Broken Rocker Shaft Bolt Removal

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d100clubcab

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http://imgur.com/Ik6NDWIl.jpg

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I decided to move this discussion outside of that older one someone else started.

I tried torqueing the bolt to 30lbs because I was using that bad info.
Bolt snapped.

Now I'm trying to remove the bolt without removing the head and taking it to the machinist.
No problem with taking it to him as he'll do it as a freebie, I just don't feel like untorquing these ten bolts I just torqued down in this 88 degree but 88% humidity heat.

I tried using a pick to get at the bolt in there but no dice.


Hmm
Removing the head might be easier than an EZ-Out. I know it'll be cheaper and quicker too.

Ahhhhh forget about me in the goat passture!!!
 
I broke one a couple of years ago, and I just drilled into it right in the center and backed it out with an easyout. I spun right out for me.

If you go that route, just pack a couple rags around the pedestal to catch any metal shavings that hop out of there. A bit of grease on the bit will help catch them too.
 
Yes, the wrong information can get you in trouble. You need to center punch a dimple in the center of the broken end and start drilling with a small bit. I often use a 1/8" to start and increase in size as you go. Easy outs have specific drill sizes so pay attention to that. Don't use too small of a easy out either. They can break and are harder than the bolt and a real turd to remove if broken off in the hole. Good luck and keep us posted. tmm
 
You luck sucks but you sure have a great camera! With I had the silver bullet for you... but easy-out is all I know for that unless you could get 2 picks on opposite sides turning it. Or a small Dermel bit to slot it and use a flat blade screw driver.
 
http://imgur.com/vF1c8xjl.jpg


Ehhh she's going back to the machinist.
I need to wait until I get another proper rocker bolt anyway.
Threads on the home depot version aren't correct.

They should be able to remove the bolt while I wait tomorrow morning.
And they can remove that pesky valve cover stud while they're at it.

But MAN this blows!
I really wanted to hear this thing run THIS weekend after she's been down since March 2015 and I really haven't driven her since October 2014.

I miss her.

Oh well. I'll set my sites on 4th of July to be ready with my 6 foot flag in the bed.

Thanks for everyone's advice and help. Really appreciate it.
 
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As already said, prick punch center, get a left handed drill bit, put a shop vac hose right next to the hole for chip pick up.
 
nm9stheham said:
You luck sucks but you sure have a great camera!
Click to expand...

Thanks but this is a cheap $50 cellphone camera.
I dropped my phone getting out of the truck at a gas station one morning and it was dead as a doorknob.
I needed my phone that day so instead of dropping $700 I got this thing and it hasn't let me down.

It's a Samsung Galaxy Core.

Camera isn't as good as my wife's iPhone but for $50 I'm not complaining
 
Another trick would be an engraver. If you can get the tip on it will act as a mini impact chisel.
 
I always make a good center punch just incase I later need a drill. Then I use wd-40 or similar ( in the textile mill we had very little more than 7-11brand spray solvent, more like brake cleaner ) as thread lubricant and begin the off center pecking in counter clockwise direction. I've backed out 100s of broken bolts this way. The "fixers" in various departments were good at breaking bolts. I recall walking by a fixer, opened my hand to show 5 short pieces of 1/4 inch bolts that were broken on a flange like shaft coupler. He says, "You a damn dentist or what?" My reply, " Or what I guess. Dentists use drills".
 
Got the head back.

Broken bolt is out.
They removed the stud for the valve cover too.
Problem is someone drilled too deep and broke through causing me to always use a stud there and jb weld it in place.

Does water flow beneath those valve cover gasket bolts? Or is it just air/hollow space?
 
IIRC, they can get into the intake ports on the upper edge. Dunno about the bottom edge. Upper or lower edge?
 
d100clubcab said:
Does water flow beneath those valve cover gasket bolts? Or is it just air/hollow space?
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All of the holes 'should' be blind. The intake side go right into the webbing between two ports. The spark plug side, if drilled too deep, could potentially hit water.
 
Run a tap through the hole that's too-deep, then run a set screw down in there with some sealant/thread-locker on it. Measure the depth of a few of the good holes first, and try to set the set-screw at a similar depth.
 
Phreakish said:
Run a tap through the hole that's too-deep, then run a set screw down in there with some sealant/thread-locker on it. Measure the depth of a few of the good holes first, and try to set the set-screw at a similar depth.
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Now I have to McGuyver these heads
Oh boy!
 
wow, not what I pictured. That's not just too deep, but also wallowed out. It would take even more mcguyver'ing to make it 'right'. I'd get some all thread, have the hole machined, run the all thread in there with some jb or other thread locker and then drill/tap a new hole.

Or you could talk to your shop about a keensert. Easy enough to install with the right equipment, but that hole is neither round or straight, so it's best to rely on someone with a mill.

Nothing wrong with a stud if it works, though.
 
Phreakish said:
wow, not what I pictured. That's not just too deep, but also wallowed out. It would take even more mcguyver'ing to make it 'right'. I'd get some all thread, have the hole machined, run the all thread in there with some jb or other thread locker and then drill/tap a new hole.

Or you could talk to your shop about a keensert. Easy enough to install with the right equipment, but that hole is neither round or straight, so it's best to rely on someone with a mill.

Nothing wrong with a stud if it works, though.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking I'll have brother in law break out the TIG and build up an area that blocks the bottom of the hole and then using a stud with thread sealer on it.

The adventures. ..
 
Does that hole go into the water jacket or ports? Put some water down in it with the head angled up and see if it come out somewhere. If it is into the water jacket, it's gonna be tricky to get anything to not just flow on down into the jacket, and even if you do, you won't know if the water is seeping into the valve area. Getting JBWeld to go down in there may takes some localized heating of the head and of the JBWeld, and I can't see getting any weld way down in there. A deep stud and sealer seems best IMHO.

The hardware store head bolts seem pretty tame now....LOL
 
Rusty may be right, and nm9stheham said what I was thinking regarding weld. Not to mention that welding cast iron isn't exactly without it's own set of risks.

Run it with a stud, replace the head, or plug it with something threaded and re-tap; but I wouldn't weld. Too many chances for problems.
 
It's salvageable, clean out any previous fixes, make sure you have good metal all around, then pick one:

A. Get some JB weld, 6, long (maybe 1 1/2 inch) 1/4-20 set screws, a piece of flat stock you can make into a fixture to hold the set screw in the bad hole. The end screws will hold the fixture in place, pretty much pack the bad hole with JB weld press the set screw down into the hole, let it cure, take the fixture off. Make sure the hole in the fixture is a close fit so that it will stand the bad stud up in line with the others. Use the rest of the set screws as studs in the other bottom row holes.

B. Drill and tap the bad hole over size for eather, 5/16, maybe 3/8 set screw, you can go about 7/8inch deep, bottom tap, run in a set screw with JB weld as a thread locker, let cure, drill and tap 1/4-20.

Good luck
 
I don't know if it's so bad
I sprayed water in the top of that hole and it leaked out through a valve
So, I don't think that hole is connected to a water jacket.
But yes an intake/exhaust leak is bad
But not as bad as that water leak
Does everyone agree?

It's hard as I don't know what to find a set of sub $500 heads for LA motors.
So, I'm trying to salvage what I have.
It took me a year to find these.
I know they are in the classifieds on here and such but the SHIPPING is what kills the deal
Then another $250 to go through them
It adds up
 
OK, that would be goo. Well double check on where it goes; find where it is going into the intake port, plug that temporarily, and see if you can slowly dribble water with a tiny bit of soap mixed into it into the hole and it eventually fills up and stays put. (The soap will help the water get through small cracks more easily to help find any other leak area. I would not spray but dribble the soap and water mix to avoid excess bubbles.)

That says you have only 1 leak and IMHO, a leak into the intake port would be quite manageable.
 
d100clubcab said:
I'm thinking I'll have brother in law break out the TIG and build up an area that blocks the bottom of the hole and then using a stud with thread sealer on it.

The adventures. ..
Click to expand...

I would be tempted to fill it with weld, grind it smooth, put a valve cover on the head, mark it, drill and tap it. Certainly can't make it any worse, lol.
 
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