I finally got time to get my new intake boots installed, and everything was going well until I started removing the allen bolts that hold the boots to the head. First one came out ok, then with the same pressure, the second one snapped off. The exposed threads were totally corroded. With the #2 boot, the first bolt snapped. Now I don't even want to try taking the rest out. I've been spraying them down with PB Blaster all afternoon. but I haave no idea if it's getting in there because there's no exposed thread. And I'm not forcing them at all, they're just snapping off. What do I do? I really don't want to take the head off at this point (because I'm sure I'll wind up snapping exhaust studs too), so what's the best way to try and fix this?

Thanks,
Matt

PB Blaster requires vibrations to penetrate. When you spray it on, tap them with a hammer with a little force, not enough to mishape the surface. do this several times before trying to remove them.
If you do snap them, hopefully you have enough to grab them with a pair of vice grips.
Repeat with the PB Blaster a few times more and try to work them with the vice grips back and forth to get them out.
If all else fails, You might want to try to heat the area around (not on) the stud with a small propane torch to break loose the corrosion on the threads. They should come right out after the last procedure.
If all else fails, you will probably need to drill them out and use a remover to get them out.
Remember to use antiseize when reinstalling.
Hope this helps.
Mike

Ugh. This just gets better and better. These suckers are NOT coming out. All told, I snapped 5 of the 8. I tried everything.. PB, hammer, propane torch, I even got a set of EZ-Outs.. Guess what? Even with the heat on the cylinder head, soaked in PB, and having pounded the hell out of it, I managed to snap off the EZ-Out. At this point, they're going to have to be drilled and retapped. Is there anything critical where these bolts feed into, like oil galleries? Also, I'm contemplating just pulling the entire engine out, rather than take it apart, that way I don't have to mess with the valvetrain. Anyone see a problem with that? This just really sucks, and it's lousy timing.. I'm going on a NYC to Philly run next week, and I wanted to get the boots done before I went.. Now I'm screwed. I should've just left it alone. At least it ran then. :angry: :angry: The only piece of good news is that the exhaust nuts came right off. I didn't snap any of those.

I would take off the cylinder head and take it to an engineering company if it were me, especially if the stud extractor has broken off inside a stud, at least then if something goes wrong it is there responsibility.

If you have other transport to take the engine to an engineering company all well and good but they would most probably charge you to strip it and not want to do the work with it assembled.


It is very easy to make a mistake drilling and putting coils in and one serious mistake will leave you with even more serious problems, at least if it were in an engineers they would have the extra equipment required to repair and make good.

I know this isn't the best news but hey it is only my opinion.

If you're really adept you might be able to weld a nut onto the remaining chunk of stud. You would need to be careful to be quick with the heat, since there is aluminum all around there, but I have had some success doing this before.
Thread a nut on as far as it can go, and fill in the hole with a mig, if you have one. The heat cycle may also help as aluminum expands at a different rate (more) than steel.
I actually managed to get my extremely seized oil filter bolt out this way, after having totally rounded off the head. It didn't even melt the O-ring (though of course I did replace it).
Jim

I've had good luck using a reverse twist (lefthand) drill bit. Sometimes the frozen fastener will back right out.

My First recomendation would be to tell you to take it to a QUALIFIED service center.
With that said, the only other recourse that has not been mentioned would be to use a removed bolt as a guide for your depth, drill as small a pilot hole as possible about a 1/4" shallow of the original depth that your bolt would go in. Giving you plenty of room for an accident. Then try to tap it out with a small chisel witout maring the surrounding alluminum area on the head. Use plenty of penatrating oil and or heat while doing this. Be very sure you are drilling square to the hole. Increase the size minuetly without drilling into the threads until the bolts turn out or collapse on themselfs and can be removed.
A helicoil would be the other recomendation but also requires a little more than average skill.
These are not a recomendation but a last course resort.
These procedures should be left to pros. If they break it, they can pay for it.
Remember the antiseize when reinstalling the bolts into the alluminum head.
Sorry can not be much more help.

Thanks for the recommendations guys... I found a shop that would do it relatively cheap for how many have to be done. He's drilling them all out and putting in HeliCoils. At least now I have an excuse to replace the leaky valve cover gasket... :rolleyes: