broke of head studs

[Rootie524]

well ill start this off by saying "f*ck"

i got a set of junk yard head to screw around with and port. When i got to the car, someone must have been there first because when i got the heads out i noticed a beautiful broken off exhaust manifold stud deep within the threads of the head. After a good amount of time invested in getting the heads off..i said f it..i can drill and tap the SOB.

I'm almost 100% sure this has happened to many of you because of how rusty and crappy these studs are..so my question is what are successful methods of removing these pesky studs that break off in the head?

[86FieroSEv6]

The most successful method is to let a machine shop do it. They will be able to use a drill press rig to make sure it is straight on center. Also, you can be patient, keep applying a good penetrant (I like PB Blaster) over several days and it is possible a left hand bit in a reversible drill will back it right out.

[shwgidy]

I broke a cylinder head bolt off... I just used penetrating oil, center punch, then drilled the bolt with a small bit, then a larger one (6-8mm), then used a kobalt (lowes) extractor bit. It came out easy-peasy.

Do not make the same mistake I just made and chase the threads with a plug tap. Use a real thread chaser. Sears sells a 48 piece one for like $60. Mines coming tomorrow, as well as a helicoil repair kit.

-Brian

[Rootie524]

i have a bad experience with extractor bits. i tried it before and it must of been a bad bit because the tip of it broke off in the stuck bolt and there was no drilling through that because it was titanium..i don't want to risk it again. a machine shop said he can do it for $20 a bolt..does that seem fair?

[Tbay99Venture]

i have a bad experience with extractor bits. i tried it before and it must of been a bad bit because the tip of it broke off in the stuck bolt and there was no drilling through that because it was titanium..i don't want to risk it again. a machine shop said he can do it for $20 a bolt..does that seem fair?

Overall I've had good results but at least one has broken off on me. Sizing is critical because if you drill the hole too big the force can sometimes expand the bolt stub and work against you. But if you use an extractor that can't reach deep enough you risk snapping it off and getting a real mess. I suppose if you've had to really work it to get the stub out then it's best to replace the extractor as well since it might have stress cracks and fail on the next job.

Just my 1/50 of a $ since you've got a shop lined up. Hopefully you're not in for 6 bolts cause that will erode a lot of the savings you got on that head

[nukkinfuttz]

I can explain how to properly remove broken bolts....

First, please understand there are two unique conditions that can cuase a broken bolt....

1. A large external force has acted on one of two pieces of metal that are joined by a bolt. This force was so strong it sheared the bolt off, either somewhere along its lenth, or just pulled it hard enough to pop its head off.

2. The bolt has "gulled" in place. This means its atoms in the bolt have physically bonded into the metal that contains the threads. Aluminum loves to do this to steel, it thinks its funny. Most Dis-similar metals will try to do this over time. If you have attempted to unscrew a bolt that has galled in place, and it will not turn, and you apply so much force to it, that the head of the bolt breaks off... please understand this is completely different from the situation above.

The reason these two situations are different is becuase in the #1 senario, when the bolt head came off, it released tension on all of the bolts threads. Now it should be able to screw out by hand... only problem is, there is no handle with which to apply turning force. Enter the extractor set.... The extractor set's job is to provide you the handle you need to apply turning force, and you can then back the rest of the bolt out of the hole, no problem. THIS IS WHAT EXTRACTOR SETS ARE DESIGNED FOR.

Now, take the case of situation #2... the remaining bolt is just plain stuck in its hole. Please dont be fooled into thinking that drilling a hole inside the original bolt, and inserting a tiny little extractor is going to be stronger than the original bolt head! thats preposterous! If the original bolt couldnt hold itself together in the first place, why would you think something smaller will do it? Also note that these extrators are made of "Tool Steel". this is very very hard, so its gripping edges will stay sharp over time... however, the harder something is, the more brittle it is! so, if you insert this thing and get to wrenching on it, IT IS GOING TO BREAK! then you will be left with something that is nearly impossible to drill stuck right in the middle of your bolt. This will really put a screwin on your day. Dont be a fool, DONT USE EXTRACTORS ON SIEZED BOLTS!!!

So, how do you properly deal with a siezed bolt? Heat. lots of heat. You can use heat to make the metal grow in size (heat makes things expand, remember?) If your lucky, the heat will cuase enough expansion, and your seized condition will let go. Then an extractor can be used. If this does not work, you can try soaking the bolt in penatrating oil for several days. Again, this is aimed at breaking the siezed condition. If this still does not work, then you will be forced to drill out the bolt and use a helicoil kit.

Moral of the story... DO NOT USE EXTRACTOR SETS TO REMOVE SIEZED BOLTS!

Sure, some times you hear of people getting away with doing this, but seriously, the vast majority of people that use an extractor on a siezed bolt break the tool off in said siezed bolt... becuase thats not what its for.

but now you know, so you wont have this problem.

[fastback4]

Heat. The real extractor!.......Tom

I can explain how to properly remove broken bolts....

First, please understand there are two unique conditions that can cuase a broken bolt....

1. A large external force has acted on one of two pieces of metal that are joined by a bolt. This force was so strong it sheared the bolt off, either somewhere along its lenth, or just pulled it hard enough to pop its head off.

2. The bolt has "gulled" in place. This means its atoms in the bolt have physically bonded into the metal that contains the threads. Aluminum loves to do this to steel, it thinks its funny. Most Dis-similar metals will try to do this over time. If you have attempted to unscrew a bolt that has galled in place, and it will not turn, and you apply so much force to it, that the head of the bolt breaks off... please understand this is completely different from the situation above.

The reason these two situations are different is becuase in the #1 senario, when the bolt head came off, it released tension on all of the bolts threads. Now it should be able to screw out by hand... only problem is, there is no handle with which to apply turning force. Enter the extractor set.... The extractor set's job is to provide you the handle you need to apply turning force, and you can then back the rest of the bolt out of the hole, no problem. THIS IS WHAT EXTRACTOR SETS ARE DESIGNED FOR.

Now, take the case of situation #2... the remaining bolt is just plain stuck in its hole. Please dont be fooled into thinking that drilling a hole inside the original bolt, and inserting a tiny little extractor is going to be stronger than the original bolt head! thats preposterous! If the original bolt couldnt hold itself together in the first place, why would you think something smaller will do it? Also note that these extrators are made of "Tool Steel". this is very very hard, so its gripping edges will stay sharp over time... however, the harder something is, the more brittle it is! so, if you insert this thing and get to wrenching on it, IT IS GOING TO BREAK! then you will be left with something that is nearly impossible to drill stuck right in the middle of your bolt. This will really put a screwin on your day. Dont be a fool, DONT USE EXTRACTORS ON SIEZED BOLTS!!!

So, how do you properly deal with a siezed bolt? Heat. lots of heat. You can use heat to make the metal grow in size (heat makes things expand, remember?) If your lucky, the heat will cuase enough expansion, and your seized condition will let go. Then an extractor can be used. If this does not work, you can try soaking the bolt in penatrating oil for several days. Again, this is aimed at breaking the siezed condition. If this still does not work, then you will be forced to drill out the bolt and use a helicoil kit.

Moral of the story... DO NOT USE EXTRACTOR SETS TO REMOVE SIEZED BOLTS!

Sure, some times you hear of people getting away with doing this, but seriously, the vast majority of people that use an extractor on a siezed bolt break the tool off in said siezed bolt... becuase thats not what its for.

but now you know, so you wont have this problem.

[geoffinbc]

A lot of car magazines and shows are swearing by heat and then touching the area with a candle and letting the wax wick in to loosen the grip. Never tried it. I just bought rebuilt heads to port out and gave up my old ones as cores with the broken bolts

[16vconversion]

Every time I get into broken bolts in cylinder heads , weld a nipple of material to said stud and then weld a new nut on top , Works like a charm. and I'm routinely removing broken bolts in 4.6 & 5.4 Ferd heads.

[86FieroSEv6]

Sonic heaters are also coming into vogue now that the technology has become more affordable and portable. Also, sonic heating does not affect nearby parts and materials like flame and plasma heat do.

[pocket-rocket]

Every time I get into broken bolts in cylinder heads , weld a nipple of material to said stud and then weld a new nut on top , Works like a charm. and I'm routinely removing broken bolts in 4.6 & 5.4 Ferd heads.

I've only been able to manage removing exhaust nuts/bolts/studs without heat on my Ranger... Every other Ford required heat to get stuff to budge. Now most 60v6 stuff I've never even had to think about touching my torch, except this Achieva... OTH, I've removed broken studs quite easily with my extractor set, but on the same note, I've learned to install a stud and then a nut instead of using a stud/nut combo that is frozen together. You are 10x more likely to break a stud if you use it like a bolt when the nut is froze to it. Heat the nut, remove it from the stud and use a tap and die set on both and it will go together like pie.