ARP head bolt broke off inside the block!!
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TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 375
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From: Carolina
ARP head bolt broke off inside the block!! 
ARP head bolt broke off inside the block!! it's on the bottom row, 2nd from the front. Its recessed about 3 in. in the block. Can't even see down in the hole to see if your going to drill centered and straight. I have a guy comming to look at it to bring a retracter rod and mabey weld inside the hole, like creating another head bolt then mabey twist it back out.
I know the bolt pattern and torque specs were done right. Do u think ARP wil do anything about this??? They are arp bolts...
Originally Posted by MakoLS1
ARP head bolt broke off inside the block!! it's on the bottom row, 2nd from the front. Its recessed about 3 in. in the block. Can't even see down in the hole to see if your going to drill centered and straight. I have a guy comming to look at it to bring a retracter rod and mabey weld inside the hole, like creating another head bolt then mabey twist it back out.
I know the bolt pattern and torque specs were done right. Do u think ARP wil do anything about this??? They are arp bolts...
HA!, serves u right for lying to me and telling me u were running stock heads/cam....
heh, ok trey, even though i dont like you because you're a lier, i'll help ya anyway.
get a Ti drillbit.. a GOOD name brand one.. if you're paying less then $12 for it, and its for anything besides metal, you're not looking at them... it'll be a gold color.
get one that JUST BEARLY fits into the hole of the head.. yes the head.
if you can barrow a IRON head, its better, but your alum one will work.
pull the motor mount on that side.. pull the trans mount bolt(s). leave the crossmember on.
lift the engine with a engine hoist so the block tilts... you need enough room to drill straight into the hole.
take electrical tape and put ONE wrap around the drillbit.. everywhere except the last inch or so.. you could also put heatshrink on it... its just so the sides of the bit arnt sharp.
place the head on the block..
using the head as a guide, drill the bolt. you're not trying to drill it out, just make it so it has a lowered point in the exact center...
once thats drilled, take a REVERSE drill bit, and you should be able to EASILY drill the center out... it will be in the center, and the bolt will probly back out easily. if not, then (and ONLY then), after drilling thru it, take a easy out, and back it out... DONT put alot of TQ on the easy out.
then check your threads, check your block for cracks..... id bet money that you got water or oil in the headbolt pocket, TQed them, and the loose bolt (from the false TQ reading) broke.
get a Ti drillbit.. a GOOD name brand one.. if you're paying less then $12 for it, and its for anything besides metal, you're not looking at them... it'll be a gold color.
get one that JUST BEARLY fits into the hole of the head.. yes the head.
if you can barrow a IRON head, its better, but your alum one will work.
pull the motor mount on that side.. pull the trans mount bolt(s). leave the crossmember on.
lift the engine with a engine hoist so the block tilts... you need enough room to drill straight into the hole.
take electrical tape and put ONE wrap around the drillbit.. everywhere except the last inch or so.. you could also put heatshrink on it... its just so the sides of the bit arnt sharp.
place the head on the block..
using the head as a guide, drill the bolt. you're not trying to drill it out, just make it so it has a lowered point in the exact center...
once thats drilled, take a REVERSE drill bit, and you should be able to EASILY drill the center out... it will be in the center, and the bolt will probly back out easily. if not, then (and ONLY then), after drilling thru it, take a easy out, and back it out... DONT put alot of TQ on the easy out.
then check your threads, check your block for cracks..... id bet money that you got water or oil in the headbolt pocket, TQed them, and the loose bolt (from the false TQ reading) broke.
Look I had a piece of steel made to fit perfectly in the hole with a pilot hole in the center to guide the drill bit as much to the center as possible. I then used an easy out with a 1/4" extention attached to a socket that fit it and then backed it out didn't take long just a little scary knowing the drill wit go throught the softest material first if it goes off to one side that is why I used the guide drilled down about 3/4 of an inch and used the easyout. Good luck.
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I would try to get arp to give you something for your loss.
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TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 375
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From: Carolina
Here is the deal with arp, i wasent to happy with customer service. when i called blame was already shifted to me before anythign was even explained. I wont buy another arp product. Anyway, I torqued them to stock specs not arp specs. I wasent aware they needed to be torqued differently, one of the reasons is becaus i didnt get any instructions to torque them differently in the box they came in so i didnt even think about it. so i reasonably assumed it was to stock specs.
The only lesson i leanred is that ARP head bolts arent less likely to break then the the stock ones if they cant be tightend as much. they just dont flex/stretch as much as the stock ones so you can use them more then once. Instead of stretching, they 'break'. And for the price you pay for ARP head bolts, you can buy 4 sets of stock bolts. arp bolts are only good for 2-5 times you pull your heads off anyway.
The only lesson i leanred is that ARP head bolts arent less likely to break then the the stock ones if they cant be tightend as much. they just dont flex/stretch as much as the stock ones so you can use them more then once. Instead of stretching, they 'break'. And for the price you pay for ARP head bolts, you can buy 4 sets of stock bolts. arp bolts are only good for 2-5 times you pull your heads off anyway.
Originally Posted by MakoLS1
Here is the deal with arp, i wasent to happy with customer service. when i called blame was already shifted to me before anythign was even explained. I wont buy another arp product. Anyway, I torqued them to stock specs not arp specs. I wasent aware they needed to be torqued differently, one of the reasons is becaus i didnt get any instructions to torque them differently in the box they came in so i didnt even think about it. so i reasonably assumed it was to stock specs.
The only lesson i leanred is that ARP head bolts arent less likely to break then the the stock ones if they cant be tightend as much. they just dont flex/stretch as much as the stock ones so you can use them more then once. Instead of stretching, they 'break'. And for the price you pay for ARP head bolts, you can buy 4 sets of stock bolts. arp bolts are only good for 2-5 times you pull your heads off anyway.
The only lesson i leanred is that ARP head bolts arent less likely to break then the the stock ones if they cant be tightend as much. they just dont flex/stretch as much as the stock ones so you can use them more then once. Instead of stretching, they 'break'. And for the price you pay for ARP head bolts, you can buy 4 sets of stock bolts. arp bolts are only good for 2-5 times you pull your heads off anyway.
if you installed them right, they're stronger... and reusable.
but its not like you needed them anyway.. GM bolts would have worked just fine for you.
anyhoo, i answered you on the local board.
and dont expect anything from ARP... it was your screwup, not theirs.
TECH Addict
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,336
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From: Fat Chance Hotel
Originally Posted by MakoLS1
Anyway, I torqued them to stock specs not arp specs. I wasent aware they needed to be torqued differently, one of the reasons is becaus i didnt get any instructions to torque them differently in the box they came in so i didnt even think about it. so i reasonably assumed it was to stock specs.
The only lesson i leanred is that ARP head bolts arent less likely to break then the the stock ones if they cant be tightend as much. they just dont flex/stretch as much as the stock ones so you can use them more then once. Instead of stretching, they 'break'. And for the price you pay for ARP head bolts, you can buy 4 sets of stock bolts. arp bolts are only good for 2-5 times you pull your heads off anyway.
The only lesson i leanred is that ARP head bolts arent less likely to break then the the stock ones if they cant be tightend as much. they just dont flex/stretch as much as the stock ones so you can use them more then once. Instead of stretching, they 'break'. And for the price you pay for ARP head bolts, you can buy 4 sets of stock bolts. arp bolts are only good for 2-5 times you pull your heads off anyway.
I was waiting to see where you stated that you used the wrong torque procedure. The only way you could break an ARP head bolt is to torque it to the stock yield which is much, much, much (are you getting this?) much higher than the 65-75ft-lbs you should have used.
Ya hit the nail on the head! 
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 249
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From: Cary, NC/University Heights, OH
Originally Posted by MakoLS1
so i reasonably assumed it was to stock specs.
when in doubt ASK or SEARCH, dont assume. i dont know of any ARP products that are tq'd to OEM spec's. My ARP studs came with instructions and Moly Lube. They were well worth the cost when i had to pull my heads last week.
there's no one to blame but yourself.
there's no one to blame but yourself.
Originally Posted by jrp
when in doubt ASK or SEARCH, dont assume. i dont know of any ARP products that are tq'd to OEM spec's. My ARP studs came with instructions and Moly Lube. They were well worth the cost when i had to pull my heads last week.
there's no one to blame but yourself.
there's no one to blame but yourself.
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 414
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From: Berkley, MI
JRP we are waiting for your numbers man...
"Anyone care to post the torque specs for ARP head bolts? I got mine second hand and don't have them...you'll save me looking for them, thanks!"
TTT for the last question
(just for JRP)
hehe
"Anyone care to post the torque specs for ARP head bolts? I got mine second hand and don't have them...you'll save me looking for them, thanks!"
TTT for the last question
(just for JRP)
hehe
heads studs are torqued different the the head bolts. there was a thread not to long ago with the head bolt threads specs in it. the search feature is being a 
but i'll look for it later if you guys cant find it by then.
but i'll look for it later if you guys cant find it by then.
Originally Posted by frodo84
Anyone care to post the torque specs for ARP head bolts? I got mine second hand and don't have them...you'll save me looking for them, thanks!
DOH! I found them, here is what I have:
11mm head bolts-70 ft/lbs w/ARP lube. 85 ft/lbs w/30w oil.
8mm head bolts--23 ft/lbs w/ARP lube. 29 ft/lbs w/30w oil.
And...for the ARP crank bolt
16mm-196 ft/lbs w/ARP lube