Somebody Please Have Mercy On Me And My Header Bolt....Please?

[Chuckster]

Normally, a score of 7 out of 8 would be pretty respectable. Unless of course, you are removing header bolts. Now before some of you guys jump on me, I was aware of the problem and had read all the threads I could find here before I started removing them. I was trying to be very, very careful with these bolts. I soaked them with PB Blaster for a couple weeks, etc. The one in the picture is the only one that really gave me a fit. I must admit that I might have put a tad too much pressure on it, but that was then and this is now. As you can see, I have pretty much smoothed out what threads I had left trying to use an extractor that fits on the end and grabs as you rotate it with a ratchet. It grabbed pretty good, but in the end wouldn't budge it. So here I am contemplating my next move. Drilling it out will be my last choice as I doubt I can center it and drill it exactly straight. I have also read of the horrors of drilling and inserting a bolt extractor. So if you guys were in my shoes, what would you do? I'm really between a rock and a hard spot now.

[crnbndr]

I have had good luck using a candle to get broken studs out.

Use a propane/butane torch to heat the stud (not the jug) you don't want it red hot, but enough to melt the wax from a candle for 4-5 sec.

hold the candle to the warmed stud untill wax won't turn liquid any more then go have a cup o coffee, or whatever untill the stud is cold not just cool but back to room temp. Then clamp onto the stud with a vise-grip and gently work it back and forth till it starts to unscrew normally.

For some reason the wax will wick in along the threads and loosen and luibe the stud at the same time.

Good Luck!

[kurifu]

Could always try drilling the bolt and use a reverse tap on it, I had to use one of these to get a bolt out of my cam cover, I couldn't get it to budge when I used a set of vice grips on it.

In any extreme case I guess you could could drill it and try using a helicoil kit to repair it, never actually used one myself yet, but I hear they work well.

[Chuckster]

Could always try drilling the bolt and use a reverse tap on it, I had to use one of these to get a bolt out of my cam cover, I couldn't get it to budge when I used a set of vice grips on it.

In any extreme case I guess you could could drill it and try using a helicoil kit to repair it, never actually used one myself yet, but I hear they work well.

What's a reverse tap? Is that the same thing as an "extractor" with the funny looking threads on it?

[49er]

I have had good luck using a candle to get broken studs out.

Use a propane/butane torch to heat the stud (not the jug) you don't want it red hot, but enough to melt the wax from a candle for 4-5 sec.

hold the candle to the warmed stud untill wax won't turn liquid any more then go have a cup o coffee, or whatever untill the stud is cold not just cool but back to room temp. Then clamp onto the stud with a vise-grip and gently work it back and forth till it starts to unscrew normally.

For some reason the wax will wick in along the threads and loosen and luibe the stud at the same time.

Good Luck!

Welcome to the GSR.
If this is a sure fix, you should list it in the "Tips and Tricks" forum on this site.
I usually use minimal heat on the area around the stud with propane or oxy-acetylene. Then deal to it with a set of vise grips.

[Nicholaschase29]

no, a left handed thread..I think.. Also, if you have a welder, you could weld a nut to the end of it then try to twist the nut, after you heat around the bolt, not the bolt itself, for 2 minutes or so with a propane torch.. mapp gas is even hotter too, if you pick some of that up.. that is what I did, and I got some bolts out of the head, but for 1 I had to drill it and helicoil it..

I have a thread around here some where too, saying what I did,if you check searched, which I think you may have..

Nick

[Planecrazy]

Chuck,

Where are you located? Perhaps one of our GSR brethren can give you a hand if you're within striking distance...

Good Luck!

[txironhead]

There have been post about some kind of electrical erosion process that some machine shops use, not sure if the head has to be removed or not. Probably a search would find the post, I know the word "erosion" is part of the technical term but can't remember the whole term right now.

You are right on one thing though, a broken-off easy out is MUCH worse than a broken-off bolt to try and remove. I've never tried the wax trick, but if you have access to a torch, what's a buck for a candle going to hurt?

There did seem to be enough of the bolt sticking out to weld a nut onto, just be careful not to break off the remaining bolt and end up with nothing sticking out!

[Chuckster]

Chuck,

Where are you located? Perhaps one of our GSR brethren can give you a hand if you're within striking distance...

Good Luck!

I'm in Atlanta, Georgia (Marietta to be exact)

[DimitriT]

Aluminum expands more than steel so heat is good. As you hav eenough sticking out, I would try vice grips after heating the area. That seems to me the simplest thing to try first.

[jimcor]

OK. You're still allright. Try the candle wax fix. This is not just hocum, this is a time proven tip that works. Now be careful. Whack that busted bolt with a hammer and a drift. In fact whack it a bunch of times. Use your vise grips and, as suggested, rock it back and forth. Don't tear up any more of that bolt. If it does not break loose after the wax treatment you need to have a nut welded, also as suggested, to the end of it That will allow you to get the proper 6 point socket on it... Look at the brite side! It's not cylinder 2 or 3. It's one you can get to easily. Good Luck, man. Be careful with the remains of that bolt. Also don't discount the importance of hitting that bolt with a drift and hammer.

[derwood]

Get that thing to somebody with a MIG before you screw it up so bad the head has to come off!

[marek]

I'm in a similar position right now but with the stud bolts for the oil filter compartment. Got two of them out easily with vise grips but one just does NOT want to move, and it's one of the upper ones where you have little room to maneuver. The threads are pretty much stripped on it but a lot of it sticks out still. Going to have a friend come over and weld a nut to it, hope that does it.

[twistedwankel]

Drilling it out will be my last choice as I doubt I can center it and drill it exactly straight. I have also read of the horrors of drilling and inserting a bolt extractor. So if you guys were in my shoes, what would you do? I'm really between a rock and a hard spot now.

Looks like you have no interference problems for your drill. As a "last" resort I simply went to Ace Hardware and bought one new tap with the proper dia. new drill(s) - one small diameter to act as pilot hole and determine depth - and carefully with a simple electric hand drill and a center punch drilled out the steel as best center I could and retapped the threads using cutting oil as I went. In til it binds and then back out to clear the cut. Reoil. Simple. Good idea to chase out all the other threads too while you have the bolts out. I did this with the engine still on the bike which means I wasn't exactly square with the head but it still worked fine and there was no way I was taking the head off. I've done this a zillion times with cars as have not had good luck with helicoils or easyouts. Easyouts "swell" the bolt making it tighter.

I replaced all my bolts with new ones at this time with neverseize and have had no issues for over 2 years. They've never come loose and will come right out if need be. I did make sure of that after the first 6 months.

I will definately have to try that "candle" method myself. Sounds easy and cheap.

[Chuckster]

***UPDATE***

Well, guys I tried everything under the sun but the bolt seemed to just have welded itself into the cylinder head. So I decided to very carefully drill it out. I took my Dremel and cutting wheel and cut the rest of the bolt off as close to the head as I could. I then took a flat file and cleaned it up. I center punched it just eyeballing it and started with my smallest drill bit. I determined how far in I could go measuring from one of my other bolt holes and put a piece of tape on my drill bits so as not to go to far. I gradually went up in size on my bits. I was off center a tad, but it was looking pretty good. I decided to stop when I was at the correct bit size to tap it out for a 6mm bolt. I figured I had enough wall space left in the original bolt which didn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon so I tapped it out. It might not have been how you guys would have done it, but I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.