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Broken off exhaust bolts

Old Jul 6, 2010 | 03:16 PM
  #11  
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For future reference bolt extractors should be used after you drill the bolt as large as you can. Keep drilling into the bolt using slightly larger bits until there are only the threads and a little bit of meat left of the bolt. THEN use the largest extractor you can. Bolt extractors are very hard and because of that they are also very brittle. If the bolt broke because the threads were stuck then the extractor will break too unless you drill enough out of the center to relieve some of the stress. BUT if the bolt broke from over tightening and is not really stuck by the threads you can use an extractor like you have pictured.

Either try and get that easyout out of the bolt and then continue drilling or do as John said and weld through a 3/8" nut and try to turn it free.
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Old Jul 6, 2010 | 03:30 PM
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If you are skeered to weld a nut to it( which I wouldn't be) you can always use a left handed drill bit/bits to open it up, get as big as you can, might even get lucky and it grab and losing it. Worst case is you dick the threads up, have to chase or tap them the next size bigger
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Old Jul 8, 2010 | 03:03 PM
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so would some one be screwed if they broke a bolt off in the drivers side head closest to the firewall? lol jus wonderin cuz ive been drivin around for more then a year with an exhaust leak cuz of that lol
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Old Jul 8, 2010 | 03:39 PM
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i just got done doing this to my denali, which happened on the passenger side rear bolt.

it was broke off beneath the surface of the head, drilled it out, used an ez-out, snapped that off into the head and ended up having to go buy a couple of carbide bits for my die grinder and then had to drill, tap , and helicoil the head. i figure that bolt cost me about 150 bucks(considering my time isnt worth anything).

what a ******* disaster.

get a die grinder with a good carbide bit( the ball kind) and take your time- bore out the hole, get a 8x1.25 helicoil set and do it up.

i replaced all of my exhaust manifold bolts with stainless grade 8 hardware so i dont ever have to worry about this type of thing agiain.
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Old Jul 8, 2010 | 03:45 PM
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just melt the head...its aluminum so it will go molten before the steel....and presto, you get the bolt back.
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Old Jul 8, 2010 | 03:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Camaro Zach
For future reference bolt extractors should be used after you drill the bolt as large as you can. Keep drilling into the bolt using slightly larger bits until there are only the threads and a little bit of meat left of the bolt. THEN use the largest extractor you can. Bolt extractors are very hard and because of that they are also very brittle. If the bolt broke because the threads were stuck then the extractor will break too unless you drill enough out of the center to relieve some of the stress. BUT if the bolt broke from over tightening and is not really stuck by the threads you can use an extractor like you have pictured.
X1000, not drilling a big enough hole is prob the reason most people snap the extractors.
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Old Jul 8, 2010 | 09:39 PM
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I have exhaust studs sitting in a box is what really irritates me...
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