If you have access to a mig it could be your answer to direct heat, basically put a spot of weld on the top of your snapped bolt and be ready with the mole grips
M54 broken thermostat bolt
- Thread starter mrscalex
- Start date
I don't have a MIG or access to one I'm afraid.
Following an earlier issue with asking a welder in to heat up the famous seized manifold bolts and remove them I am also very cautious about spit in tight places.
you need to put them on tight as possible then don't put pressure on it and try and turn it but take a hammer and tap gently near to the bolt in a anticlockwise direction... not trying to give it some welly but just taps and gradually harder and harder, just let the weight of the hammer do the work, If you hit it to hard or to much at right angles you will just turn them so they fall off, you need to hit it at a 45 deg down/left sort of angle and keep going tap tap tap 
when you put in the new bolts run a die down the threads first then put some silicone on the bolt to help stop it doing it next time HTH
when you put in the new bolts run a die down the threads first then put some silicone on the bolt to help stop it doing it next time HTH
Interesting. So you're saying just hold the mole grips lightly, apply no hand pressure but tap the jaws of the mole grip with the hammer in such a way as to induce movement in the correct direction?you need to put them on tight as possible then don't put pressure on it and try and turn it but take a hammer and tap gently near to the bolt in a anticlockwise direction... not trying to give it some welly but just taps and gradually harder and harder, just let the weight of the hammer do the work, If you hit it to hard or to much at right angles you will just turn them so they fall off, you need to hit it at a 45 deg down/left sort of angle and keep going tap tap tap
Got you. Sounds very sensible. And is that using heat as well?yes that's it
when I removed my broken bolt I did not use any heat though I have needed to on others in the past, being Aluminium I decided not to on mine mainly because its quite close to the edge of a hole and a mating surface but It came out a lot easier than I thought it would and always try to remove stuff with the least chance of damage first, I did take out the radiator as well because its only clipped in and takes like 20 seconds to remove
Thanks. I'm prepared to use heat if required but I'll give it a go with your method first.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2014
- Points
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- Model of Z
- 2.2i Sport
Wow. Long distance nut-crackers. They could liven up a Christmas party.
That's what they may end up being used for if Dickymint's approach works! Which is basically the polar opposite of using a long pair as a breaker and more akin to drifting with a punch.Wow. Long distance nut-crackers. They could liven up a Christmas party.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2014
- Points
- 174
- Model of Z
- 2.2i Sport
Well, the suspense is getting unbearable. Got it sorted yet?
Ha, ha! I was preparing for a Scalextric swapmeet all least week so I had to pend it.Well, the suspense is getting unbearable. Got it sorted yet?
Hopefully I'll be looking at it Saturday. Will keep you posted
Good luck with it Rob.Ha, ha! I was preparing for a Scalextric swapmeet all least week so I had to pend it.
Hopefully I'll be looking at it Saturday. Will keep you posted
Tony.
Using heat will break the bond between the two surfaces (head and bolt) as the metals expand/retract at different rates, I would be tempted to use heat and use the tap method.
This the type of flat jaw grips I would use.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...+grips.TRS0&_nkw=flat+jaw+mole+grips&_sacat=0
Tony.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...+grips.TRS0&_nkw=flat+jaw+mole+grips&_sacat=0
Tony.
I got something very similar. Just not Knipex. But they were decent mid-price.
Roll on Saturday when I get to have a go.
Roll on Saturday when I get to have a go.
It's finally out! Although only by a miracle.
The gas soldering iron in torch mode wasn't even making the metal warm. So I had one more go with a new Irwin pair of mole grips and completely finished off the small stub that was sticking out.
So only option was to drill it out. The left-handed drill bits were not up to much. So I had to drill pilot holes with the right-handed bits to get them started. But they failed to start any movement as hoped.
At one point I thought I'd messed it up. I was resigned to tapping a new hole in whatever combination of aluminium and steel was left in the hole. And using JB Weld or Araldite to hold it all together.
As the hole was getting dangerously close to the threads I offered up the new thermostat and used it as a guide to drill a bit more out. I decided to have one last go with the left-handed drill bit before going down the bodge-it and scarper route. Then by a miracle I felt the drill bit catch something. When I withdrew it the remnants of the bolt thread were attached to it. I removed the thermostat and continued drilling out. More thread came out. But would I have damaged the thread in the hole?
Finally I ran a tap down the hold and a small amount of metal came out. I put a bolt back in and to my utter amazement it caught and felt like it was going tight.
I refitted the new thermostat, put all new bolts back and held my breath as I torqued it back up. Yes!! The reclaimed thread was holding .I was truly amazed.
It's all back in one bit and the cooling system is refilled. But when I went to start it the battery was flat and I was out of time before I needed to hit the road.
So hopefully I can get it bleed and test it properly by going for a drive tomorrow night!
I'll write-up some lessons learned another time as I didn't approach this right. And only got away with it by the skin of my teeth. Now we have to get in the car and drive to Canterbury...
The gas soldering iron in torch mode wasn't even making the metal warm. So I had one more go with a new Irwin pair of mole grips and completely finished off the small stub that was sticking out.
So only option was to drill it out. The left-handed drill bits were not up to much. So I had to drill pilot holes with the right-handed bits to get them started. But they failed to start any movement as hoped.
At one point I thought I'd messed it up. I was resigned to tapping a new hole in whatever combination of aluminium and steel was left in the hole. And using JB Weld or Araldite to hold it all together.
As the hole was getting dangerously close to the threads I offered up the new thermostat and used it as a guide to drill a bit more out. I decided to have one last go with the left-handed drill bit before going down the bodge-it and scarper route. Then by a miracle I felt the drill bit catch something. When I withdrew it the remnants of the bolt thread were attached to it. I removed the thermostat and continued drilling out. More thread came out. But would I have damaged the thread in the hole?
Finally I ran a tap down the hold and a small amount of metal came out. I put a bolt back in and to my utter amazement it caught and felt like it was going tight.
I refitted the new thermostat, put all new bolts back and held my breath as I torqued it back up. Yes!! The reclaimed thread was holding .I was truly amazed.
It's all back in one bit and the cooling system is refilled. But when I went to start it the battery was flat and I was out of time before I needed to hit the road.
So hopefully I can get it bleed and test it properly by going for a drive tomorrow night!
I'll write-up some lessons learned another time as I didn't approach this right. And only got away with it by the skin of my teeth. Now we have to get in the car and drive to Canterbury...
Cheers mate.