Boy I can relate, however I usually don't have a problem putting the bolts or screws in. I always seem to break them off removing them, especially when they are old and rusted. Having twin boys age 6, I can also relate to working on the truck and then having to leave to put the boys down for the night. I've seen several people using the EZ out's and looks really simple, I can't do it if my life depended on it. To avoid having bolts snap or whatever, I've been replacing everything with stainless steel bolts. They won't snap. but they do strip out threads easily especially in aluminum or die cast. I saw on one of the home shows, that Craftsman make really neat tool now for removing broken bolts, etc. At least it looked great on TV?

 

I was talking to Jason, the co-owner of Pete and Jakes Hot Rod shop the other day and he said when they build a car, they use Never-Seize on every single bolt. Somthing to think about....

 

Kevin

We have all been there! But it sounds like you need a course in anger management. I have found that when anger sets in the best thing to do is sit down with an adult beverage and think pleasant thoughts...if that doesnt work repeat the treatment until anger goes away. Works every time..

There is no charge for this house call


Dr Bill

 

but not only when you DO break off the easy out (98.5% of the time you do), i dont think i have found anything harder to drill out than a stupid easy out...so not only is there a broken bolt, but theres another thing in the way, and i always break it off in the hole so both are stuck, so u might as well take the torch and just make a nice mess of it to finish it off.... so yes, i avoid easy outs....left handed drill bits are MUCH easier in MOST cases

 

OK here's another AX tip when using left hand twist drill bits as easy outs, drill down and if the drill is drilling but the bolt isn't coming out, stop before you go all the way thru, unchuck the drill bit, put it back in the hole and give it a couple firm taps with a hammer. Don't remove the bit from the hole but rechuck it in the drill (a helper is real handy here) and try to use a slow a speed as possible and bump the trigger while pressing hard on the drill. Hopefully that will raise enough of a burr to catch the drill so it unscrews the bolt. The tapping may also help to loosen it. If that doesn't catch it, use the next drill size, drill 2/3 as deep as the first hole and try the hammer tapping again.
ALWAYS use antiseize on any bolt where the bolt and the metal are different i.e. steel bolt (or sparkplug!) into aluminum, brass, copper; stainless steel bolt into steel, cast iron, aluminum, etc. and anytime you may need to unscrew that fastener at a later date, engine parts, adjustment bolts, LUG NUTS, etc.. Always use antiseize or oil on any bolt you are going to use a torque wrench on. Torque readings are speced for a lubricated fastener! When all else fails, there's always helicoils.

 

Here's an obscure and expensive lesson I learned the hard way at work. Those of you who have a working system for tightening screws can ignore the rest of this post.

Unbrako (a major machine screw and bolt manufacturer) specifies their English-thread fastener seating torque for the fastener in the "as-received" condition - no lubrication. For their metric-thread fasteners, however, they use the European VDI2230 standard, which is a complex system developed to take friction and a whole bunch of other variables into account when selecting a seating torque. What a headache.

The hard-learned lesson was that, for a steel bolt in steel application, the thread friction is about 35% of the total torque, the underhead friction is about 50% of the total torque, and only the remaining 15% of the applied torque is used to induce tension in the fastener. Those numbers are all for Unbrako English, unlubricated fasteners. Soooo, when we lubricated our 3/8-16 SHCS grade 8 bolts, and then tightened them to the English torque specifications, we ended up with a whole lot of broken off fasteners - in parts that cost $45,000 each! The lube under the head and on the threads reduced the friction torque in both places, and about 75% of the applied torque was going into tension on the screws. That's five times the proper tension on the screws, and we ended up snapping those puppies off right and left. Here is the web site I had to use for our aircraft applications. They just about made me sit in the corner and memorize it after goofing up.

Unbrako Fastener Information

I have to simplify my life at home since I don't have the time or equipment to follow all the specs we use at work. I certainly don't use the VDI2230 standard on home projects. If I put lube on the fasteners, I make sure the torque tables I'm using are for lubricated fasteners - both underhead and thread lube. My main rule-of-thumb now is, "Bobo not tighten bolt with goo on it using number in book for no goo, or bolt break".

 

Sage advise George. I saw that happen with some 1 in. bolts holding the foundation for a 25,000 Hp Gas Turbine. To say the very least folks were upset. Ax, you will never use another heilcoil if your application will allow you to use a keinsert. I've used probably 100 of them on strip outs over the past few years and love um.
Don

 

always and always put anti-sieze between metals of the same composition not of different ones!
different metals will usually not sieze up on each other!
its generally a good idea to put anti sieze on anything like brass copper alum. anything that naturally corrodes together steel on the other had shouldnt need but a little oil.

 

Kevin

Are you heading this way for the nationals???????

Bill

 

"always and always put anti-sieze between metals of the same composition not of different ones! different metals will usually not sieze up on each other!"

That's statements not correct Nixer. Iron and aluminum are the most common example. They often sieze together something awful.

Kevin

If I implied earlier I don't advocate using a torque wrench, let me clarify. I know you aren't extremely experience on the engine part of the resto yet and the last thing I want to do is confuse you. I definitely do use a torque wrench most of the time. You can run into trouble on covers though. Lets say you are putting a valve cover gasket on a whatever smallblock. The gasket might be cork, fiber, neoprene or a highgrade silicone product used alone. Each of these like a little different squeeze. If you pay attention and use small enough tools, you'll soon get a feel for what it takes to get proper squeeze, without blowing out the softer gasket styles like cork. After you are done torquing a cover. Grab a 1/4 ratchet/socket and get a feel for what you know is proper spec.

 

Back in my engine rebuilding days, I went by a self imposed simple rule that never let me down as far as over/under tightening bolts.

Everything in the short and long block portion got tightened to torque specs, as well as driveline attachments - damper, flywheel, etc.
Outer engine components (manifold - especially aluminum, water pump, fuel pump, etc.) got tightened down with nothing larger than a typical 3/8" ratchet.
Covering components (valve covers, oil pan, etc.) was tightened with nothing larger than a 1/4" ratchet.
Out of 100's rebuilt, this never let me down...no leaks and no loose bolts.

Another trick we had when useing an easy out was the "hot wrench". Drill the stud, heat it red hot, stick the easy out in, then remove the stud...worked every time.

Keep in mind this was all done more than 20 years ago so I don't know if all this would apply to today's engines. But then again, I don't work on anything newer than the early 70's anyway
Norb

 

Nixer, Sorry guy you have it backwards. Two dissimimilar metals in contact when exposed to moisture (humidity in the air can be enough moisture) will produce a weak electrical current at the juncture, that is will become a very weak battery and the more chemically reactive metal will rapidly corrode. Actual water contact and heat will accellerate the process. This is called dielectric corrosion. This is why you never run plain water in your cooling system, antifreeze has chemicals in it to prevent dielectic corrosion. It is also the reason all household hot water tanks have a sacrificial anode in them that is more chemically active than the working parts of the tank. Aluminum is a very chemically reactive metal compared to steel, so where the two are in contact corrosion can be quick and severe. If someone has put sparkplugs into an aluminum head without antiseize and they have been in more than a year the chances are very great that the threads will strip out when someone tries to remove them. I have seen cases with engines where the threads failed and the spark plug blew right out of the engine while running.
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers, the group charged with setting all the standards for anything automotive) torque specs are for lubricated fasteners. Torque specs for situations where there is a gasket involved is to get the proper sealing crush on a gasket, NOT to prevent the bolts from loosening. I didn't catch it the first time thru, but Kevin substituted silicone form a gasket for the OEM cover gasket, so there was no gasket to crush, consequently all the torque was stretching the bolts and they failed. In that case a good rule of thumb is never tighten more than 1/4 turn past first contact or finger tight. Also be sure to add a lock washer when eliminating a gasket!

 

Hey nixer.. try to repair a outboard engine that been in the saltwater at anytime in its life.. And U will fint a nightmare of dielectric corrosion all over the place.. most are Aluminum housing with SS bolts siezed to them .. I rebuild OB all day and corrosion is what I face everyday.. I go thru a lot of propane and O/A gas heating thing up to get them apart.. 50% of the time it goes.. Snap one(*&^$^%#) than get the heat out.. heat it up and pray the rest come out with out snapping.. than get the EZouts and more heat and remove the broken ones. Than chase the threads, treat with copper base anti-sieze than fix the problem I was after in the frist place.. makes for a long day in most cases..

 

Madathlon I feel for you! the salt in the water increases the electrical conductivity of the water speeding up the corrosion. Here's something to try the next time, hopefully before the bolt breaks. Heat the aluminum with the torch AROUND the bolt, trying to NOT heat the bolt. With the aluminum hot, apply an ice cube to the bolt, hold it there for ~ 30 sec then try removing the bolt. It may take 2 or 3 trys to break it free. Never heat the just the bolt itself that will only increase it's tightness.

 

AX I do know that.. But one does not always have ice on hand.. And its the ones that U dont see the corrosion that break first .. I been doing this for over 20 years.. Its just life of a marine tech that U run into corrosion all the time... But I like what I do.