Anyone have any good machine shops in Vancouver they can recommend? I can only imagine that my last resort is to pull the head and get someone else to do it.

 

In an attempt to remove a snapped off intake manifold bolt, I also snapped an Easy Out/bolt extractor inside the bolt, which is stuck in side the head! Genius. I should have drilled deeper but the center punch I did on the sheared bolt head made the drill hole skew enough to send the drill bit too close to the threads, so I couldn't drill any deeper.

 

Now I can't seem to drill the hardened steel "easy out" and I have snapped 4 drill bits trying.

 

Anyone have any suggestions to get that stinker bolt out? I don't have a welder.

for future reference there's tons of information on removing those intake manifold bolts and how to get them out if they're sheared, including recommendations to avoid EZouts like the plague.

 

throw away all your EZouts, they're absolutely terrible tools. if anything comes out with an EZout, it is easy enough to get out with other, and safer, methods.

 

are you working with the intake on the engine? did it shear off inside the head or inside the intake or you don't know?

 

remove everything else and you can actually pull the entire intake manifold off. often requires PB Blaster (liquid wrench, Yield, etc - any high quality penetrant like that - WD40 does not count) and turning it. by turning i mean rotating the entire intake manifold around the sheared bolt until it comes off.

 

the intake manifold doesn't have threads inside of it - so there's no worries mangling things up in there. the threads are in the heads, and even then don't worry about them as they can easily be repaired.

 

left handed drill bits are how you want to remove these bolts. just drill them out. don't worry about being perfect, if you have to repair the threads then so be it, that's not that hard.

Well the problem is that the bolt sheared/snapped off right at the head. The bolt is clear of the manifold. I didn't have any trouble geting the manifold off, I just foolishly snapped the bolt off when I was tightening it down after a gasket replacement. It snapped really easily and without much pressure so I suspect it was ready to give out - surprised I got it out without any trouble actually.

 

I went to the local 'Canadian Tire' looking for reverse thread/left thread drill bits and the 'tool' that I asked had never heard of them - go figure. I may have to look elsewhere. (Lordco or Napa maybe?)

 

I am kinda weary about drilling into the head. So you think thats all it will take is a reverse thread drill bit? I can use a punch to get a flat surface and then try again with a reverse thread bit if you think thats OK to try on the head like that...

 

Lesson learned about the easy outs and I will now inspect ALL bolts before putting them back in...

try.... tap out!!

I hate to say this but I think the head has to come off....the easy out is hardened steel...I don't think a drill bit can touch it

I hate those things too...never once had success.

 

Call a local machine shop and ask if even they have done it...

I've had that happen myself on my current motor. I replaced all the bolts after two broke before the recommended torque, with new, from the dealer, bolts. The left hand bits should be available from a machine shop supply company or a high end hardware store. Sears might even....maybe. Call Hardwicks, thats where I got my last one 12066321203. Aftermarket bolts will work but the lengths are wrong so you would want to shorten them.

 

On mine, It had just a couple of mm of height, not enough to get a grip. I had to drill next to the bolt to eat the threads and fill it after, retap =not fun. A can of airless air upside down after soaking in kroil and it turned, it was a hot day, it took all day.

tap out will eat the bolt and hardened steel and not the aluminium!!

 

 

Works great!!

I have had fairly good luck with easy outs... the reason that they usually break is the hole is not deep enough or the hole is drilled off center so the threads are exposed and the easy out is "fighting" the casting.

 

you can use a cobalt drill bit to drill out the easy out, use oil to keep the heat down. if you use a regular(direction) drill bit in the clock wise direction sometimes it will knock the easy out loose. if that doesn't work, a sharp center punch and a small hammer to tap the ridges clockwise can loosen the easyout as well.

 

Aerokroil is a great penetrant, if you can apply heat to the casting surrounding the broken off bolt that can help too.

Thanks all for the replies - Hey 4x4 Brat...can you send me a link to the 'tap out' you are referring to? I can't find it. Where do you get it? I am having a hard time weeding through the internet. There is a lot of TAP OUT clothing links but I can't seem to find ANY info about a bolt extraction/steel eating compound...

drilling a tap out is mind numbing, you likely wont' have luck unless you have really high grade bits, go slowly, and oil the bit a lot.

 

i meant to use a left handed drill bit when the EZOUT is gone, to get the rest of the bolt out.

 

are you removing the head? if so, just take it somewhere and let a shop do it.

 

this is not ideal but i've done it. i've drilled a hole next to the problem and then "knocked" the ezout/bolt/problem part into the adjacent hole...basically gives some room to "wiggle" it out. then you can repair the threads with a helicoil or if you're lucky they'll be good enough to use. i also had a spare engine to "practice" drill on and make sure there was nothing important there.

Ah - ok. I will see about getting some high end bits to try and remove the EZ out. Then some lefty's to get the bolt out. I really don't want to remove the head if I can avoid it. I will take it in as a last resort though. I am confident now that if I can get the EZ out removed that I will be able to get the bolt out. I guess I'll pick up some carbide, or diamond tips and a bunch of cutting oil. I don't mind spending the time if I end up doing a good job.

 

My mind is already numb...

drilling a hole next to the ezout to allow some "wiggle" room would probably be my choice. being brittle i wonder if some stiff hits with a hammer and chisel would bust it into pieces? they break rather easily with impact.

Easy outs work great, IF you heat the crap out of the bolt you're pulling. You have to be way gentle with the EZ out. I've pulled loads of sheared off rusted in bolts out with EZ outs, and never snapped one.

 

I'd try welding a nut to the top of the ez out. Point the heat of the arc right down into the ez out, then pull upwards to melt it into the inside of the nut. Let it cool a bit (like 30 seconds) and try to back it out. This is also a really good way to get sheared of bolts out rather than using an EZ out, but it requires that you have a welder.

i tried welding to an EZout once and it woudln't take - not sure what they're made of?

I heard nitric acid from a radiator shop will eat the tap and bolt and leave the aluminum, maybe that's what's in "tap out." Just don't get it on your skin.

 

Here is some good info on removal of broken bolts/taps:

http://www.metalartspress.com/PDFs/Removing_Frozen_or_Broken_Taps_and_Fasteners.pdf