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am i screwed???

kyle.rj133

kyle.rj133

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Hooper, UT
well i was putting my alternator on today and was tighting the bolt to the head and snap!! i snaped the bolt clean off, and flush with the surface so i was like no problem i will drill it out and use a ez out.

1. i drilled to the side not the center :doah:

2. drilled mostly through the bolt then i slipped and broke the bit inside.

3. it drilled far enough so a ez out could fit, broke the ez out off.

this made me want to brake down and cry, go smash the truck and sell it!! it is the last thing i had to do before i got the engine done and running!!!

i dont know what i can do i have been through 4 drill bits. do i have to get new heads? because these are ported and in dang good shape. help??? i would take it to machine shop but dont have alot of money.

i will post a picture but i have no idea how.
 
I know that's a pain, but take a few minutes, get your head together and think it through. Without being there and looking at it myself, it's tough to give any advice, but I think I would start by using heat and try to keep a bigger drill bit centered as good as possible. Perhaps let it soak over night with a penetrating oil. You'll get it, don't get impatient.
 
Pull the heads, put the drivers side on the pass side, and the F-ed up pass head on the drivers side. Problem solved, although it's a bunch of work and it'll cost you a set of gaskets.

Rene
 
tRustyK5 said:
Pull the heads, put the drivers side on the pass side, and the F-ed up pass head on the drivers side. Problem solved, although it's a bunch of work and it'll cost you a set of gaskets.

Rene
Click to expand...
everything will work and all the screw holes that i need will be in the right place? its 1970's engine
 
Yeah, the heads are symmetrical...so swapping them puts the bad spot at the back of the drivers side where it isn't needed anyways. Definitely double check before pulling the wrenches out though.

Rene
 
Are you screwed? Oh Yeah. Definitely.

Is it fixable? Probably.

If you get this before you go to bed, soak the whole area down good with WD40 if you have any. Any good penetrating oil if you don't.
You want to do two things at this point.
1 Get lots of oil into the tight places.
2 Clean off the whole area so you can see what is what.

Then, best thing is to go to bed and let things soak and you get a little calmer.
It almost always looks better the next day.

If you just can't, then start by undoing as much as you can.
Forget about the bolt right now.
What else is in there?

If you have an EZ out and a drill bit stuck in there, you need to try to get them out if you can.
The drill bit is usually the easiest. Remember it made the hole its in, so there is clearance. Its just the cutting end that is holding it.
Tapping on it gently with a sharp strong pick will usually loosen it up enough for it to be worked out.

Go side to side and also tap it gently to make it turn backwards.
Usually once you get it to wiggle, it will come on out.

The EZout is a little tougher. A good pick will work it out too usually. But, it often takes more force.

You probably won't have a pick that is hard enough and small enough for this work.
I have had good luck with the square type concrete nails. I grind them down carefully so as not to draw the temper.

Otherwise, get creative. If the shank is long enough, one of the broken drill bits can be made into a punch.

Once you get the hard parts out, then more WD40 and a bright light. If the area is all scarred up, sand it down smooth with some sandpaper. You need to be certain exactly where the bolt ends and the head begins.

At this point, all I can do is offer suggestions. If you got all the broken drill and other pieces out, then try your pick on the broken bolt.
Come in at an angle and try to tap it backwards.

Remember, this is not an old frozen bolt. Unless you cross-threaded it, it is a clean bolt in clean thread with no tension on it. You can usually back one of those out with a pick until you can get a pair of vise-grips on it.

If it won't budge, get your light and see if it needs to be drilled again.
If so, get that pick, sharpen it, and, taking your time, make a starter dimple in the center of the bolt.

Then, start with a small drill bit and lots of oil. Only drill a tiny ways in, pull it out to clear the chips and go again.
Slow and careful. Watch your angles, make sure you are straight.

After you get in with that one, go bigger. Do Not go just a small amount bigger so that the next drill binds in the first hole.
Go big enough that the first hole acts as a pilot hole, not a hole to be enlarged.

Let us know of the progress.

PS, DO NOT DRILL TOO DEEP!

J.
 
Its a one in a million shot, but the way your luck seems to be running, you might want to feel the back side of the other head before you pull them off and make sure someone hasn't already done that trick to fix the same problem. <G>.
 
Fordum said:
Are you screwed? Oh Yeah. Definitely.

Is it fixable? Probably.

If you get this before you go to bed, soak the whole area down good with WD40 if you have any. Any good penetrating oil if you don't.
You want to do two things at this point.
1 Get lots of oil into the tight places.
2 Clean off the whole area so you can see what is what.

Then, best thing is to go to bed and let things soak and you get a little calmer.
It almost always looks better the next day.

If you just can't, then start by undoing as much as you can.
Forget about the bolt right now.
What else is in there?

If you have an EZ out and a drill bit stuck in there, you need to try to get them out if you can.
The drill bit is usually the easiest. Remember it made the hole its in, so there is clearance. Its just the cutting end that is holding it.
Tapping on it gently with a sharp strong pick will usually loosen it up enough for it to be worked out.

Go side to side and also tap it gently to make it turn backwards.
Usually once you get it to wiggle, it will come on out.

The EZout is a little tougher. A good pick will work it out too usually. But, it often takes more force.

You probably won't have a pick that is hard enough and small enough for this work.
I have had good luck with the square type concrete nails. I grind them down carefully so as not to draw the temper.

Otherwise, get creative. If the shank is long enough, one of the broken drill bits can be made into a punch.

Once you get the hard parts out, then more WD40 and a bright light. If the area is all scarred up, sand it down smooth with some sandpaper. You need to be certain exactly where the bolt ends and the head begins.

At this point, all I can do is offer suggestions. If you got all the broken drill and other pieces out, then try your pick on the broken bolt.
Come in at an angle and try to tap it backwards.

Remember, this is not an old frozen bolt. Unless you cross-threaded it, it is a clean bolt in clean thread with no tension on it. You can usually back one of those out with a pick until you can get a pair of vise-grips on it.

If it won't budge, get your light and see if it needs to be drilled again.
If so, get that pick, sharpen it, and, taking your time, make a starter dimple in the center of the bolt.

Then, start with a small drill bit and lots of oil. Only drill a tiny ways in, pull it out to clear the chips and go again.
Slow and careful. Watch your angles, make sure you are straight.

After you get in with that one, go bigger. Do Not go just a small amount bigger so that the next drill binds in the first hole.
Go big enough that the first hole acts as a pilot hole, not a hole to be enlarged.

Let us know of the progress.

PS, DO NOT DRILL TOO DEEP!

J.
Click to expand...
well im going to soak it really good tonight. and give it a try once i get out of school and let everyone know how it goes.

im pretty sure i didnt cross thread it. because it was going great untill the very end, then it started getting really hard.

this is how it goes, the drill bit is behind the ez out, and the ez out broke flush with the head.

how do i put up pictures? or do i have to upgrade to member which i plan on doing as soon as i get more money.

money talks!
 
Fordum said:
Its a one in a million shot, but the way your luck seems to be running, you might want to feel the back side of the other head before you pull them off and make sure someone hasn't already done that trick to fix the same problem. <G>.
Click to expand...
checked it, nope its clean (; its alot of work and im going to try what everyone else says first
 
Sounds like the bolt is too long for the hole, the threads ran out and you cranked on it hard to break it like that.
 
Don't know if this will work in this situation but I have drilled a hole in a piece of plate, placed the plate over the broken bolt, filled the hole with weld and then turned the plate. The plate sometimes breaks off but leaves the weld behind which gives you something to grab with vise grips. Plus the heat from the weld helps brake it loose but in your situation I don't know if the heat will help much.
 
GsxrMike said:
Don't know if this will work in this situation but I have drilled a hole in a piece of plate, placed the plate over the broken bolt, filled the hole with weld and then turned the plate. The plate sometimes breaks off but leaves the weld behind which gives you something to grab with vise grips. Plus the heat from the weld helps brake it loose but in your situation I don't know if the heat will help much.
Click to expand...
i dont really have access to a welder. i think i might just go with switching the heads.

local libraries probably hate me, lol i try to keep there books clean i promise!!
 
tRustyK5 said:
You work fast, glad it worked out!

Rene
Click to expand...

Which might be part of why he broke the bolt in the first place. :D

Glad Rene was able to give you the advice you needed to get the rig back together and running again.
 
yeah me too. if it wasnt for him i would have never known the heads would be inerchangable.
 
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