oops! 122 bolt sheared off
 

Hi all,

Since I had the grill and hood off my 122 until I get the parts for my pto button repaired I thought I would take the heat shield cover off and clean it up and paint it. Well I ended up shearing off the rear bolt which Im assuming is one of the head bolts. So there is still part of the bolt in the hole and its the threaded part. :bash2: :angry:

:Spank:,
Nate

Can you post a few pics of what you have? All depends on what's exposed or is it flushed or recessed in the hole. That will determine what advice you get next.

you had to mess with it? you're probably going to want to take the head off now. hopefully it won't be broken off flush. those are grade 8 and hard to drill so you'll need really good drill bits and a variable speed drill if you have to do that

If its broken off clean with the top of the head (lucky for you), just pull the head and use a stud extractor to remove the rest after LOTS of soaking with penetrating oil over several days.

When I say stud extractor, I'm talking about this (or similar... I have a Snap-on set at my disposal that is a little different, but it's ancient and was $400 in the '80s... glad I didn't have to pay for it):

http://www.amazon.com/Assenmacher-Sp...stud+extractor

Not this:

http://www.amazon.com/K-D-Tools-1708...stud+extractor

The cam type ("not this") won't give you as much surface area to grab and won't grab as well.

If you have to drill it out try to get some left hand bits ("reverse" twist), some good cutting oil, and hope it backs out as you drill. Take it slow and steady. The jury is still out on where to buy good left hand bits as all I've found are made in China... :( Drilling a broken drill sucks more than just about anything.

I have a Snap-On set of LH bits and easy-outs. Never found a better set yet!

Only thing worst than a broken drill bit, is a broken easy out or tap. They are harder than drill bits. :biggrin2: (Keep that in mind while your trying to get the bolt out.)

yea the snap on set is really good but kinda pricey, my dealer has the master set on sale this month for 100 off.

Anything Snap-On is "pricy" compared to most all tools. But I buy their stuff for good reason....... IT LASTS!! And doesn't very often fail/break. I used to break rachets regularly. Now if they need rebuilt once every few years I've used it pretty heavy!

There are only two bad things about Snap-on Tools. (A) Sucks when you loose them, and (B) sucks when they are stolen.:angry:

:IH Trusted Hand: BTDT

i hear that, 99% of my tools are snap on.

I think most of us could afford to buy a single decent snap-on drill bit for a tough job. I think I have my answer for where to get a 1/8" bit now for when I have to do my PTO ($6.10/ea.. it is HSS though.. Can't find a Cobalt in 1/8" but "close" is like $11/ea). Stuff isn't free at Sears either...

I've drilled drills before and I'll pay $11 to not do it again. Fixing the block if things go wrong is gonna cost WAY more than that in the case of the OP.

The biggest thing that sucks about snap-on is tracking down a truck if you're just a regular dude. Some days its 5 minutes away, other days its 3 hours.

Picture of the broken bolt and the hole it goes to. I got all the other bolts soaking.

That's a problem...

Get that one soaking too and I'd be measuring the hole for the length of bit and extractor you need. Good luck!

I had that one break off when I rebuilt my K-301 in my 125. I took it into work and used the vertical mill to drill out the broken bolt.

Once you remove the head, what may work is to take a piece of 3/4" to 1" thick steel square bar ( 3" long would be fine ) and drill a 5/16" hole thru it on a drill press. Using the other bolt holes, clamp the bar down in the correct position and drill the broken bolt out. 5/16" is the correct size for 3/8-16 NC

If the bolt is broken off flush, your better off welding a washer to it, then a nut. The heat from welding helps to break the bolt loose also. Usually they come right out. Plus, saves the risk of broken drill bits, easy outs, and the like. This is my first choice on removing a broken bolt.

if you have to drill it if you can get your hands on a set of left handed drills so if it loosen up after you start it will turn it out.

its always the one by the exhaust port

Im guessing others have had the same problem. :biggrin2:

Yeah, everybody that breaks a head bolt. :biggrin2:

I just put in all studs on my manual lift 125. I'm not playing that game again :biggrin2:

Not a bad way to go. Only bad part is if you ever pull it again, it makes cleaning the gasket surface hard.

I cleaned the threads with a tap and used anti seize ( copper based ) on the ends of the studs.

So they will come out nice and easy. I always use that on head bolts. At 35ftlbs, I doubt it affects torque. :beerchug:

If you can id go with j mechs suggestion, ive used that same technique several times over the years with good results.

Just reading this makes me think of how many different ways over the years I've got broken stuff out. Sure some of you guys may know about this but have you ever seen a broken tap extractor? I have a set and they are the most unused yet completely necessary tools out there. Long fingers with a collar that slides down them to squeeze the broken tap and back it out. I've actually run across broken taps in things from other people leaving them in and gotten them out.

Jeff commented on another thread about using a t handle on a tap instead of a wrench or adjustable to "just clean threads". And yes, I have broken a tap before just cleaning threads because you never know when you fracture one the time before because they are so hard. Try getting one out or drilling them, you will not enjoy life.

Tap extractors are nice, really nothing worse to deal with than a broken drill bit or tap.

Unless you do what I did the other day...... then they don't even work. :bash2::bash2:

Shoulda been here. It was fun! :angry:

did you brake the tap extractor off? been there before.:biggrin2:

Nope. Broke a tap. Had a broken exhaust manifold bolt break on a 6.0 chevy gas. (Like a million of them are.) Front on the left head. Took my right angle drill and drilled it. It's a M8 bolt, hardened, and lock-tite'd in. Drilled out the bolt, and went to tap the threads. Got about halfway down the hole, and suddenly got tight. Then SNAP!.... :bash2::bash2:

Loooooong story short. Pulled the head. Tried to mill it out. Couldn't. Tried everything. It was stuck. Chipped out what I could. Drove it to the bottom of the hole. Heli-coiled it, and cut the new bolt off short. Hole was deep enough that the entire heli-coil went it, so it was all good. The new bolt was in contact with all the threads that it could. Storal of the morey, (let's see who gets that reference)..... weld a washer and nut to them and pull them. That's how I usually do it, but it was up there next to the temp sensor and I didn't want to drain the coolant, plus it was hard to get to. 4hr job, turned 4 days. :beatdeadhorse:

Had time to take the head off today. Some of the head bolts were lose. And the sheared bolt is flush with the block. :angry: I was hoping maybe some of the thread would protrude so I could get some vise grips on it. But the easy way won't be happening. The head doesn't look too bad just light carbon build up. The gasket on the other hand was broken and degraded.

Like Jon mentioned, weld a washer to the broken bolt, then weld a nut to the washer. The heat will help loosen the broken bolt. Had to do 2 to same way a couple months ago on a trans case.

Im gonna do the welding method but have to wait until I can get my hands on a welder. I don't have one and if I did it would have to be a 120v system.

On a constructive note, I got both the head and block surface de-carbonized. Although there is a little bit of rock hard build up just outside and along the cylinder. I did my careful best and used a razer blade to try and scrap some of it off.

Also of curiosity, the block has deteriorated some in the corner, just above the muffler port. It's not flush with the rest of the block. Im not gonna worry about it. :(

If all else fails, try this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-VD1yx61bA

I really don't like this method, but it can get it done. I wouldn't hesitate to toss a helicoil in the block either.