Broken exhaust manifold bolt

[mjhicks]

Any suggestions for getting this broken bolt out? It is the lower rear drivers side exhaust manifold bolt. Pics taken from below the vehicle, and the wet around it is PB Blaster.

 

[1955moose]

My phone won't pull up the pics you posted, but do you have any part of the stud to grab onto? If so a small locking pair of vise grips pliers is the way I'd go. If not, your going to have to drill out the broken part.

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[coolzzy]

A shop would weld a nut to it and then back it out. If you don't have a welder that's gonna be a doosey

 

[Trainmaster]

If you can't weld a nut to it, try cutting a slot in it with a Dremel cut-off wheel and use a screwdriver if it's not frozen in there. Otherwise drill into it with progressively larger left-hand drills and use an Easy-out.

First see if you can get a needle-nose Vise-grip on the stump. Looks like you might be able
to.

Someone on ebay sells a cheap fixture that will align a drill bit perfectly for drilling out these studs. You take out all that you can and use the holes to mount the fixture, which is a precision drilled bar. Then a bushing lines up with the stud that needs to be drilled. Works like a charm for $80. It includes the drill and Easy-out.

Check it out. For some reason his photo's not working:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Exhaust-Ma...864935?hash=item25f148b8e7:g:8~kAAOSwl7Natb17

 

[mjp2]

That manifold is still on the truck, which means there's plenty of stud still there. Loosen/remove the rest of the nuts and move the manifold out of the way so you can fit a stud extractor on there and it'll come right out.

This is the one I used:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00265M8N4

Replace the studs with stainless hardware, use anti-seize during installation, and you'll never have the issue again.

 

[coolzzy]

Yes, remove the other nuts, even if they brake the studs at least the manifold will slip off of them, it is not threaded. Then you can use a stud extractor or weld a nut to the studs to remove them.

 

[Boostedbus]

You can weld straight out on the stud to make it longer then grip it with stud extractor while it’s still hot from the weld and it should spin right out

 

[Trainmaster]

Manifold replacement sucks on these trucks and the 1st Generation trucks, but it's not as bad as it looks.

Sometimes the nuts on the exhaust flange fight with you too. I use a Sawzall on those. Take your time, gather up your tools -- the stud extractor mentioned above, some splined sockets to hammer onto those rusted nuts, a can of Kroil and some Vise Grips. I also used a Dremel to clean up around the nuts so the Kroil would get to the threads.

I got mine done in a few hours each.

 

[Boostedbus]

If you don’t have a wire feed (mig) welder, then I’d rent one. You can rent a 120 volt with rosin core wire and you won’t need the gas. The heat penetration from the weld is key for making it an easy extraction. It should make the removal a few minute job.

 

[mjhicks]

Thank you all! Not enough bolt there to get ahold of it as it sits. I will try the Dremel slot method first, as it looks like getting to a couple of the nuts is going to be a PITA. (Rear top, front lower) I like the idea of welding a nut on, except 1) I have not welded since college 25+years ago, and 2) I don't own a welder. (Although it IS a great excuse!)
Not enough room to get a drill there to use an extractor. For right now, I'll have to put up with a tick I think. Sigh.

 

[Habbibie]

@mjhicks you lucky SOB yours doesnt even requires removal of the manifold, weld a 3/8" short bolt to it and use a 9/16" socket to remove it, if you dont have a welder dont make it any more complicated stop by a mechanic shop they'll weld one on for you for 10 bucks, 1000x easier than mine 3 of which broke inside the head the manifold has to come out and extract/drill those out anticipating none of the other ones brake in the process

 

[bobmbx]

Thank you all! Not enough bolt there to get ahold of it as it sits. I will try the Dremel slot method first, as it looks like getting to a couple of the nuts is going to be a PITA. (Rear top, front lower) I like the idea of welding a nut on, except 1) I have not welded since college 25+years ago, and 2) I don't own a welder. (Although it IS a great excuse!)
Not enough room to get a drill there to use an extractor. For right now, I'll have to put up with a tick I think. Sigh.

Did you try to remove the manifold to get more of the stud exposed? It should be long enough to double nut then.

 

[Boostedbus]

The beauty of using a mig welder is you just set wire speed and energy dial according to the chart on the inside of wire drum access door. It will show a metal thickness chart with wire size and gases you are using or no gas required for rosin core wire. Just set the dials and weld straight in the middle of stud straight out. The head is aluminum and the manifold is cast iron so no fear of weld them together. You could weld to the cast iron but you would have to preheat it red to make it take which you won’t be doing. You probably won’t even need an extractor afterwards, just vice grips. It really is pretty simple easy and tell the wife the cost of the welder is justified by the $$$ you saved by doing it yourself.

 

[Atman246]

Someone mentioned stainless hardware. Any kits out there for that?

 

[Trainmaster]

There are stainless kits on Rock Auto, but if you break a stainless one, you'll never drill it out.

But all the advice here seems great. You should be able to get that out rather easily without drilling, from what you've shown us.

If you have to drill the old one out, Milwaukee makes a small very cheap, battery operated Chinese right angle drill, which I bought online for $60. With that you can drill whatever you need on this job.

I bought the drill and the drilling fixture, though in the end all I needed was a stud remover, a Dremel and the hammer-on sockets

Don't be afraid to spend a few bucks here. What you save will be worth the money. Here in New York, they get $1800 to replace one manifold.

 

[mjp2]

Someone mentioned stainless hardware. Any kits out there for that?

There are stainless kits on Rock Auto, but if you break a stainless one, you'll never drill it out.

^that. High-temp anti-seize is a requirement during assembly.

 

[1955moose]

If Ford would have used anti sieze from the factory, our friend wouldn't be having this issue. But costs and time prevent it from ever happening.

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[Habbibie]

Before I installing stainless steel bolts you have to run a tap through the hole first to ensure all is well

 

[HawkX66]

I see a couple of guys that are recommending, "just pull out the rest of the studs". Not that easy.... You can make it a lot worse. I did this project on mine and a couple of the studs snapped off clean at the head. I couldn't get the mig welder in close enough. I ended up having to jack up one side of the motor and free hand drill them out. What a beeahtch... It ended up working out ok, but dang. If you can mig them, it's the way to go. The heat of the weld will help break them free.