Inconvenient Broken Exhaust Bolt

[jojo-munson]

Hi all, my first post here! This site has been invaluable as I've been getting my grandpas 72 C20 350 going again after it sat for 10 years.

The truck has been blowing more and more white smoke every time I run her, even if she's already warm, and I'm loosing coolant. So I figured I'd take the heads off and replace all the gaskets.

But just my luck, a single bolt sheared off as I was unbolting the exhaust manifold on the drivers side. Lucky me it's the third from the front, so not terrible. But due to the inner fender and steering column I can't get my drill in there to use an easy out.

Any suggestions? Or am I going to have to bite the bullet and buy a right angle drill?

[truckster]

If you're pulling the heads it shouldn't be a problem. Just leave it there until you pull the head. There should be enough room to swing the manifold out of the way when you're ready to remove the head. Then you can heat it up and get a pair of vice grips on it.

[60case]

Bolt is stuck in the manifold not in the head. I just had the same thing on a 72 K10. I had to to heat the manifold around the bolt and pry and wiggle the manifold off far enough to get behind the manifold And cut the bolt off with a hacksaw. Then I heated the manifold and punched bolt out with a punch. The piece of bolt in the head screwed out with vice grips.

[jojo-munson]

Originally Posted by 60case

Bolt is stuck in the manifold not in the head. I just had the same thing on a 72 K10. I had to to heat the manifold around the bolt and pry and wiggle the manifold off far enough to get behind the manifold And cut the bolt off with a hacksaw. Then I heated the manifold and punched bolt out with a punch. The piece of bolt in the head screwed out with vice grips.

I'll give that a shot! Sounds a lot less terrifying than trying to drill at that angle. Thanks!

[Steeveedee]

You may just want to have a helper and pull the manifold with the head, because it's going go be tough to avoid scarring either the manifold or the head with a bad stroke of the hacksaw. I've pulled them that way before, and without help. It's part of why I have a bad back, now.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but when has a broken exhaust manifold bolt ever been convenient?

[jojo-munson]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

You may just want to have a helper and pull the manifold with the head, because it's going go be tough to avoid scarring either the manifold or the head with a bad stroke of the hacksaw. I've pulled them that way before, and without help. It's part of why I have a bad back, now.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but when has a broken exhaust manifold bolt ever been convenient?

I'll spray those three nuts with penetrating oil for a couple days and try to remove them! Hopefully they come off haha

[toolboxchev]

I would not go to that extent to pull that thing, just remove the other necessary components to get it off. The bolt shank in not completely frozen in there.

Just a Mind over Mechanics issue.