Broken Manifold Bolt Update

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, sorry to report I have not got this broken bolt out of my block yet.

I have tried to weld on a nut, did this a number of times, did not work, wish it had.

I have tried heating the nut, but I only have a propane torch, not enough heat.

I have a local Millwright coming over later this week, let him get it out, if not I will try and drill it out myself.

But with everything off this side of the engine, I was able to clean the block, will paint after the bolt is out, painted the heat plate for the fuel pump.

I am going to paint the manifolds, replace valve cover gaskets, it was suggested I find the ticking valve and adjust it, I am a little leary of touching these adjustment, it is not that noisy, but would be nice to quiet it down.

I made a new fleax fuel line for the fuel pump to main fuel line, it worked out nice, and it was cheap.

Hopefully will update later when the job is done.

I als got a timing light and tach/dwell meter given to me by a friend, so will be able to see where my engine timing is at when this job is finished......thanx Fred

[Merle Coggins]

Good luck with that stud. Now that you've welded on it, it's gonna be awefully hard for drilling. Keep at it. You'll get it eventually.

[55 Fargo]

Well Merle, there was no weld that stuck to the end, the weld was filling up the inside of the nut but would not bond to the end.

I can grind it flattter, and start drilling I suppose, this is not complicated surgery, more of a calculated approach, and nothing to be rushed while doing the job, it will be done this week.........Fred

[oldmopar]

On the valve adjustment a slight tick is ok too tight is bad.

There is a good explanation in the tech tips on one way of doing the adjustment worth reading 3rd paragraphs down

Ed

http://www40.addr.com/~merc583/mopar/framesets/techtipframeset.html

[Plymouthy Adams]

as it is in cast iron..I would go ahead and blow it out....

[JIPJOBXX]

I worked as a Marine Machiniest for most of my life and removed many broken oft studs and bolts. There is no mistery on how to do this process. All you haft to do is center puch the center of the broken oft stud and then drill a small guide hole used to drill out the broken oft stud. It fairly easy and if you can just drill out the bolt without hitting the treads than all you haft to do is get a prick puch and remove the rest of the stud material. If you feel as though you damage the tread in the block you can get a tap and retap the hole after completion of removal of old stud material. No big deal and I have had to do this process on Subsafe items where you could not screw up or you would wind up going to a big heat meeting trying to explain away the reason you screwed up. Jon

[Jims50chrysler]

I have always had problems with drilling on center myself...Rockwood I am sorry to here that you are having so much trouble with this. Were you using a mig or a sitck welder to weld the nut on the stud?

Perhaps a ground down nut to allow the stud to be closer to the top of the nut will get you the penetration you need to stick the nut on the stud might help?

Jim

[RobertKB]

I once broke a head bolt on my '48 Dodge D25. All the rest came OK but this one just snapped off. Centre punched it and kept on drilling with bigger bits and before you know it I was picking out the left over scraps from the threads. Did not have to tap it as the threads in the hole were good. Lost a few bits of metal down into the block but no trouble from them in the last 25+ years. Just go for it!!

[JIPJOBXX]

Here is a hint if you don't think you can get centered on the stud to be drill out. It looks like in your picture that you still have a little stud sticking out? If you do than take the nut that fits that stud and install it over that stub. Than get a transfer punch or if you have a friend who can turn you down a shaft of steel that will fit snug in that nut than just machine a point on the end of the shaft and place the shaft on the temporary nut and hit it. This will get to the center of the stud and then you should be able to drill from the center out. Or just fill oft the end of the stud and pin punch a centering hole for the center drill to follow up in. You can all way move the drill bit itself if you find your self oft center by just taking your time. But be sure to use a small drill to start with probably a 1/8' drill bit.

[JIPJOBXX]

If you do manage to bugger up your hole to much than you can install new treads with a Heil-coil repair kit. Very easy to use and kind of fun to do. Jon

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1293022

[JohnS48plm]

I used a left-hand drill bit on my broken manifold stud. It caught on the stud and unscrewed it leaving the threads intact. I didn't even have to use an ez out on it. JohnS

[billwillard]

Doesn't look like you ever got the weld to hold. Turn up the heat.

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, does anyone know the corrrect sequence to tighten down the manifold nuts.

I think Don C mentioned the centre must be done first, I know they are to torqued to 15 to 20 lbs, I will be doing this without my torque wrecnh, going by fell, these you do not want to overtighten and crack the manifolds.........Fred

[55 Fargo]

Here is a pic of the engine side cleaned up and painted, and 1 pic of the rebuilt heatriser assembly.

I still need to get the bolt out of the block, paint manifolds, with Tremclad Highheat Black. Plan to extract the bolt on Friday morning..........Fred

[Norm's Coupe]

Looking good Fred.

Don't want to worry you, but is that a crack in the exhaust manifold by the heat riser shaft?

[T120]

I ran into the same problem with a manifold stud last year.As has been mentioned start with a small drill bit and work up to a larger one and pick the remains of the stud out.If done carefully the threads should be okay.A couple

of things - I picked up some cobalt drill bits also rented an angle drill as I don't have one.This worked better for me because of the confined space.

[Plymouthy Adams]

now that you hve tried to weld on it..as stated..it may now be hardened and working a bit past the hardened section may prove quite a job...as I stated earlier, being the bolt is steel..the block is cast iron..you can use the cutting torch and blow the hole...be prepared for many small balls of molten steel exit back in the direction of the torch head..this works well..as a kid in high school the owner of the station I worked in the evening showed me how easy it is..not to say you aren't nervous every time...first for me was a water pump bolt on a 348 Chebbie...as an added note, the kid who was putting the pump on says he rung it off tightenting it with his fingers...for real..kids never change eh?

[Normspeed]

Looking good Fred.

Don't want to worry you' date=' but is that a crack in the exhaust manifold by the heat riser shaft?[/quote']

Sure looks like a crack.

[RobertKB]

I think Fred is messing with us and used a black felt to fool us?? Looks kinda wide to be a crack and why would he reassemble it like that if it was cracked. Come on Fred, tell us what it is!

[Young Ed]

It looks like a casting line to me. The "crack" is casting a shadow.

[55 Fargo]

Looking good Fred.

Don't want to worry you' date=' but is that a crack in the exhaust manifold by the heat riser shaft?[/quote']

Nope it's a casting mark, I thought you had more faith in my perception than this guys, LOL, I just ran out to the garage to make sure.

I have a big block, different manifolds than the small block.

I don't think my weld even touched the bolt end, so doubt if it hardened.Will find out tomorrow, don't want to rule out anything.

Today at work with a little help from the federally incarcerated, I made a gasket for the the intake and exhaust connection, and as well for the underneath of the scisson choke.

I am still cleaning off the fused on gasket on the square area where the 2 manifolds connect, man is this stuff bonded.

Hope to have that cleaned of on Friday, then will paint both manifolds, hopefully extract the bolt, and put everything back together.

I want my car running again, ithe weather has been great.

I have also bench tested the heatriser, it's working darn good, hopefully it will be okay.............Thanx for all your help........Fred

[Normspeed]

Hey Fred, what worked for me on the gasket cleaning was one of the 3M wheels you put in a 1/4" drill. The medium to coarse one, I think it was black. It takes off anything softer than the metal, including rust, but doesn't grind off any metal.

[55 Fargo]

Thanx Norm, will maybe try that with the rest of it, as it is not completely removed yet......Fred

[Normspeed]

I ge them at the local Kragen or Pep Boys.

[55 Fargo]

Not saying the surface isn't true, but had no issue with manifold leaks before , so will clean it up and re-install, my pocketbook is stretched out enough right now...............Fred