I was changing the thermostat on my '65 425 and one of the bolts snapped off. There's about a 1/2" sticking up above the manifold and was wondering how I can remove the rest of it.

Thanks

 

Soak it with lots of penetrating oil, then get the smoke wrench out (torch). Get it glowing, then use some Vise Grips to back it out. If that doesn't work, grind the broken part flat, then drill the center of the bolt. Use a helicoil to repair the threads. When you reassemble, use lots of anti-seize so this doesn't happen again.

 

+1. Heat, and lots of it.

- Eric

 

Before advising use of a torch, how about we ask if the intake is iron or aluminum?

 

And before breaking out the helicoils, try an easy-out!

 

Either way - heat will get it out.

Lots of heat is required regardless. More, obviously, if it's iron, and less if it's aluminum, but a propane torch ain't likely to cut it, and MAPP is iffy for iron.

- Eric

 

With 1/2" sticking out, penetrant and tapping on the end with a hammer and a set of good visegrips ought to do it. A torch heating up the manifold area around the bolt (not the bolt) will help.

 

Check if the bolt was too long and is protruding into the water passage. If so, clean that end thoroughly. Mopar spray rust penetrant works well. You could spray it upwards onto the threads from inside the passage also. You can tap on the end of the bolt to help break the rust seal.

 

You may have done this? I like to spray it down a day before if I had the led time. I always remove the bolts when the engine is hot I have had good luck doing it this way.I have had only a few break on me when I did it this way.

The way I deal with broken bolts and studs/plugs
1. Penetrating spray let it soak hours if I have time.
2.Tap the bolt with a hammer using touch/care. You can some times wind a broken bolt out with a notchs in the bolt and by using a punch to wind the bolt out.
3.Heat around the bolt with care. You will have fumes from the penetrating oil so you will need to have good ventilation
4. Quality vise grips or new style water pump pliers that have a good bite,if there is enough bolt sticking out I use a stud removal tool.
5. If that fails grind flat
6.To me the key is to center punch dead center of the bolt,stud,plug and
Drill straight
7.Try to remove with an easy out, I still like to heat with care the out side area

8.If this fails I try and drill out the rest of the bolt but with out touching the threads and chip away whats left of the bolt from the threads then chase the threads with a tap. If this fails
9. Helicoil

I Hate broken bolts no I realy hate broken bolts. If I can get them out with out a helicoil, it puts a smile on my face.

Good luck

 

I let it soak in penetrating oil, heated it up with MAPP torch, and tried turning it with vice grips. It will not budge an inch. The only thing I can think of is it was put in with Loctite

 

Sounds like it is corroded together. I have never seen lock tight on thermostat stat bolts and have never had a problem removing bolts with thread locker on them. Some times the corrosion is so bad the bolt is fused together.
One other way that I fix bolts like this is. 1. I center punch dead center 2. Drill a pilot hole dead center 3. Then drill to tap drill size. 4. retap the hole with a tap cutting lube. The key is to drill dead center and straight. Then to retap straight.

Time to try the easyout
Good luck

 

I suggest using the correct length bolts next time. That way it doesn't protrude into the water passage and get corroded on the back end

 

Weld another bolt to the piece sticking up.

 

Set a nut over the bolt sticking out so that the nut surrounds it. weld the nut and bolt together work back and forth, the heat from the welding should loosen the bolt in the manifold spray with pentrating oil when ready to turn and keep working it back and forth.

 

As mentioned
Heat
Time
Lube

If the stub is present, work with that until it breaks off

Heat the female outer part [intake] so it expands more than the inner male part. Ice or compressed air on the bolt can help keep it colder, therefore smaller and also stronger. Red hot steel is not very strong.

biggest torch you can get

Grip of the stub is crucial- NEW vice grips, or welding the nut on is effective
work it back n forth, not just one direction. If you can get it to move AT ALL, it's just a matter of perseverance 99% of the time.

The BEST penetrating substance is CANDLE WAX. I have pulled some incredibly rusted xst bolts out with these methods.

HEAT is crucial, and lots of it.
Since heat transfer is a time related phenomenon, timing becomes crucial. "Strike while the iron is hot" as you know. Heat, apply force. Penetrant, heat, force. Repeat as needed.

If you must drill out, lucky you, the bottom is exposed, so the drill might just grip the shell and screw it CW out the bottom into the water passage.

 

All of the above are good ideas.

We still don't know whether the manifold is aluminum, but either way, MAPP won't usually give you enough heat if it's really corroded on. You need Oxy/Acet., Oxy/MAPP, or Oxy/Propane, and if it's iron, you need to get the area dull red. Usually if you do that, it comes right out.

Also, Locktite breaks down with heat, so if you've already used a MAPP torch, it's out of the picture.

- Eric

 

It's the factory 2bbl manifold

 

You have some excellent suggestions. I can only add a bit to them. Sometimes heating the casting and chilling the bolt can break the bond. I have used liquified non-combustible, non-poisonous gas for the chilling. As stated, extended, soaking can help. In any case use patience, and accuracy if you must drill. IF you centerpunch accurately, choose a drill size near the bolt's thread's minor diameter, and drill straight, you will probably be able to get the remaining bolt's thread out with a tap. When going back with a new bolt try for something which doesn't corrode readily and/or use antisieze compound.

 

Hey G I change all mine to studs no more problem alum intakes tend to strip out after awhile using bolts

 

I held the MAPP torch on it for a couple minutes and with a** holes and elbows I was able to remove the bolt in one piece!!!. Now I just need to get some grade 8 bolts and anti-seize

 

Good work!

You don't need Grade 8. Low-grade is fine. You'll break an ear long before you get it up to grade-8 pressures.

- Eric

 

I agree Archery. I always used studs on aluminum intakes but the iron ones are more forgiving. Anti-seize is a good idea also. Just got my Tri-Carb back from Extrudehone. It's pretty
Sorry for the hijack

 

Lots of Liquid Wrench / PB Blaster. Be careful using EZ Outs. Sometimes they make the problem worse.

 

Before I put the new thermostat in I have a couple questions :

1. The guy at the parts store recommended Permatex yellow gasket sealer to use on the new gasket. I always thought use blue or black Permatex

2. How tight should the new housing bolts be?. I looked in my Chilton manual but it gives no torque specs for the thermostat housing

Thanks

 

I have never had any luck with easy outs, seems like they expand and wedge whatever bolt your trying to remove even tighter into the hole.

 

I don't think the exact sealant really matters. The cooling system is relatively low temperature and low pressure, and involves no solvents.
Any of the ones you mentioned should work fine.

The bolts should be reasonably tight, but not gorilla tight.
Just turn them down nice and firm, but no more.

- Eric

 

[QUOTE

2. How tight should the new housing bolts be?. I looked in my Chilton manual but it gives no torque specs for the thermostat housing

Thanks[/QUOTE]

The '65 Olds service manual says 20 ft.-lbs. on the outlet to manifold bolts, but you may want to use less if those manifold threads have been diminished from the new condition. As Eric said, if you use the sealant, just go down enough to hold it tight and let the sealant do its job. Also use some anti-sieze for the future.

 

I'm glad to know that other people use the same term. I know exactly what you mean.

BTW, when I install a thermostat housing I always "glue" the gasket to the thermostat housing with sealant and then install it. That way when you remove the housing the next time you won't have to fight so hard to remove the gasket from the intake manifold.

 

I use the felpro blue gaskets spraytack to the housing. I always inspect the housing first, if it's all corroded and pitted I would try and replace it. On the bolts I use plumbers pipe dope with teflon (elephant snot)as it always stays pliable and seals the threads.

 

Loctite stainless steel studs the correct length into the manifold then use stainless washers and nuts.

 

ditto

 

[QUOTE=Octania;488462]As mentioned
Heat
Time
Lube

If the stub is present, work with that until it breaks off

Heat the female outer part [intake] so it expands more than the inner male part. Ice or compressed air on the bolt can help keep it colder, therefore smaller and also stronger. Red hot steel is not very strong.


This what I'd try.Only before you do this,Heat the whole area then cool it rapidly with cool water do this a few times it will help break the bolt loose.If you use a propane torch You don't have weary getting it to hot.

Also why use a heile coil?Drill it out to the next size up and tap it.
railguy