Well guys since I already had the bike down to pretty much a bare frame and engine, I decided to pull the engine and the heads to see why I was getting the weird measurments from the valve check (looser rather than tighter). Well, it was pretty much what I expected. There was loose carbon everywhere. Stupid me put LC20 down the intakes when I put the bike up for winter and there must have been a lot of loose carbon in there that found its way to the valve seats when I turned the engine over for the valve check. It may have just burned off the next time I started it but, there was a lot in there and on the tops of the cylinders and I was worred about scoring the cylinder walls which is why I pulled the heads.
Anyway to make a long story short, I broke one of the head bolts dry.gif Why oh why do manufacturer's not use anti-sieze? Anyway, any suggestions on a good bolt-extractor kit? The bold sheared at the point the threads go into the case. How hard is it going to be to drill the head bolt? I would rather do this myself, any suggestions?
Ewww. Nasty. I can't imagine those head bolts are much softer than your average drill bit. Lots-o-oil and reverse direction drill bits (I forget what they are called) are probably a good place to start. Eazy-out's would come next - but I've heard lots of folks break the eazy-out inside the bolt. Even worse situation than you already are in. I had an intake bolt snap on an old Ford that we ended up welding a socket adapter to. Definitly a last ditch effort kinda thing.
Could you possiably grind a slot into the bit of the bolt exposed and grab it with a straight slot, then turn the straight slot with a pair of channel locks? I have used this technique a number of times with varying success, maybe worth a shot.
Also You can take a punch and tap on the bolt a few times, The jaring of the bolt sometimes help "un-freeze" the threads. Will work on the same premis of the Hammer activated impact screwdriver. If you can get a straight slot on it, while you are turning it with the pliers, have someone tap the end of the screwdriver while you are tring to turn it.
The threads in the engine case for the head bolts start almost an inch below the surface, the bolt broke right where the threads start. Even if I could get a dremel grinding bit in there that deep, I wouldn't be able to see what I was doing.
I am pretty confident that with the drill guide and small bit, I have the least chance of doing more damage comp13.gif
Are you going to drill then heli-coil? or are you going to drill small and try to extract? If you go the extract route, keep the tapping it down with a punch method in mind, this will help it break loose and eventually come loose.
rjstaaf, Aug 24 2006, 12:01 PM I am going to drill a small hole and then use an extractor. Thanks for the tips...
What KIND of extractor? I have a kit like this http://www.brandsplace.com/0246-ap-9447.html that is specifically for this type of problem. (Pay no attention to the "pneumatic"....it's got nothing to do with it, it's just what I grabbed from the Internet. You can use normal wrenches)
Drill hole in bolt using guide and correct size drill from kit.
Hammer proper splined extractor down into drilled hole. Splines grab the bolt as they kinda cut their way in.
Put drive nut on the splined extractor (the nuts have no threads inside, but instead are internally splined just like the extractor is externally splined).
Turn drive nut, which turns splined extractor, which you hope turns the bolt!!
The famous "Easy Out" brand only grabs the very top of the hole in the bolt because it's tapered, so it has less success at removing really tight bolts. Oh...check THIS out. Good to remember! http://www.harvesting.com/combine/shop/studremoval.htm
Thanks for the link, that kit definitely does look better than the easy-out type extractor. I do have a kit that I bought from Harbor Freight but, was a little paranoid about using it if the bolt was still stuck enough to require a lot of torque to get it free...
ristaaf, A few thing that seem to help me remove the impossible are to drill a small, 1/8 inch or smaller, through the entire lenght of the stud. It seems like this reduce the pressuse of the treads into the block and also insures that the penetrating oil get to the bottom threads. I like PB Blaster its one of the better otc pent. oils.
Heat from a small torch should also help. Don't have to get it very hot before the steel bolt and alloy head start to expand at different rates. Get it hot and cool it with the oil. This micro movement will help the oil penetrate.
One last thing: if you do use an Ezi-Out or similar, use two or three drill bits of gradually increasing size, drilling each one less far in, so you create a semi-tapered hole. This gives the EziOut more surface area to grip on. I did this with great success when I had a seized and rounded off sump plug on my VTR1000.
Well guys, couldn't wait until this weekend. The drill guides and drill bits were just sitting there calling my name biggrin.gif I had to remove the cam gear "train" as Honda calls the gears and carrier because the head bolt was too close and I couldn't get the drill in there. Anyway the penetrating oil did it's job as the bolt started coming out while I was drilling. The drill guide worked perfectly, nice hole dead-center. I managed to work the bolt out the rest of the way without using the easy-out.
Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement, much appreciated!
rjstaaf, Aug 24 2006, 03:51 PM Well guys, couldn't wait until this weekend. The drill guides and drill bits were just sitting there calling my name biggrin.gif I had to remove the cam gear "train" as Honda calls the gears and carrier because the head bolt was too close and I couldn't get the drill in there. Anyway the penetrating oil did it's job as the bolt started coming out while I was drilling. The drill guide worked perfectly, nice hole dead-center. I managed to work the bolt out the rest of the way without using the easy-out.
Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement, much appreciated!
I am stoked, gonna go have two beer.gif beer.gif
Congrats!! I just bought a set of easy-out tools yesterday. I managed to bugger up one of my clutch master cylinder cap screws and I couldn't get it out with a screwdriver anymore. Those easy-out tools are freakin awesome. IPB Image
Oh yeah, i also had a beer when I was done too. IPB Image But I had to poured most of it in my eye. IPB Image
Dude, Im gonna have two for ya also, job well done. beer.gif beer.gif I was worried when I first read the posts, it sounded nasty, nothing sucks like breaking a bolt off in an engine.
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