Maybe you can talk to some local machine shop guys and get some more help in addition to the advice you've received from here.

 

A Carbide tipped bit will work. I have used them many times in instances like yours. The carbide tipped bit will cut through the hardened bolt like butter.

 

Sorry, thread has been dormant as I have been working my long 10 hour shifts followed by 2 hours gym/cardio for the last four days...TAKING THE DAMNED CITY BUS!!! BUT...

HELL YEAH!! I have now removed the two bolts with stems remaining. I must advertise these:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...d=bolt+remover

I bought the bigger 14 piece set at sears in Canada for 39.99 (sale), and holy **** do these ever work awesome. Screw heat, these things will remove anything with a stem. Even if neither of them fit a specific broken bolt, you take one that's just a little too big, apply lots of pressure by pushing or pulling hard on the socket wrench, the Bolt remover's blades dig hard into the bolts and boom, the bolt starts to turn.

If these worked for seized broken bolts, they'll work for anything.


So all I have left now is my biggest problem... removing the bolt without a stem out of the engine head.

funny enough...my dad talked to some handy neighbor of his about my problem. I knew the guy myself for years, he had the same issue with his f-150 just last month, except he had three stemless bolts lodged into the engine. He had an issue with this as well, drilling and drilling uselessly, but apparently he tried a carbide tipped bit and only took him a matter of a day to drill out and re-tap all three holes.

So I'll take your suggestion and try a carbide tipped bit before sending my head to a machine shop.

Thanks

 

If you have a mig welded start welding on the end of that bolt. Just keep giving it a quick spot until you build it up enough to put a nut there and weld that.

 

So I went out looking for Carbide tipped drill bits and I can't find any that has any purpose other than for masonry. It seems their main design is for rock.

On the other hand, I found another type of drill bit called cobalt bits. In the stores, these seemed to be made for drilling into hardened steel. Reading reviews, they don't seem to disappoint many people.

Both are very expensive, can't find any left handed drill bits of either types neither.

Before I try anything and goof up, those who have suggested carbide-tipped bits for me...were the ones you've used left-handed drill bits?, or were you drilling with normal bits, then used an extractor?

 

Don't mean to hyjack this thread but is this a 5.3?
The bottom half of the exhaust port on my 6.0 is nearly blocked off

 

D shaped exhaust ports...they flow better

 

Dang man. sounds like you have had some hard times. 2 months ago I got some edelbrock shorty headers(Love them to death but i want LT) I only had one bolt that had some problems.( i guess i was lucky) But now im scared i did not use anti seize on the new bolts!!! i have had the headers for 2 months put about 650 miles on it. I ordered some LPP headers i hope i dont run in to this problem when i install them. If i do i will be feeling your pain

 

Unfortunately, I no longer have a welder and my skills wouldn't be good enough for that.


Well, the Cobalt drill bits are eating away at the steel, surely but slowly. But a new problem is rising... the threads, even beyond the threads are inevitably getting damaged. The angle the screws go in are very steep and is very hard to estimate the angle i should be going in. It's almost impossible to change the direction now as i already have a hole started. I may not have a choice but to helicoil the damned thing... which I've never done, so god know how well it'll work.

In case things get really ugly, can anyone tell me how a new replacement head costs? Can't seem to find stock heads for sale.

 

if you have to do a head replacement, why go back to stock?