953 nut

:twocents-02cents:     If you grind a couple of flats on it a pair of vice grips should do the trick. Put down a couple of layers of duct tape over the block to protect it from the grinder etc.

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daveoman1966

Try the old man's trick.   Heat it a little bit and push some wax onto the stud.  That will draw the wax onto the threads, giving them just enough lube to let the stud turn out.  Have not ever tried this myuself, but told that it works.  

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stevebo

I would be soaking it for a few days myself with tranny fluid and acetone mix before trying. Good luck. 

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Sparky
16 minutes ago, stevebo said:

I would be soaking it for a few days myself with tranny fluid and acetone mix before trying. Good luck. 

Been shooting it with PB Blaster for a few hours now in preparation for tomorrow.

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oldlineman

At least it didn't snap off flush, that would have been a little harder to remove.

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Jerry77
1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

If you grind a couple of flats on it a pair of vice grips should do the trick

Yeah, and heat it with a torch until near cherry - start turning it immediately before it cools off...  :twocents-02cents:

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pacer

Have had 2 of those boogers, one same as yours and the another at the other exhaust bolt (that hot exhaust does a number on them!) on both mine I ended up tearing down enough to get the block mounted on the mill table and milling them out:ranting:

Hopefully with that one having so much 'meat' left to grab it'll come on out.

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AMC RULES

:dunno: Mike, if you keep pointing at it like that, by tomorrow...

4C4F9CDD-474C-4DF7-9F69-67A114CF7FA4.jpeg

it'll probably come out with little to no fight at all.   :lol:

 

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daveoman1966
1 hour ago, AMC RULES said:

:dunno: Mike, if you keep pointing at it like that, by tomorrow...

4C4F9CDD-474C-4DF7-9F69-67A114CF7FA4.jpeg

it'll probably come out with little to no fight at all.   :lol:

Yeah...humiliating it, like a bad child.  lol

 

 

 

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Digger 66

Don't chance it .

Weld a nut onto it !

I didn't and it wound up costing me 300 beaver pelts for a new engine last year :(

 

qXWRjUK.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Digger 66
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squonk

Did you even try to turn it? I had a head bolt actually rot away and about that much was sticking out. I'm thinking this will be fun. I put vise grips on the stub and it was loose! :scratchead: But mine was not near the exhaust. 

Edited by squonk

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gwest_ca

Weld a nut on with an electric welder, let it cool and you can likely turn it out with your fingers. Know why?

 

Garry

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oldredrider

Magic? :ROTF:

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Sarge

Heating what is left of the bolt will make it expand - most times breaking the rust bond between the two parts . I will add to that - just after welding the nut , use a little paraffin wax melted into the joint . Just make sure to keep it out of the cylinder - I'd roll the piston to the bottom and cover the hole with a piece of sheet metal to keep weld spatter off the piston and the wax away from the rings . Let it cool and it should unscrew easily . If not , start soaking it a few times a day with acetone/ATF mixture - that will penetrate nearly anything .

 

Trying to heat the block area around those bolts enough to expand the cast iron will likely destroy the fins and probably damage the cylinder bore - so getting a stuck/broken head bolt out can be tougher than most and serious care must be taken here . Take your time and be patient - it will eventually come out .

 

Sarge

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Jerry77
15 minutes ago, gwest_ca said:

Weld a nut on with an electric welder, let it cool and you can likely turn it out with your fingers. Know why?

I think the theory is that it will loosen the corrosion allowing it to turn...In reality this doesn't always work...heating to cherry and turning instantly works every time..:twocents-02cents:

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Sarge

The likelihood of cracking the block near that valve is really high if you use a torch to heat it - you can expand cast iron too much in a small area - I learned the hard way years ago on an old vintage Briggs and ruined it . I agree in most cases heating around the bolt until red never fails - especially on regular steel parts or cast parts that can take the stress , but not so much on an engine block in that area ...the Kohlers like to crack around that valve as it is if overheated from blocked fins .

 

Sarge

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Jerry77
9 minutes ago, Sarge said:

cracking the block near that valve is really high if you use a torch to heat it

I agree, but don't heat the block - only the stud- use a brazing tip to keep the heat on the stud...the heat from the stud shouldn't affect the block...imho...while I have never done this on a small block, 15 years in industrial maintenance on small and extra large machinery makes me think it would be fine.  again, don't heat the block.:)

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Sparky

I WIN!!!!

 

587C3BC9-20E3-4504-BA2C-B9D96B60DCFB.jpeg

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SylvanLakeWH

By hand I presume? or did you have to use your teeth?

 

:ychain:

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953 nut
5 hours ago, gwest_ca said:

let it cool and you can likely turn it out with your fingers. Know why?

If you don't let it cool you will burn your little pinkies!       :ychain:

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Sparky
1 hour ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

By hand I presume? or did you have to use your teeth?

 

:ychain:

Soooo....tried the welded nut trick but the nut snapped off😡 . Ended up drilling it out until it was wafer thin....then ran a 3/8x16 tap into her which was a slow painful process. The tap actually cleaned the remnants of the bolt out and cleaned the threads. 

 WHEW!!

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Digger 66
51 minutes ago, Sparky said:

Soooo....tried the welded nut trick but the nut snapped off😡 . Ended up drilling it out until it was wafer thin....then ran a 3/8x16 tap into her which was a slow painful process. The tap actually cleaned the remnants of the bolt out and cleaned the threads. 

 WHEW!!

 

Hope you used a bottoming tap .....

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