Murphy showed up at my house this week. I've been working on my exhaust from the manifolds to the muffler. It was bad enough getting the cat back off but the y-pipe wasn't to bad. Then the real fun began as I started taking off the exhaust manifolds. With all the rust and hard to get to buts and nolts I thought that was going to be the biggest hardest part of the whole header install untill, I went to loosen the bolt closest to the fire wall on the drivers side of the engine. I put my wrench on it and noticed it was only finger tight. Turns out it was broken off right at the head. Now if Murphy only brought his easy out with him and a 90* drive for my drill I won't have to do a head swap too.

Steve

 

Ive never tried any of those easy outs after all the stories Ive heard about them. I think about the only thing more annoying then having to drill out a bolt is having to so with a peice of metal stuck in it thats as hard as the drill bit itself. Sucks to hear it snapped off. Bad location, too.

 

Soak it good with penetrant, like overnight, with several applications. Try to back it out with a small punch or chisel and hammer.

 

Exactly. Then punch a small notch on one side of the end, then use a chisel and hammer to try to turn it. You can also use a torch and heat the manifold (not the bolt). That may help also.

 

or if you dont trust that, take it to a shop right away.

if you try to get it out and break off a easy out in it, most shops wont even look at it.

 

That or they'll giggle all the way to the bank.

 

The bolt is broke off flush with the head not the manifold. Looks like I'll have to take the head off to get it out. Since this is on a lo3 I might just put on a set of lb9 heads off my 85 IROC. I just didn't want to go to all that trouble to put a set of headers and 3" exhaust on when I plan on putting my 350 in it when it's finished.

Steve

 

The typical Catch 22.

The 416's and headers would make a good performance gain (the hassle of the different intake bolt angles notwithstanding). Or, put the manifolds back on and ignore the one broken off bolt until you can do the whole 350 thing.

 

Ive run with the last bolt missing on the pass. side with my headers. They didnt leak. You could just install the headers without that bolt for the time being.

 

Yeah, thats probably what I'll wind up doing. Just put on the headers and go on with the rest of the exhaust.

Steve

 

My passenger side rear is loose and it does leak. Man is that thing a pain in the but to tighten. Last time I did it from under the car.

 

call me an idiot, but couldnt you just chop off part of another bolt so that it has the head and part of the shaft (no point to it), then weld it to the broken off end and wrench it out? Or would that possibly weld it to your headers at the same time? Iunno, just throwin' out ideas.

 

Soak it in WD40 or similar for a day or 3, drill a #25 hole in the center of the broken bolt and use a #3 easyout, it is quite large and much harder to break.
If you don't have a 90* drill, you could get a chuck for an air ratchet (if you have one) and use that (works great as a slow drill motor)

 

A real penetrating oil would be better than WD40.

 

Yeah, I prefer PB or Kroil. Kroil works better than anything I've ever seen. My uncle had a can of it, so I don't know where to buy it. I'll try a Google search in a minute.

 

Reading comprehension??

 

The bolt is actually about one thread down in the hole so I'm just going to take a cutoff wheel and cut a slot in the bolt. Then I might be able to use a flat head screwdriver to get it out.

Steve

 

I guess it's worth a shot.

 

that's exactly why i never put mine on before, but that was my issue... wanted to wait til i pulled my engine "whenever" and put it all on then. well, guess what? engine's out for some rework so the new exhaust will be going on when it goes back in.

KAM