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i screwed the pooch

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Old Mar 4, 2006 | 12:00 AM
  #1  
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From: indy
Default i screwed the pooch

i was installing my new dart heads and trq'n all the head bolts following all the right seq. and i broke a head bolt off in my block and it was like the very last one to do. ****...................... so i am done working on the car for tonight. wtf, i was using a trq wrench, using new gm head bolts. what gives, hell fire and damnation.
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Old Mar 4, 2006 | 01:36 AM
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wow.... uh... well... u can use one of those easy outs... its worth a shot...
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Old Mar 5, 2006 | 09:28 PM
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those easy outs work very well just be really patient
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Old Mar 5, 2006 | 10:52 PM
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get it out the best you can, if it screws up the threads just helicoil i guess

damn, that sucks
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Old Mar 6, 2006 | 02:18 AM
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Try soaking in a ton of penetrating oil (the good stuff, not WD40) overtime to help loosen up the bolt. That worked when a headbolt broke on my 302. The only help I had was about a 1/4" of metal sticking up above the deck (which ended up being just enough for vice grips)
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Old Mar 6, 2006 | 08:27 AM
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you stated your problem - gm head bolts - best of luck getting it out - as jswelburn stated, pull the head...don't try to work with it bolted down to the block, the bolt may actually be sticking above the deck so you can vice grip it out
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Old Mar 6, 2006 | 10:24 AM
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well i pulled the head its way down in the block and i dont think i can get a drill back down in the very back pass side. ug.....
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Old Mar 6, 2006 | 01:44 PM
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sorry to hear that - sounds painful, especially if you have to pull the motor to get to it
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Old Mar 6, 2006 | 07:53 PM
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Sometimes after the bolt breaks, there is no more tension on the threads. I've used a pencil with an eraser on the end and un-screwed them that way. Worth a try.
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Old Mar 6, 2006 | 08:04 PM
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From: indy
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i did that with the broken off bolt and i got it almost out but i can't get it the rest of the way out. ug
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Old Mar 7, 2006 | 02:02 AM
  #11  
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damn that suckss!!!!!
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Old Mar 7, 2006 | 07:14 AM
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Get a very slender pointed punch and gently tap it with a hammer on the outside edge of the remaining stud, angle the punch such that it will tend to rotate the stud in the direction of removal. You should be able to rotate it very slightly with each tap. Be sure not to damage the remaining threads in the parent material as it will make it harder to extract.

Another idea that has worked well for me is using a left handed drill bit. It turns backwards and if you can get it to grab the stud it will simply unscrew it and back it out. Only problem with this idea is a 5/16" left handed (stub) drill bit was like $30 in the late 80's/early '90's. They can also be hard to locate if you don't live in an industrial type area.
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Old Mar 7, 2006 | 09:05 AM
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thanks
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Old Mar 7, 2006 | 11:21 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by oldschoolmuscle
thanks
Your welcome,
One last trick if you use the left handed drill bit - try to center punch the remaining stud in the center if possible. It needs to be as close to center of the bolt as possible so when the drill grabs the stud it will be close enough to the center line that it unscrews out of the hole.

Too far off of center line and the physics won't allow the stud to unscrew under power. You will then be forced to use an ease out to perform the final removal by hand.
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