Never fails, there’s always one...
 

So I popped the cam covers on the new engine to get ready for cam timing and cam cover refinish. As expected removing the cam cover bolts was tricky, I got all but one out. Had to drill out that one bolt head because it stripped. After removing the cover these bolts usually unscrew with just a vicegrip. Not this one! It does not want to budge. It’s also in a tricky spot. I have to be careful not to marr the cam journal. Already put some penetrating oil on it. Going to heat it tomorrow.

Any other suggestions from the collective wisdom?
H

http://a68.tinypic.com/x22vxv.jpg

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Have you tyred hitting it with a hammer this sometimes helps
Regards Glen

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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

When I have cap or torques type bolts and they don't want to come undone I get a punch nominal a short tapper punch and hit the inside of the hex and this can loosen the bolt l use a 3 lbs hammer
Glen

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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Good suggestions Glen. I couldn’t use a chisel on it because of the location. So I had to drill it. It’s the one in the center notch at the front of the cam cover immediately behind the chain hump on the cover.
H

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

I think drilling it was the way I would have done it once stripped let me know how you get on with it

Glen

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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Hans,

Have u tried Kroil?

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

I used to use a product by the name of "Mouse Milk" to get studs out of aluminum aircraft engine parts. It's not cheap, but I suppose you have to milk a lot of mice to get a bottle full!
I got it from a company by the name of Worldwide Filter in San Leandro, CA.
Don't know if it is still available, but it was good stuff.

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Get a chuck type stud extractor and turn it out with an impact wrench.

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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Take a piece of metal sheet stock drill a hole the diameter of the bolt. Place it over the broken stud. Your going to use this sheet stock as a heat deflector for the area your working. Bend the sheet stock accordingly. Apply your heat wrench to the broken stud. Remove heat, apply visegrip on shank of stud while tapping with small hammer on stud. Remove broken stud.

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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Lots of potential solutions Hans.. all good ideas.. this is how I break these obnoxious ones loose..

First, get some freeze spray (usually available at an electronics store). You can also use a small bottle of NO2! Make sure you've got a nozzle you can control.. get a propane torch and gently heat the area immediately surrounding the bolt. Doesn't take too much! Direct your freeze spray on the exposed shaft of the stuck bolt. Only takes 3-4 seconds to chill and shrink the bolt. Get your vice grips on the bolt and remove it..

Good luck!

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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

My great grandfather was a blacksmith and passed down some of his tricks for dealing with rusted bolts. Tho we're dealing with horseless carriages here instead of horse drawn ones, it's still steel bolts rusted in place that need extracting. (Funny how not much has changed over 100 years!)

This addition below is a new one that looks to be a solution for isolating the stud whille heating (or cooling) it.

Same idea; heat, then vise grips while tapping on the stud with a hammer and working torquing the stud back and forth to break the oxidation up. Sometimes takes 3-4 heat cycles along with the tapping the end with a hammer before the stud starts to budge.

Note: Instead of Kroil or PB Blaster, WD-40, etc. BEES WAX* once the stud is heated will melt and wick into the threads and won't catch fire! *Kroil is excellent too and is my favorite penetrant except for the fire hazard issue.

Another trick I picked up from a machine shop was cooling: After heating the stud, the stud of course expands. then wrap the stud with a strip of water-soaked cloth to chill it and then tapping on the end of the stud with a hammer with a few strong taps. Then try the (vise grips) or a stripped bolt extractor.

I'd not heard of making a heat shield before, but the idea is the same as the wet cloth strips: isolating the heating and cooling to the stud and not the aluminum.

If the stud were to break off flush with the block, then we've got a different set of issues; one of which is drilling out the center of the stud but that is a different issue.

Best of luck, Hans. Oh, and patience and persistence is what I have to kiip telling myself. Eventually it comes out.

Maybe some more ideas can be found too, on-line (Google)?

Let us know what works:thumbsup:

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Surprised no one has menbtioned Coca-cola (regular, not diet).

We used that once to break the pistons loose in an old Jeep motor that was frozen..

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Good stuff guys I’ll keep you posted. If I don’t get to it today it will probably will have to wait till I get back from BG.
H
:cheers:

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Love the idea of a sheet stock cover! I may use aluminum. That way the cam journals and lobes are protected.
H
:cheers:

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Kroil is the only penetrant that has broken loose every nut and bolt I have tried it on. PB Blaster doesn't come close.

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Success! Turn out to be a combination of penetrating oil, heat, hammer impacts, a $12 stud extraction tool and patience, lots of patience. Thanks for all to input guys. Looking forward to seeing some of you in BG. Attached are some pix.
H
:cheers:

http://a64.tinypic.com/2qwifsg.jpg
http://a66.tinypic.com/crz2t.jpg

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Hi Hans

Great to see you have won have removed alot of broken bolts and studs over the years on 3/8 and above I drill them then mig the drill hole fill and weld a nut on top and this normally gets the job done I have had to remove broken taps and easy out after staff have broken them of in the holes
Regards Glen

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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

How are the threads in the Aluminum Head? Best run a tap to make sure they are in good condition.

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Agreed, that is the plan.
H
:cheers:

Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Glad to see you got that out. Good job and best wishes on the build.


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Re: Never fails, there’s always one...
 

Dittos! It comes in a liquid or a spray too!

(Kroil is well known to competition rifle teams too. Kroil will cut through carbon and get under copper fouling and release its adhesion to the bore of match grade barrels...but I digress.)

UPDATE:

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH...ON another forum, someone suggested that a mixture of ACETONE (aka fingernail polish remover) and ATF (proportions not given) works much better than any of the common commercial penetrants.