Truck broke HELP!!!

[wylde1]

I need to know what my options may be for a problem with my truck. I was replacing the thermostat and the freakin' bolt for the housing broke off. I drilled the broken bolt and tried to use an EZ out. Well the freakin' EZ out broke inside the broken bolt. I am stuck:mad: Talked to a mechanic about it, but they didn't seem interested in helping me and never called back. The truck it all tore apart in my garage. Front grill off, radiator out, thermostat housing removed. Can this be fixed or am I SOL. I can't get out riding till I get this fixed and wife says I am starting to get cranky.

[BuckBilly]

Can you post a picture???

[wylde1]

I don't know if this will help or not. Where the rag is stuffed is where the thermostat goes. The little shiny spot is the bolt. I tried to redrill it after the ez out broke, but my bit keeps bouncing off of the damn ez out that is stuck in there. I know if I screw up the hole it won't seal. I don't want to have to replace the freaking head for a broken bolt.

[marioweldinginc]

If you have access to a torch with a small tip, you can heat the ez out. When you heat it up almost white/red and let it AIR cool down (NO WATER!!!!!) the ez out will get soft enough to center punch and drill. When u attempt to remove the original broken bolt heat up the intake or head if its cast till its cherry red. Then use the ezout or reverse hand drill bit or just drill it and tap.

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[marioweldinginc]

If you have no access to a torch. Center punch the ezout and with a new drill bit (no home depot bit either) slowly!! drill the ezout. use a sh** load of cutting oil or used engine oil on the bit. If you elongate the bolt hole use some jb weld to make a bolt hole then when it sets after 24 hours you can drill and tap the jb weld

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Edited May 21, 2012 by marioweldinginc

[wylde1]

If you have no access to a torch. Center punch the ezout and with a new drill bit (no home depot bit either) slowly!! drill the ezout. use a sh** load of cutting oil or used engine oil on the bit. If you elongate the bolt hole use some jb weld to make a bolt hole then when it sets after 24 hours you can drill and tap the jb weld

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thanks man that gives me some hope. I was really hoping I wasn't gonna need to change the head.

[quadnut20]

I don't know if this will help or not. Where the rag is stuffed is where the thermostat goes. The little shiny spot is the bolt. I tried to redrill it after the ez out broke, but my bit keeps bouncing off of the damn ez out that is stuck in there. I know if I screw up the hole it won't seal. I don't want to have to replace the freaking head for a broken bolt.

Sorry man can`t see anything !:laugh:pics is fuzzy or I need glasses !! What truck is this !!

[wylde1]

Sorry man can`t see anything !:laugh:pics is fuzzy or I need glasses !! What truck is this !!

the pic does suck, it gets pretty dark in my garage. The truck is a 90 Jeep Comanche. My main concern was screwing up the hole, but Mario took care of that. I was thinking maybe it could be drilled out tapped and have an insert put in, but I didn't think of the JB Weld and I actually have that in my toolbox. I just need to get a good drill bit. I broke two already and they sting when they come back and hit you.

[swampcat07]

The EZ Out is really hard to drill out I never thought of heating it. Instead of replacing the head is it something you can remove and then get under a drill press. That would help keep metal shavings out of your engine. I would say the JB weld is a good backup but I would not go that route if you don't have to. You can also drill and tap the next size larger bolt and just make the hole in the thermostat cover larger also if you can manage to center it right. If memory serves me correctly there is not a lot of pressure in the cooling system.

[marioweldinginc]

Agreed. Most cooling systems max out at 15-18 psi. The jb weld was a last resort. Most of the time with a steady hand and patience the bolt can be removed. I couldnt see from the pic what meat was around the thermo housing so i stayed away from going up in size. If there is plenty of meat around and you.screw up the hole you can go up in size. But make sure not to go into the water jackets!

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[marioweldinginc]

I think the housing is part of the intake.

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[wylde1]

Thanks guys. I will be giving it a shot as soon as I get the time. Hopefully soon, I am missing some prime riding time.

[wylde1]

The bolt is out. I got a guy with a welder. He towed the truck to his shop, welded a nut onto the broken bolt somehow, got it out, and brught my truck back to me for $45. It saved me a lot of monkeying around drilling and crap and I don't think was a bad price. Now all I got to do is put everything back together.

[marioweldinginc]

Good lookin!

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[oxidized_black]

The bolt is out. I got a guy with a welder. He towed the truck to his shop, welded a nut onto the broken bolt somehow, got it out, and brught my truck back to me for $45. It saved me a lot of monkeying around drilling and crap and I don't think was a bad price. Now all I got to do is put everything back together.

that's a hellova deal wylde1 !!!

[wylde1]

that's a hellova deal wylde1 !!!

:yes:yeah I thought so. He is only 2 miles from my house, but any one else still would have charged me for the tows. He took it and brought it back and didn't charge me. Any of the work I can't do myself, I now have a new guy to do it for me.

[quadnut20]

:yes:yeah I thought so. He is only 2 miles from my house, but any one else still would have charged me for the tows. He took it and brought it back and didn't charge me. Any of the work I can't do myself, I now have a new guy to do it for me.

Good deal Wylde !! You got a smoking deal !!

[Mudflap64]

Just the heat from welding onto the end of the bolt helped too loosen it's grip in the head.$45 is very cheap. Glad yah found a solution and will be back on the road.

[hangingon]

Wylde the thermostat housing bolts to the intake not the head on most engines that makes the job easier & cheaper. Is yours an inline 6 or v8 ? and what year is it . I will pull a pic up on the computer to see what motor your working on. You may need to pull the intake if the thermostat housing bolts to it and take it to a machine shop if you can't get it out. Pulling a head is where it gets to be a bigger & more costley job .As far as the hole if you have to tap out the hole in the intake go with a helicore if you can & use a stock size bolt that will also depend on how much metal you have to work with.( I think helicore is what their called.) Alot of Thermostat housings are almost like pot metal there on the soft metal side and if you redrill it for a bigger bolt to fit thru the hole it might break when you tight it down based on how much metal would be left on it after drilling. The hardest part of pulling the intake if you have too is dealing with pulling the distributor and getting it back in right. If it's an inline 6 some of them the distributor is on the side of the engine block and you dont have to remove it. As long has the distributor does not go thru a hole in the intake and bolt to it you can leave it in place. You have to remove the carb and to put it back togather a new intake manifold & carb gasket would be the parts you would need. The reason I say this about using a machine shop is if the threaded hole gets too damaged you might be spending more money in the long run. If it bolts to the intake and your able to take the intake off and put it back on & just let a machine shop get the bolt out & fix the threads if needed could save you from a bad day. What ever part it bolts too intake or head if the bolt hole gets to messed up you might be buying a intake or head and that would suck! I was an automotive tech for Good Year & worked at a high performance warehouse I can pull"em apart & put'em back togather so it's no problem for me to take a head or intake off but I would depend on a machine shop myself for the broken bolt & broken tool. I know MONEY is a big factor for most of us and the more things we can fix ourselfs saves money. Sorry I don't have an easy answer for getting it out & my suggestion is what most people don't want to hear but the machine shop has the equipment to fix it and they deal with this stuff everyday. Might be worth making a phone call just to get a price. Good luck.

Edited May 26, 2012 by hangingon

[hangingon]

It's me again I didn't read far enough to know you got it out or you were posting while I was too. Thats a great price plus free towing. You might have to let him ride your quad as a tip so that would be about 45 mins of ride time and then add bonus time for free towing that would come to 1hr. & 45 mins.

[marioweldinginc]

I want to hire him!

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[wylde1]

It's me again I didn't read far enough to know you got it out or you were posting while I was too. Thats a great price plus free towing. You might have to let him ride your quad as a tip so that would be about 45 mins of ride time and then add bonus time for free towing that would come to 1hr. & 45 mins.

I am gonna give him some of my future business. He took my truck got the bolt out and had it back at my house within 1 1/2 hrs. The engine is a straight six and the housing is right under the valve cover.