RV8 Exhaust manifold bolt

[adamnreeves]

Trying to remove left bank exhaust manifold, always one bolt isn't there! second from the flywheel end on bottom, i.e. hardest possible access. Anyway I have pulledl out the lock tab. this bolt is one of two which has another bolt inside to hold a heat shield to protect the starter motor. This inner bolt  did not move either, the bracket was half broken so I helped it off!

Anyway I have sprayed release oil over it and tried so hard to  move with an open ended spanner that it broke the spanner and cut the bl**** hands on the exhaust, I was using both hands when the spanner gave way!!    

right newbie question I suppose, but what's the next thing I can try? heat? Leave penetrating oil over night? Buy a new spanner and try again! I am thinking of grinding of the inner bolt so that I can get a socket over and use my breaker bar, whilst someone holds the engine!!

[adamnreeves]

I went for the ground inner bolt out of the stud and turn with a breaker bar and socket. Nooo. The bolt has broken leaving a 10mm piece of stud protruding from my head.

Now what do I do? I suppose go out an buy a stud extractor kit, I have done some googling and it would appear that it is common that exractor break in the stud also, making the problem a whole lot worse.

[Barry Ashcroft]

Ah the joys of stripping a 17year old engine with 130k miles on it. Don't envy you one minute mate good luck  

[scott beeland]

leaving a 10mm piece of stud protruding from my head.

.

Now that's GOTTA hurt

[adamnreeves]

leaving a 10mm piece of stud protruding from my head.

.

Now that's GOTTA hurt

That's just what I need, some humour.  

I am going to bed now. Worry about this tomorrow.

[scott beeland]

Now where would the world be without humour?

[adamnreeves]

Ah the joys of stripping a 17year old engine with 130k miles on it. Don't envy you one minute mate good luck  

Putting it like that I suppose only two seized bolts at this stage in my strip down is not too bad. Thanks for your encouragement mate! Just think when I have finished and all those emissions regs that will not apply to me. No cats, that has to be worth £1,200.

[Barry Ashcroft]

Most deffinatly  

[Buzz Billsberry]

Can't help with the stud problem now but it would have been easier just to lob the engine in the motah and taken it to a garage and got one of the lads to have a go with an air rachet still hey ho,just a tip for re assembling use copperslip or equiv. it just makes things easier for the next time

Buzz

[Barry Ashcroft]

Especially if you have to take it apart as often as you have to hey Buzz                

[jeff oakley]

The best way is to get hold of a gas welding set and warm the stud until it is cherry red and then let i cool down. this usually breaks the electrolosys corrosion that has formed between the alloy block and the stud. Once cool soak in penetrating oil and the using a good quality stud extractor (not a halfords special) gentley remove. If it does pull the thread out you can helicoil it afterwards. good luck

[adamnreeves]

Can't help with the stud problem now but it would have been easier just to lob the engine in the motah and taken it to a garage and got one of the lads to have a go with an air rachet still hey ho,just a tip for re assembling use copperslip or equiv. it just makes things easier for the next time

Buzz

I do not think that would have helped as the problem is the bolt sheared under my brute force, using an air wrench would have still resulted in the the bolt shearing just sooner than by hand. I know now that the standard OEM bolts are mild steel (crazy!)

When I re-install I was thinking of using studs but then second thoughts, studs here might be too tight to install manifold in the the car, but I will go for ARP bolts, which are much stronger. Elsewhere, like the cylinder heads I am going to use studs, again ARPs.

Back onto the siezed bolt, I drilled it out to 7.5mm, no imperial drill. It is 3/8"-16. I have bought an imperial tap & die set today and will attempt to tap the rest out, but if it feels too hard I shall leave and get a helicoil installed instead.

Oh yes, I always use copper slip, especially between different metals, unless of course loctite is being used.

Cheers.

[dern]

I do not think that would have helped as the problem is the bolt sheared under my brute force, using an air wrench would have still resulted in the the bolt shearing just sooner than by hand.

Not necessarily... if you set the gun on low torque then it may have just tap-tap-tapped away at the rust or whatever is holding it and broke its hold. It might not have done of course but then you'd be no worse off.

[adamnreeves]

The best way is to get hold of a gas welding set and warm the stud until it is cherry red and then let i cool down. this usually breaks the electrolosys corrosion that has formed between the alloy block and the stud. Once cool soak in penetrating oil and the using a good quality stud extractor (not a halfords special) gentley remove. If it does pull the thread out you can helicoil it afterwards. good luck

too late! Ended up drilling out all the way. I did however heat up, but not until cherry red, I was too concerned with damagi ng the alloy head. I left penetrating oil soak over night also and applied again directly after heating. I used extractors bought for a bearing supplier and they creaked so I stopped as breaking the extractor in the stud would have been a nightmare. I do not understand how this could have happened. I was using as 24" breaker bar to try and shift it. Once I drilled the stud it was halfway out!! I am gonig to try re-tapping if that fails then I will get it helicoiled. I wouldn't normally bother, just put them in for exchange but these heads are prestine in every other way.

[Barry Ashcroft]

Adam if when you torque the heads back down the bolts strip the thread in the block (Like mine did   ) don't panic as I have a helicoil kit just for that purpose you are welcome to it if needed.