Best method for extracting bolts with broken off heads...

ow

I hate dealing with stuck bolts, But you might have enough to get vice grips on. Hit it with some PB blaster, tap the head with a hammer a few times, and try. Sears has extractor sockets that have left hand threads and might work. Similar to these

If they break off flat it's drill time. I use a center punch but sometimes a dremmel will be good enough. Just watch you don't destroy the threads.

As for the gasket, just make sure it's clean and use the paper gasket. Any other stuff in there just sets you up for future leaks.

Looking at your picture you "might" be able to get PB in the back of the bolt through where the water pump goes. Also I find that heat from a propane torch then pb blaster then more heat and again pb helps. The trick is not to mess up what you've got to grab onto. So try pb, heat and pb first.

JoBo

What he said, plus it looks like you have enough metal there to make the end of the bolt nice and straight with an angle grinder before drilling. If you do that, I can't overemphasize the importance of drilling into a flat surface, assuming you can hold the drill straight. My philosophy is to forget about screw extractors and go straight for the drill and tap. There is nothing more annoying than a broke off screw extractor. If you mess up ask your parts counter person about Heli-Coils.

Permatex Hi-Tac is good for water pump paper gaskets. It sticks, but you can move the gasket if you position it wrong. If you do use something, make sure, that it says right on the can, that it is for use with ethylene glycol.

Earle

I HATE it when that happens!! Your pic is not super clear so I'm not sure I'm seeing it right. I would cover everything make sure no grit gets in bad places, use a 4" grinder to clean up the bolt and get it flat. If you have a welder, take a suitable nut, drill out the threads, counter sink the end, weld the nut onto the bolt. Use LOTS of heat on the weld. As soon as the red heat goes away, try turning the bolt. If you snap the weld, just repeat. The differential expansion plus the new nut is often enough to get it to pop loose.

If not, gr> So I'm elbows-deep in pulling out my radiator and water pump from my '88

Hi Clint,

I like to first hit stuck bolts with a portable propane torch and some PB blaster. Squirt the PB on there, give it around 30 minutes to soak in. Wipe up the excess, and heat the bolts up red hot to break the corrosion, then go for it with the vice grips (carefully!). If the grips just slip, grind a flat spot on each side of the bolt (usually just two flat spots 180 degrees from each other is enough) to help get a better grip. Be sure to be careful with other engine parts and grease when wielding a torch.

If the grinding doesn't work and the grips are still slipping, I have knocked a snug-fitting socket onto the bolt and welded it to the bolt, then used a ratchet and cheater bar. As a bonus, the welding helps heat the bolt up as well.

If the first bolt breaks, use a bolt extractor on it and just cut the second one off flat to make your extracting job easier.

A center punch helps with keeping the bit aligned. After I drill around

1/16th to 1/8th of an inch into the bolt, I like to then begin drilling in reverse. Sometimes this is enough to back the bolt straight out.

Anyhow, let us know which suggestions you try and which ones work.

HTH

Carl

Hmmm... Interesting thought. If I could get two nuts on there, and then tried to back off the inside one, might that work? I'm thinking it would work like a lock bolt. Harder I crank, the tighter it'll get.

My neighbor has a welder, I might see if he can drag it over to tack it on. But since I don't have 220V in the garage, that might put a kink in that plan.

BTW, the picture is from the top, looking down at the front of the engine. Jeep hood label right about in my belly button. You can just see the thermostat housing in the top left corner of the picture.

Clint

Sears has an extractor with eccentric cams that lock together on the stud.

Lots of good suggestions here. I usually start with the PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench the take a large pin punch and rap the bolt sideways going as far around as I can get. The back and forth blow from the sides seems to break the corrosion pretty well. If you do go the BMFH route, re-apply the PB Blaster after you pound on it and let it sit a bit - if you broke the corrosion any at all it will get in the threads a lot better.

I use a very thin wipe of RTV on the paper gasket to make it come off easier the next time as well as holding the gasket in place while I'm lining things up. Watch the seating surface on the thermostat cover - the one on my 88 MJ was so corroded that I had to drop it on a belt sander to get a usable seat. Funny, I had no problem with the bolt you show but the next clockwise was a flaming bitch for me. I coat the threads with RTV on the bolts that penetrate the water jacket. I don't sweat the seal, but it seems to reduce the corrosion and make them easier to get out the next time.

Not all RTV is compatible with ethylene glycol. It should say on the package.

Earle

Center-punch?

So far, bolts 2, Clint 0...

I've tried the penetrating oil, beating my fustrations on it (gently, so I don't damage anything worse), trying to grind off some flat spots for the vice grips to grab. No joy so far.

Next up: Has anyone tried these Irwin devices before?

I've tried a couple of places, but no luck finding some of the other ones mentioned. I'll do some more looking tomorrow, though. I'm concerned about trying to drill into the end of the broken off bolts, mainly because I'm not to confident in my straight-line drilling abilities (especially in metal), and the vertical support bar on the front grill is right in line with the two bolts I have to drill, so I'm not sure I'm even going to be able to get a drill in there.

I haven't tried the torch heat/cool cycle yet, mainly because I'm concerned about an engine fire. I should have a fire extinguisher in the garage in any case, but I don't currently. And with penetrating and engine oil all over the place...

Thanks for all the helpful advice so far.

Clint

Heat with a torch or start drilling.

Carl

__ Arold "Al" Green

I would get a carbide bit, an AC drill and a few beers. You'll probably have to drill a wee bit smaller than the hole. You might be able to save the threads, but I would get a tap kit just in case.

HTH

Carl

Thanks. :) I'll grab a torch and extinguisher tomorrow.

Clint

FWIW, get a left handed drill bit, and drill in reverse. Sometimes it will back out after some drilling, and you can try heating the surface.

Carl

Wash the motor down first. I find that the penetrating oil on the bolts burns quickly without too much flame, but I wouldn't want to chance all the grease on the motor. At the very least, wipe it all down and clean it up with Brakleen.

Let us know how it goes.

Carl

>>> I've tried a couple of places, but no luck finding some of the other >>> ones mentioned. I'll do some more looking tomorrow, though.>>>

A small plumbers pipe wrench will grab the stub really well. It tightens with turning unlike vise grips that lock.

When I drill out bolts, I use a bit about 1/4 smaller than the bolt and aim it towards the side with the intent of 'just' skimming the threads, leaving a '1/4 moon' or outhouse door window shape. I then can usually jam a torx bit in the hole and turn the bolt out or tap it with a mini screwdriver and hammer to start it. The heat from drilling and the skim of the threads usually loosens the crescent left in there and it has always turned out for me after.

You also might want to try a slot in the end of the stub for a flat blade tool.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: N>

I try a small cold chisel or strong mini screwdriver and try to tap on one of the bit's arms to get it moving. I have spent a couple hours doing them, but have managed.

Other than that, I drill a small hole down one V between the arms and try tapping it like above. I retap if I have room or hope the 1/8 of a circle chunk out of the hole won't affect the new bolt if loctited in....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

>> I've tried a couple of places, but no luck finding some of the other ones> >> mentioned. I'll do some more looking tomorrow, though.> >>