i bought 2 cars 89 convertible 5.0 rs stik that for 1500 the next for 780 i wanted to do some routine work i have no idea what im doing so i change the thermastat to start im taking off second nut for housing and the bolt snapped leaving a knub sticking out the block so i drilled it and got a reverse drill bit and started cranking that and then that snapped of inside then my crazy friend descided to try to get under the easy out with the drill and now im wondering of 3 quarters of an inch would be to big to bore out thermastat housing an the car is a 88 rs 2.8

 

Wow what a mess of a post. If you used punctuation, it might be easier to understand, and reply to eh?

The thermostat bolts go into the intake manifold, rather than the block don't they? I'm only wise to SBC's rather than the V6 lineup.

Is there enough of the stub sticking out to weld a nut onto the remainder of the stud? Have you tried a torch to heat it up, then drip some wax in there, then try and use pliers to unscrew the broken off drill bit? How'd you manage to snap off a drill bit??

 

very carefully.

You need to get that nub out, either use pliers or use a smaller drill bit and CAREFULLY drill in the center of the broken bolt, get it out and use a helicoil that is the same size as the original, you can get it at your local autozone or checker, pretty cut and dry its even got pretty pictures so you know youre doing it right.

 

there's not enough of the bit sticking out to grab it. i tried to pry it out with needle tools,
it wont go anywhere u think drilling a small hole into the easy-out (if possible its hardened steel) then easy out the easy out?
im gonna use a helicoil after i get the bit out
but what are the best tools to grind threw broken bits and bolts any advice?

 

high speed titanium drill bits

 

how long should it take to grind all that out and should i try to easy out the easy out?

 

I cant tell you how many times Ive seen this. I never use easy outs.

Theres not a whole lot that you can use to drill thru an easy out. Theyre hard as hell. Probably need a tungsten bit. Grinding will be almost impossible due to the fact that you have to grind all the way down to get it out.

How did the bolt snap off in the first place? Was it frozen? Turned the wrong way? If it froze, then it might almost be easier to get a new intake, as theres really no way to turn the current bolt, and theres a hard bit stuck in it.

The only things I can think of: First is to slot the remainder of the bolt with a cut-off wheel, and try a flat blade screw driver to back it out. If that doesnt work, then you might try to get a small carbide tip for a dremel, and work around the easy out. The carbide tip should go thru the soft steel bolt quite easily, and maybe expose enough of the easy out to grab onto it, and back it out. Then you can drill out the bolt, and heli-coil it. If you have a welder, you could also try welding another bolt to the stub.

For future reference, if the bolt breaks and gets stuck, and you cant get it out by conventional means, the next step is always drill and heli-coil.

 

I had the same thing happen to me several years ago with my 92. After playing with the broken bolt/nub/reverse drill methods for three days I finally gave up and went to the junkyard and pulled an intake for $20. Cleaned the intake, painted it and installed new thermo and housing. That was a lot easier than playing with the broken bolt. The easyouts did not work for me and they now sit in my tool chest as a testament to either my lack of mechanical skills or proof of how to waste money. And I had never removed or installed an intake before but I am glad I went to the JYard and got a new (to me) one.

Lesson learned was if I want to change my thermostat at the very least shoot some PB Blaster in there first.

 

i think that might be the best idea anyone know how hard it would be to change the whole piece or how much a shop would charge to replace it if i had the part any way what is the thermostat located on the intake manifold or the head i really dont know?

 

the bolt was not frozen just seized would not turn i didnt use wd-40 or nothing but learned the hard way i just pushed until the nut came off with the rest of the bolt

 

any 1 know?

 

Maybe $200 dollars or so in labor, as a guess. Its not particularly hard to do.

The thermostat regulates teh coolant temperature. Its filled with wax that expands when hot, opening the t-stat, and allowing coolant to flow thru the engine.

 

thank you and do you know what part it would be that i need to pull from the yard a intake manifold head? i have to replace where the thermostat is put

 

Almost any GM TBI car with a 305 or 350 SBC will have the intake that your looking for. I used to have a TBI truck, and IIRC the truck intakes will probably fit as well and have all the same accessory holes. The yards around you should be able to source one. Just tell 'em what kind of car you have. You can also try the classifieds here. Im sure someone has a stock TBI intake for cheap. People take them off all the time for better intakes.

 

You need the entire intake. What I did was pulled mine off first. Then I put it in the car and went to the JYard to use it as a reference. Really pretty simple to do. Once your tbi (or whatever you have-carb,tpi) is off, then it is like 8 -10 torx bolts to remove it. By removing yours first you will be a bit more familular with the Jyard one that you want to remove.

 

FOR SURE i will most definately be doing that hard part where to start taking apart am i going to need new seals or anything or is this going to be bolt off bolt on

 

imma put a picc of my intake to show how tweakers work realll gooood

 

I believe it is bolt on -bolt off. You will need a thermo stat gasket and maybe the one for the tbi if it's brittle and breaks. It's been a few years since I did it but then I am the type that once it's apart I am putting new stuff back on.

 

i cant agree more with you bout that if i have to take all this off isnt their any mods or addons something i could do since my car going to be half way torn apart? im putting picture up right now i do not know how i can get this off

 

i do not know how to add photos

 

 

where u see the circular ring is where the thermostat goes and as u can see where the bolt on the right is supposed to match the hole on the left symetrically the shiny part next to the drilled hole is where the easy-out is broken

 

You can go for an aftermarket intake, obviously price will jump but you're gonna have it off anyway lol and you'll need new gaskets for the intake to the block then use some rtv on the front and rear, its a pain for me but I'm just not that patient with gaskets, if you don't get a good seal you'll have to tear it up and try again, when you buy the gasket there's 2 pieces that run along the sides abd then use the supplied rtv to bridge the gap on the font and back of the intake, apply it, let it harden a bit, put the intake on to mold it, let it sit a bit longer and then torque it down, when you're molding just snug it down, you might be better off buying some extra rtv in case it screws up, I'm a fan of permatex's one min gasket, comes in a cheese whiz style can, cures a lot faster and its easier to manage than the tubes

 

I had the same exact thing happen to me 2 weeks ago with my L98 GTA. All I was doing was changing the thermostat and **** had to hit the fan. The stud broke in half and I was screwed. I spent about 10 hours soaking it with PB blaster and tying to get the remainder of the stud out with a pair of vice grips but it would not budge. I finally yelled **** it at the top of my lungs put it back together and took it in to get drilled out. They had to remove the entire plenum to get clearance for the drill. They quoted me $150 for the job, but total it came to $196. They let me pay $150 because that's what they quoted me. It was a nightmare of a job they said.

 

Yeah makes you never want to change your thermo doesn't it? Ever now and then I shoot some PB Blaster in those bolt holes for the day in the future when I got to change the thermo again.

 

yeah i snapped mine right beofre i had to go to work lol such a pain, i limped it to work and back thank god i had coolant in the back (i carry random crap just in case now lol tools, fluids, RTV ) I tried to back it out with some vice grips but that wasnt happening so i busted it off deeper and drilled it out, popped in a helicoil and a half hour later it was all set lol

 

You said its a 2.8 right? Be sure you have the right info on the car and motor before you go shopping for the new manifold. Year, make and model, options such as AC, VIN, engine size, build date. Different places list parts by different means so its good to have all the info.

 

whats rtv and so gaskets if i go to kragen they will havr it there an o i need hi temp gasket sealer stuff