Broken bolts... need help

[94scortlx19]

ok, major problem.. i finished my engine swap/tranny/clutch and i started fillin up my radiator with coolant... and it started leaking out of the thermostat housing. so i figured fine, ill go get a new gasket, and problem solved...
so i went and put on the new gasket, and as im tightening down the 3 bolts, i break one of the bottom ones... i figure fine, it should be ok with 2, then i break the other one... F*CK!!!!!!!!!!! so now both bottom bolts are broken, and if its leaking just putting in coolant, then theres no way its gonna stand up to the pressure with the engine running... i went and bought some easy offs, drilled into the bolts, broke 2 easy offs... so now im trying to drill into them again, and my none of my drill bits seem to have the balls to cut thru the rest of the bolts.. i need some help!!!!!!!!

[bigrod118]

depending on how tight those blots are in there. you can take a screwdriver and hold it to the bolt on a slight angle and tap on it with a hammer or whatever you can fit there and the screwdriver can push the bolt into a direction to take it out.

[nevr]

Find a rotary tool, the higher rpm the better.
then you have two ways
1.) using a dimond wheel or a dimond point make a slit and use a screw driver to unsrew the bolt or
2.) if it does not work ( your easyout holds the thread and you can not turn) you can mill the bolt out compleatly. Be careful with a thread, don't tauch it to much.

PS. I was able to use way 1, after I broke 1 easyout once. I use way 1 all the time now.

[sixleggedinsect]

Originally Posted by 94scortlx19

so i went and put on the new gasket, and as im tightening down the 3 bolts, i break one of the bottom ones... i figure fine, it should be ok with 2, then i break the other one... F*CK!!!!!!!!!!!

so, did you get those bolts out?

i read a couple posts in the last month or two about folks breaking thermostat bolts, so when it was time to do my own, i was very careful. lots and lots of penetrant and tapping and time and gentleness. well, i broke one anyway, the head off the top bolt trying to remove it. the other two came out fine.

my first thought was to go out and buy those removal tools that look like nuts with a reverse helical tooth inside. it will be a huge pain to drill into the bolt for an easy out removal tool, and i find they dont work that well. i also saw the post about slotting the bolt and using a screwdriver. i could, but if it didnt work it woudl make the nut-like removal tool impossible or difficult to use, and im worried it would break off the already weak bolt easily, once sawn in half to accept a screwdriver.

i dont care how much it will cost (i like buying tools..)- what is the *best* tool to remove a seized bolt in a fairly tight space. currently about 3/8" sticking out of engine block.

(siiiiigh)

anthony

[catback23]

The best removal tool for a bolt is the "Bolt-Out", it's the nut like reverse heli-coil tool you were talking about. If money is no object one that can stand up to an impact wrench is better than the cheap ones because you can use the wrench if you don't feel like pulling/pushing a breaker bar. Still don't believe they are the best, try removing a rounded lug nut with any other method vice-grips, easy-out, screwdriver slotting, cutting (grinder, torch, plasma, or other). It's easy to see bolt-outs are the best and easiest method.