WTF! ARP head bolt snapped!!!!
WTF! ARP head bolt snapped!!!! Hey Everyone.
Was torqueing my new head to my block today.
I bought ARP LS2 style bolts for my '04 LQ4. Anyways, i cleaned all the threads, blew out all the holes etc. Everything was clean.
I was torqueing them all down, and my last 8mm upper bolt, (being torqued to 29lb ft w/ 30wt oil) felt like it was going nowhere. I checked my wrench settings, and checked my others, all were perfect. Then tried to torque it again and the ******* bolt snapped!
There 40% of the bolt in my friggen block still. These are BRAND NEW BOLTS. I bought them 2 weeks ago, finally getting my heads on and now this.
Is this ARP warranty? Wtf do i do about getting the half a bolt in my block out! I Bought ARP bolts specifically so i wouldnt have to worry about this.
I have a felpro 1161 MLS headgasket under the head. If i loosen my bolts, is the gasket now not usable?
Looking for some insight. Im beyond pissed at this.
Was torqueing my new head to my block today.
I bought ARP LS2 style bolts for my '04 LQ4. Anyways, i cleaned all the threads, blew out all the holes etc. Everything was clean.
I was torqueing them all down, and my last 8mm upper bolt, (being torqued to 29lb ft w/ 30wt oil) felt like it was going nowhere. I checked my wrench settings, and checked my others, all were perfect. Then tried to torque it again and the ******* bolt snapped!
There 40% of the bolt in my friggen block still. These are BRAND NEW BOLTS. I bought them 2 weeks ago, finally getting my heads on and now this.
Is this ARP warranty? Wtf do i do about getting the half a bolt in my block out! I Bought ARP bolts specifically so i wouldnt have to worry about this.
I have a felpro 1161 MLS headgasket under the head. If i loosen my bolts, is the gasket now not usable?
Looking for some insight. Im beyond pissed at this.
i think you might of left some water in the bolt hole. and i would not re use the head gasket after it has been compressed. go to a machine shop and they will pull that bolt out for you in no time. good luck
Weird I just installed some arp bolts on my car. I swapped the heads, didnt even clean all the coolant in the holes and torqued the big bolts to 80ftlb with the arp moly stuff and the small 10mm bolts to 25ft lbs with the moly no issues?
Last edited by slws608; Mar 5, 2009 at 10:45 PM.
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I would first just try to use a small pick or screw driver to see of the broken section will rotate out of the hole. With no load on the threads since the head broke off and the oil that was usef for installation providing lubrication you might get lucky.
When was your torque wrench last calibrated? What is the range of the torque wrench?
It may not be an issue with the bolt itself, but the torque wrench you are using.
When was your torque wrench last calibrated? What is the range of the torque wrench?
It may not be an issue with the bolt itself, but the torque wrench you are using.
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+1 for trying to unscrew the stuck section. the head provides the load that keeps the bolt in, try cutting a grove in the top and using a flathead screw driver...sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt but the worst case is you end up nowhere worse off then you are now. if the block is out of the car taking it to a machine shop will solve all of your problems but my bet is that there was still some water in the hole.
I think your head gasket will be fine .. at the race shop we use headplates with the gaskets we are going to build the motor with (Felpro MLS) to hone the blocks. Then assemble the motorwith the once tqed gaskets
When it got tight you should've stopped, pulled the bolt out and figured out why. Run a tap through the threads just to make sure, check the threads on the bolt, and make sure the hole is clean. There was a reason it siezed up on you.
Anyways, yeah, I'd run by a machine shop if you can or just get a bolt extractor and do it yourself.
Also, I wouldn't use the head gasket now. Once it's compressed once it's done and you fully compressed it here it sounds like, less one bolt.
Anyways, yeah, I'd run by a machine shop if you can or just get a bolt extractor and do it yourself.
Also, I wouldn't use the head gasket now. Once it's compressed once it's done and you fully compressed it here it sounds like, less one bolt.
Remove the cylinder head, then FIRST try to use the broken bolt head to back out the remaining bolt/threads. Think of it like a 'cracked cap' connecting rod, where the metal is separated yet it will still mate with its 'partner'. Push down with a socket and a small ratchet and try to back the bolt out.
As stated by others, without the cylinder head, there should be no 'load' on the threads, unless it is 'bottomed out' on something inside the hole.
If that doesn't work, gently rap on the remaining bolt/threads with a small brass punch, as the threads may be temporarily 'locked' from stretching during torqueing. Then try the above process once more.
If that still won't work, then you can move on to some type of slotting/grooving/extractor/drilling/tapping, or other appropriate measures for extracting a STUCK bolt.
As stated by others, without the cylinder head, there should be no 'load' on the threads, unless it is 'bottomed out' on something inside the hole.
If that doesn't work, gently rap on the remaining bolt/threads with a small brass punch, as the threads may be temporarily 'locked' from stretching during torqueing. Then try the above process once more.
If that still won't work, then you can move on to some type of slotting/grooving/extractor/drilling/tapping, or other appropriate measures for extracting a STUCK bolt.
Call ARP and they will probably send you a free bolt. They will probably also recommend not to use engine oil but instead use their moly lube which allows more accurate torque readings compared to engine oil. You can actually feel the difference between the two when torquing them down.
Alright guys.
Thanks for the insight here, i called ARP to get their opinion on what i should be doing. Their mailing me a replacement bolt.
Spoke with the guys at work, and we figure im safe to lift the head and re-use my gasket as it hasnt been through any head cycles, and its been tqed less then a day.
Im going to attempt to remove the bolt today, then im going to re-torque the bolts all but the 1.
Plan on buying new taps to clean holes and im going to buy a new tq. wrench.
As for the oil, my coworker has been building LS1's for years and has assured me 30wt oil will give me no problems. I trust him, so im using the 30wt oil.
Elias, im gonna try to get it out myself, machine shops aint cheap
Thanks for the insight here, i called ARP to get their opinion on what i should be doing. Their mailing me a replacement bolt.
Spoke with the guys at work, and we figure im safe to lift the head and re-use my gasket as it hasnt been through any head cycles, and its been tqed less then a day.
Im going to attempt to remove the bolt today, then im going to re-torque the bolts all but the 1.
Plan on buying new taps to clean holes and im going to buy a new tq. wrench.
As for the oil, my coworker has been building LS1's for years and has assured me 30wt oil will give me no problems. I trust him, so im using the 30wt oil.
Elias, im gonna try to get it out myself, machine shops aint cheap
Alright guys.
Thanks for the insight here, i called ARP to get their opinion on what i should be doing. Their mailing me a replacement bolt.
Spoke with the guys at work, and we figure im safe to lift the head and re-use my gasket as it hasnt been through any head cycles, and its been tqed less then a day.
Im going to attempt to remove the bolt today, then im going to re-torque the bolts all but the 1.
Plan on buying new taps to clean holes and im going to buy a new tq. wrench.
As for the oil, my coworker has been building LS1's for years and has assured me 30wt oil will give me no problems. I trust him, so im using the 30wt oil.
Elias, im gonna try to get it out myself, machine shops aint cheap
Thanks for the insight here, i called ARP to get their opinion on what i should be doing. Their mailing me a replacement bolt.
Spoke with the guys at work, and we figure im safe to lift the head and re-use my gasket as it hasnt been through any head cycles, and its been tqed less then a day.
Im going to attempt to remove the bolt today, then im going to re-torque the bolts all but the 1.
Plan on buying new taps to clean holes and im going to buy a new tq. wrench.
As for the oil, my coworker has been building LS1's for years and has assured me 30wt oil will give me no problems. I trust him, so im using the 30wt oil.
Elias, im gonna try to get it out myself, machine shops aint cheap
If you can't back the bolt out, you can also drill it in steps through the center to collapse it in on itself. I've had to do that a few times fixing other peoples' F up's, including 1 crank bolt that was seized.
Also, I've never found the top threads to be strong enough to hold anything over 30-35 ft lbs much less snap an ARP bolt in half. There had to be trash down in that hole that bottomed out the bolt. No way the block itself did that on the top M8 bolts.
Also, I've never found the top threads to be strong enough to hold anything over 30-35 ft lbs much less snap an ARP bolt in half. There had to be trash down in that hole that bottomed out the bolt. No way the block itself did that on the top M8 bolts.
If you can't back the bolt out, you can also drill it in steps through the center to collapse it in on itself. I've had to do that a few times fixing other peoples' F up's, including 1 crank bolt that was seized.
Also, I've never found the top threads to be strong enough to hold anything over 30-35 ft lbs much less snap an ARP bolt in half. There had to be trash down in that hole that bottomed out the bolt. No way the block itself did that on the top M8 bolts.
Also, I've never found the top threads to be strong enough to hold anything over 30-35 ft lbs much less snap an ARP bolt in half. There had to be trash down in that hole that bottomed out the bolt. No way the block itself did that on the top M8 bolts.
There was nothing in the holes, im sure it was a bad bolt. Its an iron block btw.