Broken Intake Boot Bolt!!!

jafraune · Sep 8, 2009

So I am replacing my cracked worn 05 intake boots got all 11 of 12 bolts out and then of course the last one....snap.....it broke off. There is still about 1/8th inch sticking out of the block. I tried using the vise grip, pliers etc with no success. The bolt did turn a couple times before it snapped though so it did come out a little. What should I do at this point....I dont think that heat is a really smart idea and I dont reallly want to take out the engine...Should I try to carefully drill it out?? I know that its going to take a really long a skinny bit to get through the crossmember to reach at that bolt to. Any suggestions would be great. Jack

skibreeze · Sep 8, 2009

This one would be ideal to weld a nut to.

XC700116 · Sep 8, 2009

skibreeze said:
This one would be ideal to weld a nut to.

Yeap, take a nut that's just a touch bigger than the bolts and slide it over what's left of the bolt, weld the nut to the bolt, let it cool down for a bit (DONT POUR WATER ON IT or you could crack the Alum) and then back the bolt out.

POLZIN · Sep 8, 2009

skibreeze said:
This one would be ideal to weld a nut to.

that should work but UNPLUG YOUR ECU If you decide to go that way!

XC700116 · Sep 8, 2009

POLZINHUNTER said:
that should work but UNPLUG YOUR ECU If you decide to go that way!

Oh yeah, Deffinately

nmmiles · Sep 8, 2009

A great way to get that welded without getting welder splatter all over everything is to take a full bolt and put it in the electrode end of an arc welder. Just touch the new bolt to your stripped bolt and it will fuse together and then you can just turn the new bolt. Did it this way a few times with great success.

-Nolan

05900 · Sep 8, 2009

nmmiles said:
A great way to get that welded without getting welder splatter all over everything is to take a full bolt and put it in the electrode end of an arc welder. Just touch the new bolt to your stripped bolt and it will fuse together and then you can just turn the new bolt. Did it this way a few times with great success.

-Nolan

The best way to make short work of that problem, the better the welder the easier to do but even a 120 volt portable should do it!!? GOOD LUCK!!!!!
And let us know how you did!!!

Super Dave3 · Sep 8, 2009

Heat it up with a propane torch, this will break the loctite loose. grab it with your vise grips and it will spin right out. Dont be afraid to get it hot. Might want to take the oil lines off that might get damaged from the heat.

AKSNOWRIDER · Sep 8, 2009

just put several layers of duct tape over the ports to keep slag and splatter out..set a 5/16 nut right over the bolt flush with the block and then start right in the center of the nut (on whats left of the bolt) and weld in small circles until the nut is full of weld, let it set for a few minutes until the orange is gone and then spin it out while it is still hot..(the heat expands the aluminum and allows the bolt to spin right out..)it is very very hard to drill a steel bolt out when in aluminum(bit wants to walk to the softer material)especially when it is in such a tight area...if you dont trust welding it run it by the local muffler shop(they do exhaust bolts this way all the time, shouldnt cost you more then a 1/2 hr of labor for them to do it for you)

jafraune · Sep 8, 2009

Ok the welding idea would seem to be ideal....but I dont have a welder, and i dont have any friends that have one either....so it may look like i have to heat it out. I am just a little terrified of doing this as I have burned a sled down to the ground before (long story, lets just say I found the problem and it was leaking gas)....none of the gas fumes or should I say the amount of fumes or anything will cause a problem will they?

skibreeze · Sep 8, 2009

You should be fine, just put the torch on the bolt.

nmmiles · Sep 8, 2009

use a 1lb propane blow torch. No need to bust out the oxy-acetylene tanks with a rose bud! Clean up your surfaces as much as you can. Duct tape around your intake. cover up your oil lines and your mounts. Anything that can melt make sure is covered. Just make sure you go through the extra steps and double check to know everything is clean and out of the way. Then just heat it for a few long seconds and be ready to pull it out when you put the torch down.

Let us know how it goes!

-Nolan

nmmiles · Sep 8, 2009

btw. what the heck are you running for oil? That stuff looks like coolant!!

jafraune · Sep 8, 2009

ok guys thank for the reassurance....will do tomorrow. All i have is the propane torch, and i really was hoping not needing to bust on the acetylene one...I will post pics when im complete....

jafraune · Sep 8, 2009

amsoil interceptor.....but i see what you mean the lines look green...its just the pics though....i verified it haha

MacDawg productions · Sep 8, 2009

If that bolt is any like the 3 that I broke on mine, good luck with heating it up. 2 came out with heat,(barely) but there was a good half inch left hanging out. The third, well there was a little bit more than what you got there, but not much more. I heated the snot out of it, but the bolt just tapered off from the vice grips, and rendered that idea short. So I just zapped a nut on with my 120 mig welder, on high heat, let it cool, and it spun right out. Mind you, my motor was out.....Good luck bud, those bolts are in there with red loctite. It's always scary drilling bolts out that are in your engine block. Are guys putting them back in with red loctite?????

jafraune · Sep 8, 2009

Thanks MacDawg for the heads up....I will try the heat first otherwise I will have to figure something out with the welder....I feel like the red loctite is a little overkill for intake boots....might go with the blue....opinions would be good on this...

MacDawg productions · Sep 8, 2009

I'm not sure, I would like to use blue as well when my motor goes back in. I guess they are important bolts, but red is overkill I think. Any thoughts guys?

guidoxpress · Sep 8, 2009

Ha..

funny..i did this EXACT same thing and the SAME bolt too on my 900 in dec last year...i didnt have the tools or the time when it happened and was out of town and i used some silicone around the reed cage and its been great since..i know its not quite the best thing to do, but its been great..i will repair it here shortly when i get the motor out and install the compfusion mounts..

so very interested in how this works for you jack...

good luck..

jafraune · Sep 8, 2009

guidoxpress said:
Ha..

funny..i did this EXACT same thing and the SAME bolt too on my 900 in dec last year...i didnt have the tools or the time when it happened and was out of town and i used some silicone around the reed cage and its been great since..i know its not quite the best thing to do, but its been great..i will repair it here shortly when i get the motor out and install the compfusion mounts..

so very interested in how this works for you jack...

good luck..

that must be the cursed bolt then......

haha

I will post results for everyone hopefully by tomorrow.....thanks sean.

jack

Broken Intake Boot Bolt!!!

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