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Sheared Exhaust bolt....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Albert257
  • Start date Start date
A

Albert257

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So, I was removing the stock exhaust on my GS750 in order to install my new 4->1 performance exhaust and 2 of the 8 bolts were stuck and I couldn't get them to loosen. SO....I did exactly what you aren't supposed to do, and tried harder! Then I broke the heads off of both bolts. The good news is I was able to remove the stock exhaust, the bad news is I can't get the sheared bolts out. I tried heating the bolts with a torch, but it is almost impossible to get it hot, since the engine block acts as an enormous heat sink and sucks all the heat away. I tried vice grips, which only chewed at the remaining threads on the outside of the bolts. So then I tried EZ-outs. I ended up breaking the EZ-outs off inside the bolts. So I then tried to drill out the EZ-outs. However that doesn't work.....EZ-outs are harder than the door hinges of hell. The only other option I can see is to replace the engine head. Anyone else have any suggestions or ideas or tricks-o-the-trade for how to get them out???
Since I am prepared to replace the entire head, I am willing to try virtually anything on the engine head I currently have.

Thanks guys!
 
This has been discussed many times on this site.
About half the time, the only option is the drill/tap/helicoil routine.
That broken off ez-out tip can be removed too - just takes patience.
Do a search for the wealth of advice.
 
I did the same thing with bolts on my valve cover (broke off the easy outs inside, that is). The good news is you CAN drill through those suckers. Get a carbide or cobalt bit and it'll chew right through 'em. What I did was drill 'em out and re-tap the hole. I didn't even have to go up a size, since the bolts were so well seized they'd become "part" of the head and therefor I had plenty of meat to tap. You could also try the next size up easy out if you're really daring. Make sure to get GOOD quality easy outs (Craftsman?) and it's been recommended here not to use the spiral kind at all.
 
If there's any nub of the bolt left can't you weld a new head on and try again? I dont know anything about welding but I know things like this have been discussed for smaller bolts and screws
 
I had the same problemb with my 85 700. I broke the two inner most exhaust bolts off (actaully I bought the bike and it was like that) and in order to get one of them out I used a vice grips and propane. You want to heat up the cylinder head, not the bolt because you want that to expand away from the bolt. I had to heat it for about 3 minutes before I attemped anything. You could try this if you have any bolt sticking out. As for the other one that i broke off I got an easy out broken off in it like you. what I did was cut the stud off, there was still some sticking out, and then drilled a small hole and pounded a torques bit in. Then I heated and turned, I stripped mine out, but you may get lucky. that didnt work so I drilled it completely out bought a helicoil kit from autozone ($20) that includes 3 helicoils, a tap, and a helicoil insertion tool. and tapped it and put in the helicoil. Holds great! Good luck! Hope this helps.
 
No help on removing the snapped bolts, but be sure to replace those bolts with hex bolts. Good luck!

Brad bt
 
Albert257 said:
So, I was removing the stock exhaust on my GS750 in order to install my new 4->1 performance exhaust and 2 of the 8 bolts were stuck and I couldn't get them to loosen. SO....I did exactly what you aren't supposed to do, and tried harder! Then I broke the heads off of both bolts. The only other option I can see is to replace the engine head. Anyone else have any suggestions or ideas or tricks-o-the-trade for how to get them out???
Since I am prepared to replace the entire head, I am willing to try virtually anything on the engine head I currently have.
Click to expand...

Easy outs suck. Agreed. When I broke off one bolt doing the same thing on a 22 year seized bolt....I went to Ace Hardware and bought the proper metric tap and "good" required drill called for. I normally try to keep the drill straight but slightly offset to use the original bolt residue to anchor the new threaded bolt/hole. Just remember the only friend you have in aluminum to steel is "never sieze" the bolt or spark plug always to avoid this in the future. SINCE you all ready broke off an easy out....

You can use a small chisel and hammer to tap the broker Easyout back out...it will eventually come out being left hand thread and not rusted in.

Throw out your easy outs unless you're using at least 1/4" one.
 
I bought some cobalt drill bits I am gonna try. If that doesn't work, I think I will try the chisel idea. I figure if I can get teh EZ-outs out, then I can simply drill out the old bolt, then re-drill and re-tap the holes, possibly using a helicoil. Thanks for all the tips and ideas!
 
A local machine shop can get them out for you if they're competent. My nephew broke two bolts off on his 450 and they charged him around $50 to remove both. If I remember correctly, they didn't even have to use helicoil. Definitely recommend replacing all the bolts with allen head, and I use anti-seize on 'em personally. Also I prefer stainless bolts.
 
Did you soak the threads with a good penetrating oil, you didn't mention it but some of the new penetrating oils really do penetrate well. I had a stubborn bolt on my GS550ES that I was trying to remove to replace the exhaust. I squirted some penetrating oil on the threads and head and let it sit overnight. Came right out the next say. Just a thought?
 
All solid ideas. You can also have the bolt electrically "chewed" out of the hole (can't recall what the procedure's called) at some machine shops, if you bring them the head.



As for prevention - on *any* steel bolt threaded into aluminum on an aged or questionable bike, go slow, use lots of heat and penetrating oil.


After breaking 2 studs (different cylinders) on my original 750 motor (which I still ran for almost 2 years with no problems or leaks), I approached removal of the pipe on my spare with the patience of a Buddhist monk...


Heat the bolts one at a time until they're glowing (or as close as you can get) by directing a small propane torch at the bolt/head junction. Remove the torch and liberally apply penetrating oil (it has a very high flashpoint). Do this for all bolts, then let set overnight. The heated aluminum will expand more quickly than the steel bolt, so it will give a bit of room for the penetrating oil to do its job....

The next day, avoid the urge to try removing the bolts before you apply heat - assume they're all stuck. Heat the bolt again, and start gently backing it out with a ratchet (a short wrench is better, as it'll keep you from giving into the urge to go barbarian on the bolt). If the bolt starts to bind, immediately stop applying force and re-heat/re-oil. Move onto another bolt if you need to, but just keep applying heat/oil/light pressure until the bolt starts to resist. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Then buy some SS allen-head bolts and a large can of anti-seize compound (it'll come in very handy). I've also heard of folks replacing the bolts with headless studs so they'll never have to remove them from the head again.

When my original bolts broke, there was no indication that they were going to shear. They simply twisted off at the head - that's why I went with intense patience on the second motor....


Sorry that doesn't help your situation now, but there has been a lot of good advice in this thread. Easy-Outs aren't a tool of Satan, but the larger the better, especially in stubborn situations....


-Q!
 
QuaiChangKane said:
All solid ideas. You can also have the bolt electrically "chewed" out of the hole (can't recall what the procedure's called) at some machine shops, if you bring them the head.
Click to expand...

It's called EDM, I believe.

Working on bikes has definitedly taught me a few things. Mainly, bolts in a cast-iron 351 Ford block and bolts in a cast-aluminum block ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT ANIMALS.

Gee, can you tell I've had my fair share of broken bolts?

Any way you go, you shouldn't have to replace the head. Try the aforementioned methods, and if you absolutely can't get it out then you can always take it to a machine shop. Some shops don't even need the head removed, my nephew brought them the bike on a trailer and they had the bolts out in an hour. I've even heard people suggest heating up the bolt and melting candle wax into the threads. Haven't tried that idea myself, but it's been recommended.
 
REplace the bolts with studs instead. It is what Suzuki should have done in the first place.
 
So I tried the cobalt drill bits, and they still were quickly dulled by the hard tool steel EZ-outs. Heating the head or the block, or iserting penetrating oil or candle wax is all great ideas, the problem is, that I have no bolt left to grab ahold of with vice grips or anything. The bolt is sheared basiclly flush with the engine block head. As anyone heard of EZ-out extractors?? A tool designed to remove broken EZ-outs?
I looks I need to go to a machine shop, or replace the head. Removing the head from the engine might not be a bad idea anyway, that way I can check all the valve shims and spacing while I am in there.
 
The only other option that I can think of is a tungsten bit in a Dremel or drill. With a small enough bit you might be able to eat out the middle of the ez-out.
 
Regarding the use of the cobalt bits to drill out hardened metal: I think you want to use a lower speed and lots of pressure, rather than high speed. Also make sure you don't allow the bit to get too hot (take breaks). It will sometimes take a few bits to get through a lot of hardened metal, but it's very doable.
 
I second the low speed on the cobalt bit. also, use a larger one that can take big bites.

I saw these diamond powder coated abrasive bits at the dollar store once. never tried them though...

I got a tap out the other day with a cobalt bit and beating the ##&$% out of the thing it get it to fall through the hole. of course, there is no hole in your case.
 
Albert257 said:
So I tried the cobalt drill bits, and they still were quickly dulled by the hard tool steel EZ-outs. Heating the head or the block, or iserting penetrating oil or candle wax is all great ideas, the problem is, that I have no bolt left to grab ahold of with vice grips or anything. The bolt is sheared basiclly flush with the engine block head. As anyone heard of EZ-out extractors?? A tool designed to remove broken EZ-outs?
I looks I need to go to a machine shop, or replace the head. Removing the head from the engine might not be a bad idea anyway, that way I can check all the valve shims and spacing while I am in there.
Click to expand...

Okay. Here's another way around the beast.
I used a small drill and put holes around the broken extractor so then there was a spot to prick punch it backwards and also took the stress (grip) off the easyout that was binding it in there. Tighter than a honey moon prick I bet.

Even when I don't have anything but a sheared bolt I always use a pilot hole thru the broken bolt first. Then having established the length of the bolt I drill and tap the hole.

The "studs" are a great suggestion but they are slightly expensive and once you put never seize on a SS or non rusting bolt you shouldn't have a problem ever again. The true advantage is they make a stud with different size threads just in case you have to oversize the original hole:)
 
I used an 8mm socket from a cheap set, hammered it on and it backed right out:-D
 
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