I was trying to remove a bolt that holds down the thermostat housing and the end broke off.

This is on my spare intake manifold that just returned from the machine shop, bored out to accommodate a 4.3 TB.

I drilled a pilot hole in the bolt a little ways, then used a screw extractor. Snap.

Tried using vice grips to grab what was left of the snapped bolt, also a propane torch. no dice.

I realized that maybe the end of the screw extractor might stop before the intake manifold surface, So I used a dremel tool to grind the bolt and extractor flush to the surface of the IM. You can still see the little bastard in there. I got a little overzealous with the dremel wheel and hogged out a dish-shaped bowl in the IM.

All the drillbits I have are not liking the srew extractor, they just sit and spin on top of it.

So first, how do I extract the snapped bolt and extractor combo?

Secondly, will JB weld work to fill the hole around the stuck screw once I get it out so I don't have any leaks? Or should I just supplement the paper gasket with permatex?

Thanks for any help

I DO have pics in the works.

Lesson: prep things going into your truck, before removing the things its going to replace from your truck. Thought I was being smart by buying a spare manifold, except I pulled the original before it was ready to drop in. heh

They do make tap extractors, but I have not had great luck with them.

I would think that the course of action that will have the best chance of success would be to take the manifold to a machinist. They should have a bit that will slowly cut through your broken extractor. Realize that time is money so the longer it takes the more expensive it is going to be.

I've had similar problems and my solution, short of going to a machinist, was a succession of quality drill bits. It took a few to drill out the tap but I got there in the end.

Sears makes a new set of screw extractors. They work ten times as well as the easy outs of the past. They don't have to thread into the old fastener. I think I paid 19 bucks for the set. It may be worth the 20 to do it yourself. And if you don't get it out at least next time you will before you break an easy out in it.

I'm guessing the intake is aluminum? I would think with a propane torch you could heat up the area and get the bolt out with your newly aquired sears screw outs.

Keep us posted.

If the manifold is not installed, your best bet is to pay a machine shop to extract it. They'll do it faster and with less potential of damage to the intake.

If ya gotta do it yourself, here's an old link which may help: http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showf...in=247692&Search=true#Post247695

IMHO, tho, get thee to your neighborhood machinist...

Randii

i've been there many times while working on ford( <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/bird.gif" alt="" />) tractors. take a good sharp pointed center punch and shatter the easy out and then run a drill in there to clean it out. then go get yourself a quality set of extractors and some pb blast.

the center punch always works for me

If you use an easy out be sure to use the largest size possible. They are usually made of hard brittle metal so they can bite into the bolt. Unfortunately, this means they brake off sometimes. Sounds like the the aluminum galled and seazed the bolt.

I just had a similar incident with an exhaust stud in a 4ZD1 head. The machinist was able to get it out in just a few minutes for less than $10. Well worth the trip.