Well... Today was going to swap in a new 180 degree thermo for the old one. However, when bolting the housing back the rear bolt would no longer turn with an about a 1/16 of an inch beween the bolt head and housing. I decide to back it out and try again, but the bolt broke as I was doing so.

I tried using an "Easy Out" but that broke off as well. also tried drilling it out but can't seem to make any headway. There was not enough bolt left to try the double nut trick.

Anyone with another idea or am i screwed?

Thanks

 

the only way ive ever got a broken bolt out is drilling it out. im not sure wat else u can do? mabye take it to a shop n let them deal with it unless u wanna pull the intake manifold?

 

Hi,

What you might try and have done this a few times including
broken easy-out is:

Clear out area around thermostat to give yourself some room.
Maf- Ducting - Wiring- Hoses - TB if necessary- ect. ect.

Blow out chips from hole.
Spray in some penetrant.
Get some small punches and small hammer-ballpen or whatever.
Get punch about halfway down the easy out and start peening
on it going around the easy out blades. Sometimes may take awhile.
If starts to break free, needle nose it.

If you get it out, Drill it out and HeliCoil it.

Give it a try, might save you some shop labor

Later
Jaykar

 

Ok... Thanks I will give it another go...

 

Try a carbide bit, they are harder than the e-z out and wont dull as fast as a HSS bit.

 

Thanks


I was able to get the broken " easy out " out. I then drilled I nice deep hole screwed in a larger easy out nice and deep. The F**King thing broke off.

Tried drilling the easy out but snapped two bits in seconds with only light pressure on the drill.

I'm going to talk to my mechanic tuesday and see what he thinks.

I have sent the TB out to be rebuilt and rebored to 52mm. also, ordered slp runners and a holly AFPR.

More and more its looking like an Edelbrock manifold. I may still get some carbide bits. If so will just drill the bolt out and HeliCoil it. Will keep you posted.

Thanks

 

I loged in to post the same topic and here we have someone with the exact same problem hehe

I removed the plenum and and I broke two powerbult easy outs in it !!!!

So today I will drill though the whole thing and then re thread or maybe put an insert, dont know which is better.

Sam

 

Hi,

Heli-Coil it and you won't have trouble again.

Especially on the thermostat housing.
Usually Heli-Coil my new manifolds before installing them
as it saves headaches down the road if water happens to
get in there.

Later
jaykar

 

There is a stud removal tool that can get out broken studs even when there is just a tiny bit sticking out. my friend let me borrow it once for an exahust manifold stud that broke on me and very little was left sticking out. I think it was craftsman or snap on or something like that. It worked wonders though and with a little heat if possible it came right out. Its sort of a socket looking thing that grips right on the outside of the bolt... you have to hammer it on if i rember right and you use a ratchet to pull it out. Hope this helps

 

GRRRRRR!!!

I tried drilling but it was useless, the easy outs were too hard and the drill bits i was using just didnt want to go through, so i ended upp messing it all upp and is pretty much unusable now.

So now it is time to buy some performance parts and maybe get the injectors reconditioned while at it

Sam

 

I am guessing never use an easy out when you could just drill out the bolt and use a heli coil! I am reading these posts after getting my bolts out. I used heat from a propane torch and went slow. Occasionally when it got too tight I threaded back in a few times and kept alternating heat and wd-40. thankfully the bolts came out. the rear one was the hardest. It looks like a stud with a nut on it and he stud came out with the nut. anyone know if this is stock? Should I just put a bolt back in it and how long can the bolt be?
The front bolt came out easier until the last few threads and it galled the threads on the tip of the bolt. I am off bolt shopping.
BTW I found when removing the throttle body I could leave the throttle cables and hoses attached and lift it up and sit it on top of the plenum.

 

Thats the bolt I broke. Yes it is stock.

I think maybe on some motors something else bolted on top.

If I had it to do over again, I would have tossed that bolt and replaced it with one 3/4's as long. it had rust on the treads all the way up. that should have been a tip off that something was wrong.

The car gets towed in on the 23rd. I sent the throttle body off to be rebuilt and rebored to 52mm. Got SLP runners and having them port matched to the plenum and a Holley AFPR. So there is my silver lining.

 

dont know if its too late, but when this happened to me with the easy out we just took the manifold off a took it to a machine shop.they drilled the bolt out by using some thin bit of some sort along the outside of the bolt and then retapped it for $20..

 

I replaced the bolts in my manifold with 3/8-16 1-1/4 long. The parts counter at the chevy dealer verified they should be 3/8-16 which I was surpised they were not metric. I bought the bolts at Advance Auto. I chased the threads with a thread chaising kit I bought at sears which is 52102. This is a new product at Sears and is much better than a tap set because they are flat on the bottom and went right to the bottom of the hole.

 

Well... Got the car back. He got the bolt out by using small drill bits and drilling around the easy out, then drilling out the bolt.

With the bigger throttle Body, Port matched runners, and AFPR set at 50 lb. The car runs like a raped ape. Throttle response is wayyyyy up.