broken bolt

[truckin92pu]

today i was helping a friend install a set of headers on his truck and the worst thing that could happen, happened. The bolt in the very back on the driver side broke as we were trying to remove it.

So what is the easiest way (if there is one) to remove the broken piece of the bolt from the head. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

[Physh1]

Eeek....is there any of the stud stuck out at all or is it flush?

IF you can get a drill of some sort in there you can drill a hold in the bolt and use a bolt extractor BUT I dunno how that'll happen...it's a very tight fit.

Cameron

[Stroker 1500]

it would really suck, but it might come down to pullin the heads off to get the bolt out

[PSWired]

If you have a dremel tool, get the right angle drill adaptor and drill a hole in the middle of the bolt, then use an easy out to remove the bolt. I've used this method before on heads where a drill won't fit.

[fastredgmc]

If you can get in there to work on it and the bolt is close to the surface do this.
Spray it with some PB Blaster wait a few then take a punch and try and turn it out of there. This works 9 out 10 times for me, Never works if its in aluminum though unlless im lucky.

If it dont come out then heat it up, make sure its safe to do so in that area. There is lots of stuff around there it will take some skill.
Get it hot and try and turn it out again with a punch or chisel.

If you can do one of these I guarantte you it be out. If not your going have to drill it out, not very fun.

[Diamond Jim]

What kind of heads? Aluminum or cast iron?

If they are aluminum don't fool with it, take it off to get the bolt out.

If they are cast iron, they are a number of different ways to do it.

1. If any of the bolt is sticking out when the headers are off, then heat the head evenly and carefully with a propane torch. After it hot, grip the end of the bolt with a good pair of vise grips. And I mean a good pair of vise grips, not some cheap pair from the local "X"-Mart.

2. You can drill a hole in the bolt and try to use an easy out to remove the bolt shaft. Of course heat it first.

3. Remove the head and using a drill press or a mill to drill the bolt out leaving just the threads. Then carefully pick the threads out.

4. You can use an cutting torch to melt the bolt out of cast iron heads. The steel will burn out before the cast iron on the heads will melt.

5. Drill out the bolt and either install a heli-coli thread or rethread to a larger size.

6. Use and EDM maching to remove the bolt.

If you don't know what you are doing then take it to someone that does. But do like most people do, try to do it yourself, so that when you take it to a shop they have a hard job, and then they won't feel guilty about charging you what the job is worth. If it sounds like I am cynical about this, I am. When the bolt first brakes off removing it is an easy job if you know what you are doing. After it is screwed up by someone that doesn't know what they are doing is when it becomes hard to do. As you had to ask how to do it I don't have much hope of your being able to do it without messing it up. But you never know, you may get lucky