C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

[Terry M.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

I appreciate all of the responses. I am going to try to get this bolt out next week after I get the tools lined up. It is a good call to soak with penatrating oil, I am going to order a LH drill, and the MATCO/Snapon extractor kits look like a good choice. I made an extension for a center punch and was able to get a good strike. I also have a mini torch set up on MAP gas which can apply heat. I will report back on the results.

Thanks again to all those who have offered your advise.


Frank

I have had success using a "straight flute extractor" that Snap-on sells. I hope that is what you are talking about. The ones I used were also made and sold (for a lot less $$) by Rigid, but that was years ago. I would bet Snap-on still sells that style extractor as it can be quite effective -- IF ( and here is the big punch line) you have access. I can't imagine that you do in this circumstance, but you have the pieces in front of you and I only have my imagination.

The "Easy Out" (brand name) Chuck & Joe are referring to is the tapered tool with left hand threads. DO NOT under any circumstances even think of even owning one of those. I have yet to hear of any one having success with that tool, and I have heard of many who have made the situation worse using it.

My opinion is -- pull the engine and do it safely -- send it to a machine shop. If you drill too far you will have a big time coolant leak. Drill off center and you F-up the threads and you have gained nothing. But it is your car, and your choice. Good luck. I am glad it is your problem and not mine.

[Frank C.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

Terry,

I am going to try the Snap on straight flute extractor. Aftersome research, I found a kit that has a LH drill and is straight flute built in. If I run into major drama ie lack of working space and the hole can't be drilled straight, I will pull the engine.


Thanks for the response,

Frank

[Norris W.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

There are several reasons the bolt could be broken and if there's any knowledge of the "why" it could help with the decision of "how" it can be best removed. If the other bolts had simply come out or been run loose for an extended period the result could have been the remaining one broke. That seems the least likely, however combined with the possibility that the bolt was over tightened and failed at the time of the installation (but NOT from seizure or cross thread) there would be a reasonable chance of extraction with the engine in the car. If the bolt seized or bottomed out when installed I don't think you will get it out without pulling the engine unless your patience in tight places is a lot greater than mine.

Heat could be your friend in this case assuming you get a hole in the middle large enough to use a proper tool that you won't break with the effort. A friend in the bodyshop business who does all my paint work now has this neat thing (I can't remember what you call it) that I'm amazed by actually. It is some kind of heat through a lead by which a probe covered in a plastic like material is held directly against the object to be heated. I have used it several times with unbelievable results. It has no flame or radiant heat and the business end of the probe can be touched by hand immediately upon removal from the work. Basically you hold it against it, mash a foot pedal and depending on mass of the object it is heated somewhere between instantly and less than a minute. It has been real handy to loosen wrung off bolts behind fiberglass because it does not heat the surrounding area. I got the hinge bolts out of the decklid on my '62 with it, two which had been previously broken and the others just broke loose with the heat. If you could borrow one from a bodyshop it may help. After using his I was going to add one to my shop until I did an E Bay search and found they were $2500. and up.

[Dick W.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

Terry,

I am going to try the Snap on straight flute extractor. Aftersome research, I found a kit that has a LH drill and is straight flute built in. If I run into major drama ie lack of working space and the hole can't be drilled straight,

Thanks for the response,

Frank

I have every type of extractor known to mankind and the straight flute is the best yet. The "easy outs" that most refer to are very expensive to have removed when they break off. Trust me, I have broken enough of them over 50 years. Still have several of
the partial kits left (I cannot bring myself to throw them away, I might find a use for them in the next century)

[Ted K.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

Frank, my order of preference is: 1) hammer and center punch...it is amazing how often this will work for you. 2) drill in stages up to the tap drill diameter....as noted very important to get the first drill centered. Also, in my area there is a former automotive machinist who makes his living making house calls removing broken bolts and broken spark plugs from engines (think Ford Triton V8's and GM exhaust manifold bolts) without removing engines or cylinder heads. Dealerships and individuals call him up to work his magic. He has all the right angle drills and bits and tooling and patience to get the job done. Maybe you have someone similar in your area. Good luck.

[Mark S.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

I am going to give you a tip on removing broken bolts that a senior repairman at GM taught me. In the 1970's I worked at the Baltimore GM plant. If you were lucky to be asked to work overtime after the shift ended usually you were driving cars off the repair line. The cars that had issues and were flaged by inspectors. Enough reminiscing...Your problem is an "gravey job" Get a steel washer to fit the size of the bolt. Use a stick welder and weld the washer to the bolt though the washer hole. Next you can either build a weld surface to grab with vice grips or weld a nut or scrap bolt to the washer and spin it off. The heat and the leverage will be sufficient. Seen and used this trick many times.

[Frank C.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

Mark,

Great tip. I am going to work on this project over the weekend. I will need to see if I can get into this small pace to try your solution. I will post my results later. Thanks again for your help.

Frank

[Terry M.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

Broken exhaust manifold bolts are an epidemic on the Gen II LT1s that are in my Caprices (iron heads). I have had to remove 4 of them over the years, and Mark's method is the easiest and most consistent -- but I did have one that only yielded to the straight flute extractor. Usually welding a nut to the broken part of the bolt, through the hole in the nut does the trick. A wire feed (MIG) welder works as well as a stick. Common rod or wire will not stick to the cast iron so the seld is easy to make "blind."

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

I am going to give you a tip on removing broken bolts that a senior repairman at GM taught me. In the 1970's I worked at the Baltimore GM plant. If you were lucky to be asked to work overtime after the shift ended usually you were driving cars off the repair line. The cars that had issues and were flaged by inspectors. Enough reminiscing...Your problem is an "gravey job" Get a steel washer to fit the size of the bolt. Use a stick welder and weld the washer to the bolt though the washer hole. Next you can either build a weld surface to grab with vice grips or weld a nut or scrap bolt to the washer and spin it off. The heat and the leverage will be sufficient. Seen and used this trick many times.

Mark------


This method works great as long as the bolt remnant threads are not seized. Most of the time, if a bolt is broken off the reason is because the threads were seized and excessive torque was applied to try to remove the bolt, thus breaking the head off. Of course, this sort of situation would never occur in an assembly plant environment because there's virtually no chance that any bolts will suffer from seized threads. But, after long service and for a variety of reasons, bolt threads can seize in the material into which they are threaded. When this occurs and a bolt head is broken off trying to remove it, the only thing I have found that will work is drilling out the bolt which is, itself, problematic. Another option is EDM but very few folks have an EDM machine laying around for such situations.

[Dennis O.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

There seems to be a little thread from the bolt that is "proud" from the block. This is a real good oppurtunity to do what the guys above are suggesting when they say put an un-plated nut on the broken bolt and hit it with a stick welder or a mig welder if you can get to it. The combination of heat and the fprce you can put on the nut after it's welded on will do the job. If it breaks off, just weld another nut on. I've done thsi several times and it always works. The weld does not stick to the cas iron. Please note the "un-plated" part; cadmium plating can be toxic.

[Mark S.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

I just wanted to update the sceptics...I am restoring an original 1965 roadster. Rear bumpers have never been off and I broke off the outer bolt on one side. Used my method on the bumper and it worked even with messing up any of the chrome finish. It works even on 47 year old rusty bolts.

[Frank C.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

Mark,

This is a good tip. I will use it the next time I have the chance. Based on advice here, I pulled my engine and am taking it to the rebuilder tomorrow. I used a Blue Point kit and extracted the bolt with no issue. I have posted a couple of pictures of the results. Thanks again to all who offered help and advice.

Frank

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[Jim T.]

Re: C2 Help with broken Engine Mount Bolt

Frank not knowing the history of your motor mount broken bolt and seeing how much of the bolt is showing in your last picture, you could try a small cold chisel and hammer if you can get enough bite on the bolt to see if it might back out.