Ok, I need help bad... I have a 1976 f 250 360 block and I cant get 2 of the 8 bolts out of the exhaust manifold? We now have them broken off and are flush I have heated them up with torch and still nothing. Going to the other side 5 are loose and 3 are not.Before I brake them off any suggestions (please ) What a mess !!

 

These the top ones, where you can get to the back of the hole?

If so, use some penetrating oil, letting it soak for about a day. I usually mix brake fluid with axle lube at about 3 parts brake fluid to 1 part axle lube for the penetrating oil. Sounds crazy I know, but it works.

But yeah, let it soak for about a day, then try it. If / when they start moving, apply more stuff and work 'em back and forth.

There is a possiblity that they are simply too rusted in and there's nothing that can be done with it. In that case you'll have to pull the heads and take 'em to a machine shop.

 

You can actually drill them out yourself by taking the heads off and drilling them with your own drill bit saving you $100 bones or so. i had to do that myself and it worked just fine. The only difference i there is nut and a bolt that holds on the manifold rather than just the bolt that screws into the head...i can even post some pics if you'd like.

 

I'm guessing these are the top ones also. Spray them on both sides, as rusty mentioned and work em back and forth. I use Aero-Kroil as my penetrater. If it binds up, go the opposite directions. If it takes 20 minutes on 1 bolt, so be it. That saves you the burden of drilling them out. Take your time!


On the broken ones:

If you've got a right angle drill, you can do it with engine in truck. Or you can do as Rusty mentioned and pull the head.(Pulling the heads is much nicer, but adds for extra time and costs for new head gaskets. You make the call.)

Do yerself a favor and go down to the local hardware store and buy yourself some GOOD bits. Don't monkey around with the half dull bits you, I and everybody else has laying around. You can do it, but it'll be yet more time, and if you're like me, your gonna get impatient.

Be sure to center punch your bolt, directly in the center. BE SURE IT'S IN THE CENTER! Can't stress this enough.

Start drilling small, using lots a cutting fluid and don't spin the drill so fast that you eat through that new bit you just bought. Go slow, take yer time.

Once you've gotten almost to the threads, and depending on your easy-out size, try and turn her out. She should go after time. If you happen to muck up the threads, and there's no way of fixing them, then you've got to do what Broken40 suggested, and that use a bolt/nut combo.

Finally, after all your drilling is done and before you re-install headers/manifolds, run a 3/8-16 tap through each holes. Clean them threads up good and use some cutting fluid on the tap. Blow them out with air, then re-install headers/manifolds using some never-seize on the threads.

I hope this helps!
Mike

 

Cool post Mike. :)

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/Buck442a.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/SAK3.jpg

You saw the ring on the drill bit in the first picture.
That's what those rings are laying there with the swiss army knife.
And a couple more examples as crooked pins from a really worn Case stockman.

...the point is... "steer" the drill bit. :)

You can drive a car between two semi's on the freeway at 75mph you can dangged sure steer a drill bit down the center of a bolt. ;)

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/drills.jpg

That's a light dimmer in series to control the speed of my favorite kind of drill... a 1000rpm single speed. :)

You can do it. :)

Alvin in AZ

 

Alvin: I've got the same set up on my right angle drill. I too have a light dimmer that I installed on it, for variable speeds. It's handy as heck!

 

What's the chances of two guys that-crazy being on the same forum? :)

I have like five of them extension cords and used one just tonight with a monster 1/2" 600rpm drill. Sweet. :)

Alvin in AZ