I'm sick to my stomach on what just happened. I was installing the Needswings intake manifolds with the stainless steel bolts. Apparently one of them got cross threaded. It was about 3/4 of the way in when I realized it was just way too hard so I started to back it out and the bolt snapped off. I took the manifold off and about an 1/8" of the bolt is sticking out.

Can anyone tell me what to do now? With how tight it was I doubt an easy out would do any good. Even if I do get it out I suppose the threads are probably ruined. Any advice would be much appreciated. I'm at a loss.

 

Normally the easy way is to weld a nut on the top of the stud but stainless needs TIG or MIG. Good luck.


ps just an observation but why use stainless ? Grade 5 is stronger. I use stainless on fasteners exposed to salt air.

 

You can get an easy out at Lowe's or Home Depot


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ps if you try to drill & use an easy out, pack the surrounding area with something to catch any shavings. Stainless is usually non-magnetic.

pps for real pain try removing a flat tire after a neanderthal with a big air impact has put metric lug nuts on 1/2" wheel studs

 

Do you think an easy out would work? If it was bound up enough to snap the bolt would an easy out be able to turn it. Sorry if that is a stupid question. I've used an easy out when a bolt head snapped off from over tightening, but never a cross thread situation.

Here are some pictures if that helps.

 

at this point, please remove the paper towel, fire up the shop vac over the ports and replace that area with a couple nicely placed pieces of masking tape to block off the holes. form there this issue becomes much easier and cleaner to deal with. can you grab it with vice grips? if not can you grind a tiny slot with a dremel and get it out with a flat head screwdriver? do you need a left handed drill bit to suck it out? let me know where you end up tomorrow and i can send you a new bolt and a tap to chase the threads once the old bolt Is out. patience is key here, we can deal with this, give me a call tomorrow afternoon when your ready.

 

tis video isn't bad...

 

Thanks Rob. I have a #1 screw extractor like the one in the video and a center punch. I used it to remove the small bolt on the breather cover when it snapped off and it worked fine. If you think that is my best bet, I'll try it. I will give you a call tomorrow before hand to talk thru it.

 

Rob, I can't seem to find your phone number. I started to try an easy out. When I went to mark the center with a punch, the bolt was hard enough to break the tip of the punch before marking. I'm going to try your suggestion of using a drimmel to cut a slot for a screwdriver. Then try to turn it with pliers and a screwdriver. I'll email you my phone number.

 

Well after giving it a lot more thought today, I don't feel confident I can get the bolt out so I'm going to take it to a shop about a mile from my house. He said they can drill it out and install a heliocoil that will keep the hole in the same place and the same thread size. Probably cost me an arm and a leg, but owell.

I tried threading the various stainless steel bolts on the other side without the manifold on after making sure the threads were very clean. A few would thread just fine but some would start to bind up. I would then take it out and try the stock bolts, and no problem. Looks to me like the stainless steel is just too course for the soft aluminum so I'm going to look for some aluminum bolts. From my measurements, these are the ideal sizes needed for each of my Needswings manifolds:
(1) 140mm rear
(1) 115mm mid rear outside
(1) 125mm mid rear inside
(1) 105mm mid front outside
(1) 110mm mid front inside
(1) 90mm front

The middle ones are different sizes because the outside ones only have about 1/2" to thread.
The bolt thickness is 5mm. Now I just have to search to figure out how that translates into a bolt size (unless anyone has a quick answer).

One more question. If I install all the other bolts, do you think I would be ok driving it slowly a mile to the shop rather than towing?

Thanks everyone.

 

Correction: Thread diameter 6mm. So the first bolt would be a M6-1.0 x 140mm.

 

I would think it would be OK to drive for a short distance.
Did you try chasing out all the metric bolt holes with a 6mm metric tap ( and a vacuum cleaner / air hose ) before trying the SS bolts ?
Often some of the aluminum from the old bolts is left embedded in the threads, it seems that new aluminum bolts work better because they will deform around the old trash, whereas the SS bolts will not.

 

I drove a few weeks with the same scenario, so a mile is nothing to worry about.

 

Robs suggestions have worked for me in the past. Vise grips, slotting the shaft and drilling. Drilling is the most nerve wracking. Patience is key so you don't make it worse. Do tape off the ports so no trash gets in. I did it wrong the first time and spent lots of time getting stuff out of the ports. You need to run a good tap down all the bolt holes after you get the broken one out. The aluminum is soft and the threads deform from over tightening no matter what material the bolt is made of. Also, you have the remains of the thread locker still in their. Agreed that you could put it together and drive it missing one bolt if you needed to. I've driven mine with all the bolts finger tight before. (backed out at the track) Stay calm and patient.

Les

Les

 

if you can heat the manifold ( manifold off the car.) at the broken, just before tring to remove it this will let the alum. expand sooner than the bolt then try to remove the broken bolt. jim

 

I did not do this but have thought about it since and will before I try to bolt them up again. I ordered some new stainless steel bolts just in case the used ones I have had any bend or thread imperfections. I also ordered black anodized steel alloy bolts. Which of those would you guys use? Also thinking of a little anti-seize instead of thread locker, thoughts?

 

Any thoughts on which bolts would be better?

 

No thoughts on which bolts are best but use lock washers and thread locker. (blue) If you don't they will vibrate loose. The threads won't get damaged on the stainless bolts but the engine threads will deform, at least mine did. I run the tap down them every time the manifolds come off.

Les

 

Running a tap down the hole will lead to the thread being cut away until it is too weak to take the torque required and the thread will strip.

Studs may be a better option with spacers to get the nuts above the cover if necessary. Buy the stud and cut to suit.

Using stainless steel is not too wise in a salty coastal atmosphere, steel and aluminum/magnesium are at opposite ends of the galvanic chart and the salty humidity will start corrosion. The OEM bolts are plated to prevent galvanic corrosion.

 

Well, I can't disagree with 180 because he's right IF your removing metal, especially aluminum. I don't consider running a tap to remove thread locker as removing metal and I've done it a lot. If the hole has damaged threads running a tap can give you a few more torque cycles before they yield. Studs are a good idea for parts that are removed and re installed with frequency ... like wheels on a race car. (have them)

Les