Sheared off bolt

[Tracker1]

Wondering how to come at this to get it out. Or if I do anything at all. Good 660 thermostat housing on a '70 LTI intake...oy

Any ideas? Thanks

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics/usergals/2016/11/full-3497-51791-photo_1.jpg

[L78steve]

Simple. The bolt is most likely frozen in the housing not the threads. Let someone that has experience with these situations deal with it.

[Tracker1]

I live on an island off the east coast of Canada - most here want to attack it with a sawzall. it's all on me. If I may reference your signature quote by Faber - "knowledge is good". I need knowledge. Thanks.

[Dave Rifkin]

Can't you use an Easy Out for that?

[RPOLS3]

Can you get the other bolt out, lift the t-stat housing off the intake and then after soaking the threads on the broken bolt with penetrating oil use vise grips to remove it?

[Tracker1]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RPOLS3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can you get the other bolt out, lift the t-stat housing off the intake and then after soaking the threads on the broken bolt with penetrating oil use vise grips to remove it? </div></div>

No, the sheared off bolt is holding the t-stat housing into the intake

[bbbenny]

Hit it with WD-40 and let it sit for day or two. BBBenny

[SuperNovaSS]

Penetrating oil and heat are your friends in this situation. The heat will allow the aluminum to expand and move away from the bolt.


Jason

[Tracker1]

Been doing that for a couple months Benny, yup. I haven't been considering heat or drilling in this situation Jason. But I think I may just have to sacrifice that 660 <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/frown.gif

I do have any easy out, just been hesitant to use it...

[PxTx]

Heat, maybe an air hammer with right bit. Get it hot, air hammer stud to transfer vibration. Add favorite lube. Try several times. The heat cycling over time should eventually free the stud from the aluminum housing.

[njsteve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tracker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RPOLS3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can you get the other bolt out, lift the t-stat housing off the intake and then after soaking the threads on the broken bolt with penetrating oil use vise grips to remove it? </div></div>

No, the sheared off bolt is holding the t-stat housing into the intake </div></div>

So the short bolt is removed or still in the housing? If you can get the short bolt out I would try to rock the housing clockwise and ccw just to get some movement (using a ton of penetrating oil and a wooden or rubber mallet)

[SuperNovaSS]

When I say heat, I'm talking about propane or mapp gas. It will expand the aluminum but will not hourly the housing. Don't give up. It took a long time to get frozen them and it could take a while to free up. A lot of old school guys swear by acetone and trans fluid as penetrating oil. It can really squeeze through tight areas.



Jason

[PeteLeathersac]

'

Heat and Wax or favorite lubricant also whatever method of removal you're using ready to go before heating.
With outside hot to expand, add a small touch of water to the bolt only to cool/shrink it then quickly attempting rotating out before temperatures change.
Best of luck!
<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif
~ Pete

[earntaz]

All good direction above -- heat is your friend ... just take it slow and twist/work the housing back and forth ... TAZ

[ban617]

I would use an end mill &amp; cut it out

[Kurt S]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tracker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RPOLS3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can you get the other bolt out, lift the t-stat housing off the intake and then after soaking the threads on the broken bolt with penetrating oil use vise grips to remove it? </div></div>

No, the sheared off bolt is holding the t-stat housing into the intake </div></div>
I'm confused. The t-stat housing isn't threaded - those are clearance holes in the housing. Remove the other bolt. Work the housing loose and remove it. Then remove the sheared off bolt.

[marxjunk]

the absolute best penetrating fluid out there is brake fluid..it wicks where nothing else will..but its agressive and hard on shiney stuff like paint and orig finish on aluminum ..

sea foam penetrating spray down the stud over night, its the best stuff on the planet that comes in a can and is not agressive and wont eat, and a little heat, it wont move because the housing is prob glued to the intake..with heat the penetrating oil will wick...it will run in there..

get a HD heat gun and get on the T housing til it burns the paint off,get it too hot to touch, let it sit for 5 minutes, and get under the flange, with a thick flat scraper/putty knife, until you break the gasket seal..youre not going to gain on it...be cautious, and dont go nuts..and the gasket should pop with a bunch of heat..i feel better with a heat gun, but map gas etc works too...

then when the housing is off, mig weld a large/oversized nut to the stud down low, the heat from the weld will help break the stud loose, and not crack the intake..ive done that 100s and 100s of times..its my go to...i get a nut with a hole as big as the stud so it slips over..and weld the stud to the nut in 2 or 3 places..if its delicate, i space the nut up off the intake as not to scratch or gouge it..a washer does the trick..it will back out with an open end wrench...it works

ive done this myself 3 time with chevy alum hipo intakes..if you get too ruff or in a hurry, it gets ugly...but ive done it, and it works well

[Jeff H]

I use PB Blaster and a heat gun for stuff that is rusted in place pretty good. It takes time with the heat but keep spraying the PB Blaster while heating and it will eventually expand the metal and the PB Blaster will get into the thread area. It took me an hour to get a turbo to separate but I could see the progress as the combination started to melt the rust and it would run out. Keep tapping the housing with a hammer until it breaks free. Then you probably need to do the same thing with vise grips to get the bolt out of the intake but with aluminum threads it might be easy to strip it. I would probably heat and spray the bolt for a couple of days before trying vice grips to give it a chance to separate.

[Tracker1]

Thanks guys - this helps me formulate a plan.

[Zman1969]

IF heating doesn't do it I would cut about half through the housing and see if you can get it off leaving enough of the stud to see if vise grips can unscrew it if not run a die down on it so it could be doule nutted , soak more with PB blaster then hope you can screw the remaining out
660s are common - alot more than that manifold good luck

[sYc]

I too am confused why removing the other stud will not allow the housing to slip off the broken stud, but if the case

Lay a washer on the housing, welding through the hole in the washer to bolt. Then weld a nut onto the washer and gently work it out.

[PeteLeathersac]

'
I was expecting the 'stat housing coming off was a given and the problem was dealing w/ the protruding broken bolt left behind?
<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif
~ Pete

[DW31S]

Maybe I'm confused, but isn't the broken bolt &quot;time-welded&quot; to the housing?

[ban617]

I would think if you heated the T stat housing it would come off..

[Tracker1]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DW31S</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Maybe I'm confused, but isn't the broken bolt &quot;time-welded&quot; to the housing? </div></div>

Yup.

[69 Post Sedan]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tracker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DW31S</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Maybe I'm confused, but isn't the broken bolt &quot;time-welded&quot; to the housing? </div></div>

Yup. </div></div>

Yes.....the bolt is steel and the T-stat housing is aluminum whichhave become corroded together as they are dissimilar metals.

As stated above, heat and some sort of penetrating oil will work.

Kurt

[VintageMusclecar]

Why not center punch in the middle of the broken bolt and drill it out starting with a 1/8&quot; bit and working your way up until the wall thickness of the remnant is thin enough to either break off or break free from the housing?

It's a tedious, pain in the ass job but I've done it more times than I can count and it works.

[earntaz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: VintageMusclecar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why not center punch in the middle of the broken bolt and drill it out starting with a 1/8&quot; bit and working your way up until the wall thickness of the remnant is thin enough to either break off or break free from the housing?

It's a tedious, pain in the ass job but I've done it more times than I can count and it works.</div></div>

^^^^^^ if all else fails ... been there, done that! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif