stripped header bolt (phillips head), need help please!
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Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Marina del Rey
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,852
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From: Decatur, Alabama
When you say stripped header bolt, do you mean that the head is buggered up and it's frozen in place? Post some pics if you can.
Kroil is supposed to be the best penetrant/lubricant there is. You might want to step out of the box for a bit and find some before attacking this thing again.
Kroil is supposed to be the best penetrant/lubricant there is. You might want to step out of the box for a bit and find some before attacking this thing again.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 5
From: warner robins, ga
I`m having a hard time picturing what you are working on, a header bolt with a Philips head? Where the exhaust pipe goes into the cylinder head?
Can you grind off the head and remove the pipe? Then you can grab the remainder of the bolt with vise grips and spin it out.
We use Kroil on stuck fasteners on jet engines, works as good as anything I`ve ever used.
http://www.kanolabs.com/google/
Can you grind off the head and remove the pipe? Then you can grab the remainder of the bolt with vise grips and spin it out.
We use Kroil on stuck fasteners on jet engines, works as good as anything I`ve ever used.
http://www.kanolabs.com/google/
i suppose grinding the head off is an option, but im not sure i have the tools for it.
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Joined: May 2008
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From: South Carolina
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,173
Likes: 12,740
From: South Carolina
If you use a left hand drill bit (as Dyna suggested) it may actually spin the stuck fastener out when the head of the screw comes off. You may find that after the head is gone and the collar is out of the way, that the remaining part of the screw is not very tight in the head anymore.
If Kroil is not available, try to find some PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, or Automatic Transmission Fluid. Don`t bother with WD 40...
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Feb 26, 2011 at 05:50 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Milton Mills NH
Grind of the head of the bolt, remove header pipe, take a small propane torch and LIGHTLY warm the area around the bolt,apply pressure with vise grips. I found this to work a lot of times. DO NOT over heat the head, just enough to expand the metal around the stud. Try to move the stud a little CCW then re-tighten, then CCW, then re-tighten, keep doing this until the bolt backs out. If you try to take the bolt out all at once good chance it will brake in the head. NOW you will need a machine shop. Good luck.
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Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 5
From: warner robins, ga
Grind of the head of the bolt, remove header pipe, take a small propane torch and LIGHTLY warm the area around the bolt,apply pressure with vise grips. I found this to work a lot of times. DO NOT over heat the head, just enough to expand the metal around the stud. Try to move the stud a little CCW then re-tighten, then CCW, then re-tighten, keep doing this until the bolt backs out. If you try to take the bolt out all at once good chance it will brake in the head. NOW you will need a machine shop. Good luck.