Trouble with intake bolts

[Justshootme84]

I was working on my 88 parts Bronco today, trying to remove the lower intake manifold from the 302 V-8. All of the bolts came loose - except for one :angry:

It is the front-passenger-side bolt next to the water neck and thermostat, so I guess it's rusted tight inside the manifold. After two hours of wrenching with a 6-point socket then Vise-Grips, the bolt head is now rounded off as nothing will move it. Do I need to grind the head off and drill out the bolt, or is there an "easier" option??? JSM84

 

[Bully Bob]

You KNOW it's going to "snap" when it finally turns... "murphys law" says it'll snap-off flush with the block...soooooooo,

I would cut the head off, remove intake, then soak with PB Blaster now that there's room to get the straw to it.

Then work it 'til it decides to back out.

 

[snowman74]

Howdy! Just for future reference, soak that bad boy in break free and hit it with the impact wrench. As for the problem at hand, I'd grind it, drill it and tap it. You're really left with no other choice. An extractor isn't going to be strong enough for that bolt. Only other thought, and I can't remember what size bolts those are...but I'm thinking somewhere around 3/8", right? drill center of bolt VERY carefully about a 1/4" in or a little more with a smaller bit. Tap it with left hand threads and buy a left hand thread grade eight bolt (or harder) to ***** into the bolt and see if you can't get it to back out that way. It's work...and it sounds nuts, but I've done it before. Again, use all the break free you can get in there...and if this method doesn't work, you've only drilled out some of what you were going to drill out in the first place.

 

[Shadow_D]

Hey JSM84, I had some problems with my beast this past weekend.

I had to change out the ball joints. The nuts on the spindle were not wanting to move and rounding so a friend of mine lent me his "ez outs" for nuts and bolts. I need to get me a set of them. get the right size and pound it on, heat up the area and work it slowly. That should do the trick. Only bad part it the "ez outs" are not cheep for the good ones, I wouldn't waste my money with cheaper, lesser quality ones.

 

[STLKIKN]

Before resorting to the grind & drill routine...

If you've got a torch, and there is no grease or gas present...

Heat that little bugger to red hot, let it cool down and heat it again.

Hit it with some PB or any other type of rust buster.

Heat it again, now attempt to remove it, it should come out fairly easily after all that heat. You may even hear the rust release as the bolt cools down (it will make a small popping or cracking noise)

Good luck with it!!

 

[Justshootme84]

A friend of mine let me try the "Gator-Grip" socket. It has little metal rods inside a socket that are supposed to remove any bolt, even with a stripped head. Only problem was, the neck of the water inlet is right next to that bolt and the socket didn't work. I got busy with the grinder and the drill. It was solid rust under the head but drilled out easy. Intake is now out. WooHoo!!!

My dad suggested either to weld a better grade nut on top of the stripped head. or just hook the lead directly to the bolt and the ground below near it. The shock will loosen the rust and free up the threads. Only problem was the Bronco was too far from the shop with the welder, so I would have to pull the whole motor to try this out. Thanks for the advice, JSM84

 

[mbtech2003]

thats the same bolt that snaped when i removed the intake in my 95 351!! i took the head to the machine shop and they drilled it out and put in a helecoil for me. i didn't wanto take the chance myself because the bolt go into the head at an angle. it's because it's not a blind hole water and dirt can get up and under the bolt hole and into the threads /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Justshootme84]

mbt, you're right!!! The bolt goes into the head at an angle. For now, I left the lwoer part of the bolt in the head, and will try out the welder to remove it after I pull the motor. I want to try not to bugger up the head, but like you say, the bolt is so rusted that the threads in the head may be gone and need a heli-coil.

 

[351windsorbronco]

another thing that also works, is a chizzel and a hammer to the head, it will grab on and rotate the head sometimes, but it doesn't also work, but it sounds like u got it fixed so i'm a little late, o well, maybe it'll help someone else?

Peace, JT

 

[Justshootme84]

Yeah, the chisel+hammer I tried after the grip pliers. That bolt was rusted solid to the intake and head. I would not think that the water neck could cause that, but I've had similar problems with the water pump bolts. If they go all the way through into the block, you'll have trouble with them rusting and being "stubborn". Certain bolts require anti-seize compound when assembling the engine, and if a garage works on that part that does not do it right, you get to fight with it. That upper intake Torx bolt I had no problem with, but that front intake bolt is a common disaster area. I have yet to loosen the water neck bolts to get to the thermostat. One big obstacle is the EGR tube from the intake that's in the way. Mine needs to be replaced, as I mangled it pretty good to get to that one bolt. Blame Ford engineering for that one, JSM84

 

[snowman74]

Now why didn't I think of welding a new bolt head to the the old one? How simple...yet how profound... Glad you got it fixed!

Snowman74 >-