Head bolt broken and stuck
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: El Paso
Head bolt broken and stuck Well, I broke off the head bolt. With the head off of the block the threds are about 2-3 inches into the hole. I tried a reverse thread kit and the f@#$%ng reverse screw broke off in the broken bolt (us still with me?) Now there is a broken bolt and a broken reverse screw stuck in the broken bolt. Now what do I do. I know this is a first.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
From: San Ramon, CA
Re: Head bolt broken and stuck One of my blocks I had the same problem, except its way way down in the hole. I havent found a machine shop around here that can take my bolt out for me yet. Good luck
Re: Head bolt broken and stuck Don't try anything else. Call around and find a comany that will disintegrate a bolt without touching the threads! It works awsome. The company by me is called witt disintegration. Good luck.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 709
Likes: 0
From: DFW, Texas
Re: Head bolt broken and stuck some things you need to know before you mess w/ this any more!!!!! this happened to me - not someone i know, or a friend of a friend.
i broke a torx bit off in mine (a small one - use a big one - bigger than a 1/4"), and you cant dril through tool steel.
LS1 head bolt threads are very odd. there is no tap commonly available. dont waiste your time looking. kent moore is the only one who makes it, and the kit costs $350.
you need to find a shop that can do "EDM". what that is - they burn out the bolt w/ an electrical arc. they can burn a shape into the end (like an allen) but w/ mine being 3" down in the hole they couldnt do it. they just melted out the torx for me. i went home and broke a bolt exstractor off in it in 5 minutes of getting home from the EDM shop. drill a 1/4" hole all the way thru the bolt before you try to back it out w/ anything. this way if you break something else off in it, you can pound it out thru the other side.
now for the bad news - no EDM shop / machine shop would try to EDM/bore out the bolt w/ the oilpan or crank in the motor. muchless the motor in the car. what started off as an $1800 head upgrade, turned into a $7000 motor rebuild - do it while it's out i always say.
PM or email me if you wanna talk more about this. Glenn_Landrum@msn.com
i broke a torx bit off in mine (a small one - use a big one - bigger than a 1/4"), and you cant dril through tool steel.
LS1 head bolt threads are very odd. there is no tap commonly available. dont waiste your time looking. kent moore is the only one who makes it, and the kit costs $350.
you need to find a shop that can do "EDM". what that is - they burn out the bolt w/ an electrical arc. they can burn a shape into the end (like an allen) but w/ mine being 3" down in the hole they couldnt do it. they just melted out the torx for me. i went home and broke a bolt exstractor off in it in 5 minutes of getting home from the EDM shop. drill a 1/4" hole all the way thru the bolt before you try to back it out w/ anything. this way if you break something else off in it, you can pound it out thru the other side.
now for the bad news - no EDM shop / machine shop would try to EDM/bore out the bolt w/ the oilpan or crank in the motor. muchless the motor in the car. what started off as an $1800 head upgrade, turned into a $7000 motor rebuild - do it while it's out i always say.
PM or email me if you wanna talk more about this. Glenn_Landrum@msn.com
