head bolt broke off!

[madgadget]

Re: head bolt broke off!

Have you even tried heating that up yet?

 

[CaptainTradewinds]

Re: head bolt broke off!

Try PB Blaster or some vinegar to remove the corroded aluminum from between the bolt and head. I have "Salt Away" which does a great job on salt corrosion.

Try a thin wide putty knife between the head and block, if you can get in in between ever so little, rock the head side to side to loosen the corrosion, after you have used "Blaster".

In my experience, after you have the head off, take it to a machine shop for leveling, do not try it yourself.

Here is something which I found some 20 years ago, it is called Tef Gel made by USS. It is teflon Gel which I have used on anywhere stainless bolts go in aluminum. It comes with a tiny brush which when covered by the "tef Gel" you can insert it in the prospective thread hole and apply a generous coat of it. Then wipe the brush on the threads of the bolt. This is the best I have found, and they have a web site, altough they say it is no longer available, call the 800 number and you can get it. They are in WPB.
Now I hope you know that the torque for the head bolts are in Inch Pounds...not Foot Pounds...I learned this lesson and got experience in installing heli-coils.
Good luck!

 

[dazk14]

Re: head bolt broke off!

Have you even tried heating that up yet?

+1 Time for heat. Have at it. Get it wedged, get that area of the head HOT, then shock it with a metal hammer. Dents in the head are of no consequence and you can start with a wood barrier. I pay my shop guys well and if they play around with spaces that are tighter than a gnat's arse with plastic and wood, we'll ALL be quickly out of business.

We do create bearing surfaces - like the aforementioned putty knife - when there is fitment, but knowing how far you can slightly deform a piece it most important.

We also have tools that I'm sure you don't have handy...and also tools that might have prevented your situation, but then we wouldn't make the big money .

What, exactly have you done to the head of the broken bolt bolt with your drilling and extracting? Has it mushroomed?

I think it would be wise to post a picture. On a good saltwater corrosion bond, heat and the differing expansion rates of steel and Aluminum is often the ONLY way to break the bond of the two.

Good Luck!

 

[AlTn]

Re: head bolt broke off!

daz..agree completely with heat first...wood or plastic wedge advice was given as the least likely way an individual may avoid trouble when working with steel and cast aluminum..hard to tell how much experience Beko has so I was giving the conservative approach first

 

[dazk14]

Re: head bolt broke off!

..hard to tell how much experience Beko has so I was giving the conservative approach first

I agree 100% and different points of view are needed on a quality forum.

I seem to be getting incredibly long winded trying to help a few members using tools that they may have available - while trying to prevent disaster, when I have access to more specialized tools that would have probably prevented it and could remove what he has much quicker.

 

[archcycle]

Re: head bolt broke off!

Any other ideas guys? I wasted about $75 in drill bits and Bolt removal sets and about 6 hrs of time and im about to lose it!!

Whoa! Just trailer it to a machine shop and they'll take it out for something in the range of $30. It really is very easy to let the guys with the professional machinery take care of some of these when they really decide to be a PITA.

Don't buy more bits. Don't take a chisel to your block or your head. Google 'machine shop ZIPCODE', hook up the trailer, and be done with it.

 

[dazk14]

Re: head bolt broke off!

Whoa! Just trailer it to a machine shop and they'll take it out for something in the range of $30. It really is very easy to let the guys with the professional machinery take care of some of these when they really decide to be a PITA.

Don't buy more bits. Don't take a chisel to your block or your head. Google 'machine shop ZIPCODE', hook up the trailer, and be done with it.

That is sound advice taking it to an experienced shop. However, right now we have a 3 week backlog and I respect the spirit of DIY. Although we are a Mercruiser dealer, we still fit in some Outboards and I can assure you we remove more stubborn bolts in a month, than you will in a lifetime.

EDIT: Just to be clear, if you don't have experience wedging stuck parts apart - or more specifically creating separating forces - please don't speak out of turn. He's already got the bolt threads loose, the balance is a 3 minute job. WEDGES not wedge. Done correctly distortion area is negligible or non-existent.

By the way, machine shops aren't lining up to do this type of work. Nearly all of them want it fixtured - not hanging off the back of the boat. Throw a marine cylinder head and a powerhead in the way and it's only downside from their perspective.

That's why they call us. As I mentioned earlier, we have far more job specific tools, but it's still a DIY job at this point.