Help! I've really done it this time!
 

To make a very long story short, my starter sounded like it loosened up the other day. It's happened before. Like all inline 6s, things seem to want to wiggle off my motor. Better fix that when I get home, I thought, as I left the beach. Luckily, I had no stops to make, and 100 miles to drive. Unfortunately, I had to stop for emergency purposes (traffic accident and highway closure) up in the mountains, and of course, I was pointed uphill. Andwhen I turned the truck over again the starter sheared completely off the side of the engine. Luckily, it started and I got home with it zip-tied to my motor mount.

Naturally, both bolts broke at the threads, which are recessed in the block by a 1/4 inch. I went after the hardened starter bolts with a drill, put an easy out in there, and of course it snapped off too. Due to the bolt being recessed, I don't see how I can weld another bolt to it. I know all the various tricks to get a stuck bolt out. Heat, PB Blaster, diesel, canning wax, denatured alcohol and ATF, the list goes on and on. Unfortunately I can't get any purchase on the bolt, and for the life of me I have no idea how to find anything that can drill into a broken easy out.

I am open to ideas. I have two sheared off starter bolts to get out of my block, and they are both recessed by the aforementioned quarter-inch. And one has an easy out snapped off in it.

If anybody has any ideas, I am open to them. Obviously I don't want to mangle the starter threads, and I do need the truck to run. It only has 111k miles on it. The motor is in excellent condition, and I trust it basically anywhere.

I really don't want to have to pull the engine, and send it to a machine shop. But this is increasingly looking like what might happen.

Ideas?! Thoughts?! Magic bullets?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

Can you build up enough weld on the bolts, and then weld a nut to the end?

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

Maybe... I'm thinking more of dremeling out the easy out, and then trying some heat and penetrating oil.

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

I ran into this once with a broken headerbolt. What I did was, start off by drilling a small hole 1/8 and then keep stepping up a size until you get close as you can to the block threads and then take a pick and dig out the bolt threads. Good luck.

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

with that easy-out broke off in there you really have limited options.....we have used edm to burn taps and ease-outs out long ago

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

Is your truck std shift?

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

I had an ez-out do that to me one time, because it it so hard I just took a punch and shattered it, , it kept breaking in little pieces each time i hit it, also similar to what natedogg said, take a good set of sharp drill bits, and if there is any room beside the ez-out that you can see the bolt, drill beside it with several small holes.That might loosen it up a little that it may just fall out, if the threads are not overly messed up you might get away with just running a tap and clean them up, if not I'm sure a heli-coil can do the trick, , also here is similar suggestions, if found,

http://kk.org/cooltools/ask/how-can-...oken-easy-out/

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

Hey all!

I appreciate the feedback!

I tried using a small drift and a ball peen and did get a little of the easy-out to fall out.

However, at this point I'm going to see what I can do with a welder. I'm thinking of slowly building up some flux core, until I can get a nut on there, and then slowly backing it out after liberal doses of ATF and denatured alcohol. I'm not concerned about my welds sticking to the block. So, as long as I take my time and keep bathing the bolt in my preferred penetrating oil, it should work. Might take a few tries though...

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

I don't think I'd use flux core to weld it....gonna be hard to keep the weld clean enough to add weld on top while building it up....especially in a hole....

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

Agreed, but it's what I got! Probably just go one bead at a time. Then hit it with some oil (as the bolt cools). Clean it with alcohol, and do it again... Bummer, but it's the best bet given what I have at my disposal.

Re: Help! I've really done it this time!
 

My brother once snapped off an easyout in the head of a 350. I picked u a 90 degree high speed pneumatic die grinder. Also got a few pointy carbide burs.
I believe I ruined 3 burs, but finally got a hole dug into the easyout/stud.
The bur "bounced" against the hole a few times and buggered up the threads. It was 3/8 UNC, we ended up drilling slightly larger, and rethreaded 7/16 UNC once we got the stud out.