coolant bolt snapped in block

[1-3-2-4]

How do you remove it? Funny thing was I made sure it was not cross threaded but it started binding up well before it made contact with the pipe.

[987687]

What is the coolant bolt?

[1-3-2-4]

Opps forgot the pictures

 

[987687]

You're lucky there, it's not snapped off flush with the block. 

At this point your best bet is to heat it good at hot, and spray it with PB blaster, or the like. This will hopefully suck some of the oil into the threads. Then heat it up again and clamp good and tight with vice grips to try and unthread it. Whatever you do, don't break it flush with the block or you'll end up drilling.

 

Also, tape over the intake ports, you don't want dirt, nuts, bolts, etc falling in there!

Edited December 29, 2013 by 987687

[1-3-2-4]

You're lucky there, it's not snapped off flush with the block. 

At this point your best bet is to heat it good at hot, and spray it with PB blaster, or the like. This will hopefully suck some of the oil into the threads. Then heat it up again and clamp good and tight with vice grips to try and unthread it. Whatever you do, don't break it flush with the block or you'll end up drilling.

 

Also, tape over the intake ports, you don't want dirt, nuts, bolts, etc falling in there!

The heads are getting switched out so no worry about that.. besides all valves are closed.

 

Will vice grips really work? I assume the threads are mangled?

[987687]

If you have a good meaty pair of vice grips, it'll grab right on. It threaded in there, it should thread out with some heat.

 

Personally I'd probably weld a nut onto the stub sticking out. The heat of the welder would help break it free, and then I could zip it out with an impact. But if you don't have those, vice grips will do it. You'll likely have to tap the threads out ofterwards.

[1-3-2-4]

Anyone know the size of the bolts? Why not just put a stud in that area so it wont happen again?

[987687]

I almost never take the crossover pipe off (on a motor going back into service). I've never seen one leak, so I don't touch it. But on the motors I've torn apart because they were blown, I've never had that happen.

 

If I had to guess on the size, it looks like it's m8 x 1.25

[1-3-2-4]

Being as it's from a yard I was not going to take any risks.

[ocei77]

Continued work of this type may mandate broken stud extractors such as those made by Irwin or Sears.

My very first Suby head removal was not done correctly and that last head bolt stripped trying to come out.

The Irwin unit worked like a champ and "saved" the day.

 

O.

[1982gl4]

I had one of these break like two weeks ago. But I work at a shop so getting them out is fairly easy for me.I would try vice grips first and work up from there. Like 987687 said I welded a nut to the top of it, and used heat as I worked it in and out. Unfortunately it was super stuck, and I couldn't get it to budge with normal hand tools. We ended up heating it one last time and using a 3/8 impact on it and it came right out. And IIRC those bolts are smaller 6x1.0 maybe. I remove the coolant cross overs because the metal hose that goes from the water pump to the heatercore have been rusting out and spraying coolant everwhere. I've changed probably 5 of them now  ​ got to love salt. 

[1-3-2-4]

Yeah I have a bolt size template finally became useful.. I agree so far M6 x 1.00

 

However it seems no helicoil fine threaded inserts for this size?

 

I've already tried vice grips heat and oil.. and like I said before I have a wielder but seeing as this is the motor I'm working on to replace my blown EJ25.. Unless I can carry a long block EJ22 about 2 miles it's going to be impossible to doing wielding in a parking lot.

 

 

I'm just going to drill it out in the morning.

[idosubaru]

happens all the time on older ER and EA engines - those intake/coolant bolts shearing off in the heads.

 

12mm bolt = M10x1.25 threads

10mm bolt = M6x1.00 threads

 

i'd never even vice grips on these, they're usually in there pretty good.

 

1. spray it with penetrant

2. weld a nut on top that stud (which you said you can't do)

3. put another nut or two on the remaining thread if you can and lock them together?

4. drill it out with left handed drill bits - once it's widdled away enough the heat and left handed motion will back the remaining bolt out

5.  drill it out with right handed bits

 

when removing these bolts  normally and if you feel tension - or if you try #2 or #3 above a huge help in making this successful on these bolts is to work them back and forth many times- loosen, tighten...then take a break, loosen, tighten...take a break.  go very slowly and it'll come out.  the point of the breaks are to give the metal time to cool off.  if you loosen it all at once the metal heats up, fatigues, and shears. 

 

*do not use bolt extractors - they absolutely suck, throw them away. if they do work then it'll easily come out with some other means, like vice grips or drilling.  bolt extractors are excellent resources for well trained machinists in a controlled shop, but should all be thrown away for automotive mechanical work IMO.  they are extremely brittle and hard - but break very easy with any impact at all.  if you break one of those off inside a drilled out bolt...good luck getting it out, they're a real nightmare as they're nearly impossible to drill through.  just google it, people break them all the time.

[987687]

*do not use bolt extractors - they absolutely suck, throw them away. if they do work then it'll easily come out with some other means, like vice grips or drilling.  bolt extractors are excellent resources for well trained machinists in a controlled shop, but should all be thrown away for automotive mechanical work IMO.  they are extremely brittle and hard - but break very easy with any impact at all.  if you break one of those off inside a drilled out bolt...good luck getting it out, they're a real nightmare as they're nearly impossible to drill through.  just google it, people break them all the time.

 

I'm gonna second NEVER EVER USE EZOUTS!!!!

 

I used one once. It broke off, and I spent hours with a die grinder fixing my mistake. These things are evil.

Edited December 30, 2013 by 987687

[MilesFox]

use a straight jaw vise grip

[ivans imports]

Hit it with a hammer to breakup the rust in threads mabe try welding a nut to it the heat will help it break loose

[Gloyale]

I almost never take the crossover pipe off (on a motor going back into service). I've never seen one leak, so I don't touch it.

 

I've seen several leak.....including one engien that had Headgaskets done when probably not needed cause the crossover was leaking......often it will just be steam since it's high on the block.......I look for signs of steamed coolant around them.

 

I change out the orings any time I have the intake off an engine.  50 cents for 2 o-rings and 4 little bolts. Cheap preventive work that would be a big PITA if you had to pull it off for just that later.

 

Never had one break.  But I chase threads with a bottoming tap before re-install if they seem at all corroded/tight.

[1-3-2-4]

I've got some saying I should use a timesert and here saying helicoil :-/ the bolt length is around 68 mm.