I’ve only ever been able to carefully drill successively larger holes until pieces begin to come out and then run a tap through the remaining threads to clean it up. If it’s this tough to get out it’s likely got screwed up female threads any how. As mentioned before can you drill slightly larger all the way through and just use a longer bolt with a nut on the other end?

”up above the threads”... is a shaft that appears to close at top where it’s welded to top side of unibody frame-sonetging

note the pic here



That vertical tube is where my subframe bolt/s go up in to... each of the 4 holes has same type of “enclosure”

Welp... the 2 of 2 diamond tip hole cutter eventually got all threads... and tip of bolt that clearly was above the chassis threads released and got pushed up sideways in the hole... in the chassis - uhhhh... time to play Doctor... with myself 🤔


Hole for reverse thread extractor became very off center after 3.5” of drilling blindly up through it. Because bolt has now sheered twice I’m removing this bolt via 1/3rds... and using a diamond tip (2 of them) hole cutter to juuuuust cut up and around threads.
Updates via pictures...

So here is naked hole.

Ready for an insert and a replacement OE bolt.

I watched this video as my final research and made my thread insert choice:

Wish I had a better sense of where/what you’re drilling. Can’t tell from pics.

Front subframe locates left to right via 2 holes in the unibody per side.

The Front left frame hole has the threads which receives the FL subframe bolt.

Im inserting this HeliCoil thread insert up in to the chassis...

Picture from further away while pointing at the area?

Ruined bolt hole under this FL part of unibody

Trouble uploading more than 1 pic at a time right now...

Trouble uploading more than 1 pic at a time right now...

Yes, the front crossmember locates ‘squarely’ to frame via four ball/socket type shapes that fit in to one another.

Once the crossmember locates squarely to body from underneath an M12x1.5x100 point threads up and positions up through the subframe/crossmember and affixes to the threaded inserts up in the unibody... like a rectangle!!!

3rd cut session on passenger side and still hitting... close tho This is ‘the’ use for my dremel scary cutting when not my small dremel with 1.5” diameter cutting wheel. Time for a trip to Lowe’s 2moro


Subframe up and in now utilizing 4 new big proper bolts and one fresh M12 x1.5 Helicoil - that I’ll torque once subframe/suspension is loaded on ground.



So, it seemed like the one of four frame threads that got ruined seemed like the largest issue possible...

Now with that remedied it was time to install headers - you know, the ones that were custom made over a looooong spans and worked great early this year with the 6.0l. That was with the OE bellhousing -

As I’m finding out the HARD WAY (Pun intended) the Quick Time bellhousing has a much more R-O-U-N-D shape to it... and of course my custom tight fighting headers are bonking away on metal - and not even close to fitting. I began cutting within 5 min of determining the problem - started with passenger side first:

Pics for any crying partners here

Mark Watney, “The Martian” —- “...you solve enough problems, you get to come home.”

You’ll have it tearing up the track before you know it.

A corded-dremel tool and plethora of EZ-swap metal disks... Yeah


What’s done is done.


A bolt in a hole. Some holes, when filled, just seem more satisfying than others :-) Now to finagle nut tightening tools on aft side of hole... ... And clean everything back up to my standards.
Driver side Quick Time Bell Housing Mod cut complete - and was actually sufficient to fully install that side header, steering column, engine mount, valve cover, etc

Pass side Bellhousing requires another 3-5mm of grinding in and way, and in a space, where I just don’t have sufficient tools = a Lowe’s visit today may drum up something.

Ive seen movies where inmates used spoons from the lunch room to dig all way through their cell block walls and out to freedom... maybe I can bogart a spoon from Mommas kitchen to satisfy my special tools need!!!

If the spoon doesn’t work on my Bellhousing, I’ll convert it to a shank and stab myself a time or two - enough prodding, and eventually something will give.

A pick of my wiener ... with Mustard


It’s been a solid 6mo since things looked like this...


Welp - still a waste of money thus far


At some point, WITH PROPER OIL PRESSURE, this will run and be amazing.


Side shot - cause everyone likes to hit it from the side every now and then!!!
I still lack a little more clearancing of the Quick Time bellhousing only on the passenger side to allow previous header to clear...

But the driver side is good to go - and trans bolted up, engine sitting In mounts, driveshaft installed, valley pan back on, cleaned work space.

Once header clearance good, I’ll get remaining full exhaust reinstalled and prove to myself that all custom mounts/holes/bolts reassemble as did previously... then I can final torque the main Vorshlag beefy engine mount/arm nuts.

I could have reinstalled the intake manifold and did a 30min re-plug session of all connections to include fuel - but I didn’t need to tease myself to apply power just yet.

Progress pics for cool-pics sake!!!

Welp... I guess hurrying is just no longer necessary


Dust on the paint is just Not Acceptable
The necessary bellhousing clearancing so headers fit is now complete...

So, a bit of touch up paint to protect metal and then on to hang underside exhaust... then tighten headers and move on to re-plugging connectors and fuel and intake manifold and all front engine items...