[Vwdiesel] Fw: broken head bolt

[Harmon Seaver]

   As James said, I'd try a little more with a new visegrips or the welded nut
trick. In fact, before I'd try an easyout, if it comes to that, I'd just try to
drill 90% of it out. If you break off an easyout in there (and they are a bit
brittle, being hardened, you won't be at all happy.
   In fact, it seems to me that I haven't really used an easyout for a long
time. On bigger bolts I like to drill a small hole in the center, then heat it
with an oxy/acetylene cutting torch until it glows nice, then give it a touch of
oxygen. Works good in cast iron, okay in steel, don't know about aluminum, but a
head bolts too small anyway.
    But once you've broken off an easyout, if you can't get *that* out of the
bolt, it's pretty hard to do a lot with it. Personally I'd never even think to
resort to even drilling, let alone an easyout, until there just wasn't anything
left to get a vise grip on. Just don't let the visegrip slip -- if there's
enough there to grab, I can always get a visegrip on tight enough that it won't
even slip if you hit it with a hammer. If it's slipping, you ain't doing it
right. But I would forget the pipewrench on something that small.



On Mon, Oct 07, 2002 at 08:17:32PM -0400, Holly wrote:
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> Hi all,
>
>    Thanks for all of your replies.  I am planning to replace the bolts they are the older 11mm types with 10 mm socket heads.  I have used your advice. Two days in a row I have heated up the bolt and surrounding area and applied parafin.   Tonight after heating for the third night in a row I used a pipe wrench and then a pair of vice grips and they both ended up sliding around the bolt.   So I went out and bought an easy out and 1/4 inch drill bit for it and tomorrow after my drill battery is charged up I will attack again.  This is my daughter baby which she calls "Rusty the Rabbit" so I am hoping I can get this done.  Thanks again for all of your help. I will let you know if ever get it out.
>
> Thanks
>
> Dave Newlin
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Holly
> To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com ; vwpickups at neubayern.net
> Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2002 5:16 PM
> Subject: broken head bolt
>
>
> Hi all,
>
>       I was changing the head gasket on my daughters 82 VW Rabbit diesel and one of the head bolts snapped off leaving about 1/2 to 3/4 inches above the block.  I have heated it up and put penetrating oil on it and I am going to attempt to take it off tomorrow.  Any other suggestions out there.  Also, a couple of the other bolts came out with red powdery rust on the threads. Do you think those threads will hold the head bolt torque. I put oil down those threads and ran the bolts in and out of them a couple of times.  Thanks for any suggestions out there.
>
> Thanks
>
> Dave
> --
>
>
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--
Harmon Seaver
CyberShamanix
http://www.cybershamanix.com