HELP - Broken head bolt

[Craig CT]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

I use a Snap-On stud remover with a collet designed for that thread, tightened as tight as I can get it. Then let a 1/2" impact "lightly" hammer on it to break the bond loose. A breaker bar and socket will just twist and break them. You want that light hammering too loosen them. That worked for three out of the 48 studs on this clock.

Then I mig weld nuts to the broken ones. Grind the plating off the nuts and washers or buy un-plated ones. The plating contaminates the weld, and it won't be as strong. We did this at work a lot on the trucks and we found we had better luck by removing the plating. Two of them came out and one of them refused to after I broke several of the welded nuts off. As you can see it's hard to get the mig wire down in there that deep to get good penetration on the stud so first what I do is first weld a thick washer to the stud and then weld the nut to the washer, filling the entire void with weld so that heat will travel down into the threads. The mig weld will not stick to the cast iron, no worry of messing up the block. Not everybody has a mig welder so that leaves the drill. You can see how the coolant (actually lack of the green stuff) got around the stud and electrolysis and corrosion ate the block. It also glued that stud to the block.

I just got a call and need to leave but I will post more photos of the welded studs and the drill guide bushing I use to take out the the one stud.

Hello Flathead Fever; X2 on clean surface on anything we weld. I clean the surface of the washer and the nut on a bench grinder, the ID of the washer with a rat tail file, and the end of the broken stud with a Dremel tool.

[v8fordman]

I have taken out hundreds like Karl said… since it appears the drilled hole is already off center, you’re already on your way if it’s a through hole even better. It will fall right through so put a magnet in the closest water jacket hole. Kiwi’s method will work also. Unless you have a mill, beware of trying to make a makeshift guide and redrilling.

[Flathead Fever]

I added more photos to yesterday's post above.

The next flathead I do I will have one of the Bolt Buster inductance heaters, what a neat tool! I discovered it here on The ford Barn when somebody else posted info on it. I think with this tool and that Snap-On stud remover I showed above you get those studs out pretty quick and not break a single one. I could spend $500.00 a day and never have all the tools. I want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcTmw0C0SQI&t=499s

[fuchster]

I use the same technique as Flathead Fever above. I once removed 15 broken head bolts from a FH block. It was a standard bore, factory relieved block that I got for almost nothing. It originally belonged to "Hammer and Chisel" mechanic guy from my town.