Re: Advice please on head bolt problem

Shouldn't even go a twirl - that's lose - typically over 1mm. Just crack it less than a 1/8 turn.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

Thanks for the advice so far folks. I've tried a few things now...

All other bolts retorqued down, and backed off a crack. Bash oversized "tool" into bolt head, try impact driver - no luck. Bash heated undersized old socket over the bolt head - felt good, started to move then spun loose. (Assume lots of bashing and hammering during all of this). Grinding the bolt head is not really an option due to the recessed nature of the alloy casting. Tonight: fill bolt head with a plug of mig weld, then weld on a nut to the top using the centre hole...

Confidence level: 50% and falling :-((

-- Ken Davidson DocDelete

That sounds promising. Is there any way you can drill the bolt head off leaving just the shaft, then lift the cylinder head off with the shaft still in the block? That would leave you a lot more room to work on the shaft, welding a handle to it or whatever.

->Confidence level: 50% and falling :-((

Wait till you try and get those spring clips back on the exhaust, only then will you experience true pain and frustration ;-)

Haha ;-)

I plan to use an older style manifold with longer downpipes - it has a more pedestrian 6 stud manifold! Darn good point though!

-- Ken Davidson DocDelete

Fitting the spring clips can be a hassle, even with the proper VW tool!

You can remove the head pretty easily, by carefully drilling off the head of the bolt, using either a Tungsten Carbide drill (which is expensive), or a masonry drill resharpened to an angle more suitable for drilling metal (far cheaper).

When the head is off, soak the area around where the bolt goes into the block with WD40, then attempt to remove with a medium pair of stilsons, while an assistant taps broken end of stud with smallish hammer.

However if it wont budge, dont start to put extra leverage on the stilsons (it will snap off flush), but try getting the broken bolt hot, ideally with oxy acetylene, or propane torch otherwise.

HTH

Forgive my ignorance, but won't heating the bolt tighten it? I find that heating the surrounding metal is virtually guaranteed to solve a stuck stud/bolt problem, because it expands and loosens the fitting. However if the VW head is aluminium alloy (and the block? Again I am ignorant on this) then you are no doubt right as the alloy expansion will be greater.

Technically you're right, heating the bolt and immediately trying to make it turn is likely to fail.

But, a cycle of heating, then allowing to cool, re-heating, etc, can cause the grip between the threads to weaken due to the expansion and contraction. Dumping plus-gas or vinegar or switch-cleaner down the thread path during the cooling-phase also helps by attacking the white crystalline growth that seems to form (it's probably oxidised plating, but I suspect it's a natural-occurance of Superglue :).

Adrian_S

Right - SUCCESS!!!!

I really did not want to resort to drilling the head off this bolt for a few reasons, mainly though due to needing to lift the head differently to clear the carb and manifold (which I've left on the head). Anyway, I'd almost given up - all attempts at welding on a nut had failed - the shear forces on the central "plug" or "pillar" of weld were just too much.

Solution: take the long hex section of the broken torx spline tool - grind down the end to make a wedge to bite into the weld plug (drilled out), then weld into / around the bolt head. One try, and wonder of wonder the bolt came loose!!

Prognosis: 50% repeated nudging of the bolt using hammers / drills/ weld attempt, and 50% a better mechanical fit of the welded on tool.

Has anyone hear ever danced around the garden naked, rolling in frosty grass, after success with a stuck head bolt?!

-- Ken Davidson

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Took you long enough ! hehehe I knew the weld method would work one way or other. Different situation warrant different spin on the solution, but not too far what I meant originally. "sacrifice the socket you smashed on, weld that to it".=20 I have been waiting to see if you got it out, good work. Maybe 'copper slip' the bolts this time around , if that is suitable for he= ad fastenings.

->I really did not want to resort to drilling the head off this bolt for a few

->reasons, mainly though due to needing to lift the head differently to clear

->the carb and manifold (which I've left on the head). Anyway, I'd almost

->given up - all attempts at welding on a nut had failed - the shear forces on

->the central "plug" or "pillar" of weld were just too much.

You did all this on the carb version !

->Has anyone hear ever danced around the garden naked, rolling in frosty

->grass, after success with a stuck head bolt?!

No I tend to wear overalls ;-)

Far better to use Scotch-Clad 776. It prevents corrosion, seals the threads if they say go into the water jacket, and locks it in place too. Suitable for pretty well any bolt, 'nut' and thread combination. A litre tin is fairly pricey, but far cheaper in the end than Loctite etc and IMHO better too.

Took you long enough ! hehehe I knew the weld method would work one way or other. Different situation warrant different spin on the solution, but not too far what I meant originally. "sacrifice the socket you smashed on, weld that to it". I have been waiting to see if you got it out, good work. Maybe 'copper slip' the bolts this time around , if that is suitable for head fastenings.

But the problem was caused by the "mechanic" using the wrong tool to attempt undoing. The whole thing was a self inflicted wound.

MrCheerful

But I can't complain at the worthiness of the car as a whole - I broke an injected GTX for having a shoddy body despite it's easy power and 50mpg. The GTII has not one spot of rust, and the underside is practically as new - FSH but not too bad for a car of 112000 miles. It really does deserve the work. Oh, and the 2E2 carb works well since I opted to sacrifice the mechanical contribution to higher idle when cold.

Must crack on with those C clips now ! ;-))

-- Ken Davidson DocDelete

->

->> You did all this on the carb version !

->

->But I can't complain at the worthiness of the car as a whole - I broke an

->injected GTX for having a shoddy body despite it's easy power and 50mpg. The

->GTII has not one spot of rust, and the underside is practically as new - FSH

->but not too bad for a car of 112000 miles. It really does deserve the work.

->Oh, and the 2E2 carb works well since I opted to sacrifice the mechanical

->contribution to higher idle when cold.

Sad thing is most of them have survived well, but are worth nothing, SWMBO's Scala owes me over a grand in parts alone in the last two years, no rust, mechanically all spot on, only done 90k but worth 200 quid as insurance is so astronomical :-(

->Must crack on with those C clips now ! ;-))

I'll lookforward to reading the thread on "best ways to get those bl***&^%$ C clips on" ;-)

Not so on Classic Insurance - I count my lucky stars - less than £180 pa fully comp. Though it does surprise me how cheaply they can be bought against, say, a Mk1 Golf in worse nick.

I'm going to try this with a pair of eye protectors on...

-- Ken Davidson

snipped-for-privacy@removehotmail.com remove remove to email

->> mechanically all spot on, only done 90k but worth 200 quid as insurance is

->so

->> astronomical :-(

->

->Not so on Classic Insurance - I count my lucky stars - less than £180 pa

->fully comp. Though it does surprise me how cheaply they can be bought

->against, say, a Mk1 Golf in worse nick.

I had my Vitesse with Peter Best so we thought we'd try them with the Scirocco, they didn't want to know :-(

->> I'll lookforward to reading the thread on "best ways to get those

->bl***&^%$ C

->> clips on" ;-)

->

->I'm going to try this with a pair of eye protectors on...

->

->

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Even with the correct took and on a ramp it was a PITA, who ever thought those clips were a good idea needs shooting, still they come off easy ;-)

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