Snapped Head Bolt.....any Advice?

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

removing the gti6 head today i managed to snap a head bolt (odd as they only went in a month or two ago), good news is it was at the top part of the thread so i have a good amount sticking out of the block to get hold of.

 

whats my best course of action?

 

plenty of pentration fluid along with some heat on the bolt itself then some mole grips on the shaft?

 

welding a nut on is a no no as i have no power at the garage?

 

luckily its also one of the front ones so i cn see the nd of the bolt out the bottom of the block.

 

 

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

If you've taken the head back off it should be very loose since the tightness comes from pulling the head down, just get some moles grips on it and it should come out easy

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

2 nuts tight against each other would be my first attempt.

[16v205 9]

If you can't get 2 nuts on it, file flats into the thread on opposite sides to give the mole grips something to bite onto rather than clamping the round threads.

 

Managed to get 2 stud locked wheel studs out my hub last weekend with a pair of pliers this way.

 

Rich

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

i'll try the two nuts first then, what size are they? m10 or something?

[welshpug 1,626]

M12x1.5.

[harryskid 193]

If two nuts won't work try a pair of small stillsons ie 10" or smaller far better on a round surface than mole grips. Also you won't have to file flats on the bolt which would be a right pain, daft idea that!

[jamie_1992 66 1 Cars]

or use stud extractors you can get a set of 4 diffrent sizes for about £20

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUD-EXTRACTOR-REMOVAL-TOOL-SET-3-8-1-2-DR-4PC-FREE-DELIVERY-/220970495963?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3372de2fdb

Edited February 23, 2013 by jamie_1992

[Matt205 14]

I have a set of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IRWIN-10-Pce-Bolt-Grip-Nut-Remover-Expansion-Twin-Set-/290463114744

 

They're fantastic - worth every penny.

[welshpug 1,626]

really shouldn't need any of that lot given the bolt only went in a month ago.

[16v205 9]

Also you won't have to file flats on the bolt which would be a right pain, daft idea that!

Dont knock it unless youve tried it, with a basic tool kit like most people may have access to its not as daft as you might think, only takes a few seconds and gives good purchase on the bolt. There's plenty of meat on a m12 bolt.

Either which way using stilsons or filing the thread pop a cloth around the bolt area because as soon as you put effort on the threads your going to generate swarf.

 

Rich

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

M12x1.5.

looks like the xu7 is m11x1.5 xu10 is m12

[welshpug 1,626]

yes that's right, you mentioned gti6 but didn't say it was a different block

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

yes that's right, you mentioned gti6 but didn't say it was a different block

 

bloody hell keep up

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

with the load off it should come out by hand, but the main thing is to find out why it snapped off, only on old blocks this is normally the case and a simple timesert fix's the thread

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

i think it was just cr*p in the thread, i stupidly didnt clean out the threads before i re fitted the head.

 

i thought it would be ok but i know at least one was tight when it went in.

 

hopefully it will come out easy enough then ill go through them all and clean them out before i refit it again.

[Josh_Quant 27]

i think it was just cr*p in the thread, i stupidly didnt clean out the threads before i re fitted the head.

 

i thought it would be ok but i know at least one was tight when it went in.

 

hopefully it will come out easy enough then ill go through them all and clean them out before i refit it again.

 

and grease them

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

 

and grease them

i actually did that, wasnt till i got the bolts down to the last tightening angle that it got tight.

[james_pug 26 1 Cars]

I've got some stud extractors if you want to borrow them Pete.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

Yeah cheers James, I might need them.

 

Will see how tight it is first

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

Just remember to lay a cloth over the block before any attempts. Prevent and filings etc from dropping into open cylinders.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

will do cheers.

 

another thing, can i just replace the one bolt? i only ask as ecp only list them as single bolts.or is it advisable to do the whole set.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

ive looked at a full set of ten, this set to be precise:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280993293238?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

 

i have emailed the bloke and he assures me they are the correct ones for up to a 2001 306 xu7 engine but they are male torx instead of female ones.

 

does it make a massive difference provided they are the corrects size and pitch etc.

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

Don't worry too much about the head on the bolt. Ive went between male and female torx before without issue. Its just a manufacturer difference. Personally I prefer a male on the bolt and female sockets. Makes life easier if anything rounds off.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

i was thinking id prefer a male bolt for the same reasons.

 

coolio i'll buy them then, cheers.

 

tried to get a pair of mole grips on the broken stud today and it wasnt going anywhere so stud extractor it is then