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i replaced a thermostat on a 1999 f 150 that i just bought and the person that owned it before i broke a bolt off in the block is there a easy way to drill out the broke bolt and re thread the hole without taking top side of motor off
i replaced a thermostat on a 1999 f 150 that i just bought and the person that owned it before i broke a bolt off in the block is there a easy way to drill out the broke bolt and re thread the hole without taking top side of motor off
Removing a broken bolt is almost never easy. If you don’t know how to do it, then find someone who can.
So you mean that whomever replaced it before you broke the bolt, left it there, and just installed the replacement part with only one bolt (most thermostat housings have 2 bolts)? If so, I'm amazed that it didn't leak.
It is not too hard to do this work as long as broken bolt is in a place where you have room to get a drill into, otherwise you would have to remove all the components around the bolt to make room for the drill. Anyway, let a person who knows what to do take care of it as follows.
a. You will have to know the broken bolt's diameter first. Then buy a couple of titanium-coated drill bits (these must be of the correct size to match the "easy-out" size.
b. The mechanic will have to "center-punch" a pilot hole in the center of the broken bolt for the drill bit, and then drill a hole deep enough for the "easy out".
c. If the bolt does not budge with the "easy out," then the mechanic may have to warm the area of the block outside and around the bolt's hole (without heating the bolt itself), then try the "easy out" one more time. Repeat the steps if necessary.
d. If that doesn't work, then as f5stop mentioned, you would have to drill and retap, which requires precision to avoid over-drilling the bolt hole.
*Notice that I mentioned a "mechanic" doing the work.
If you're going to try the easyout route, I'd start by using some liquid wrench and tap while applying that to try to get it to settle into the threads and loosen it up, give that stuff time to work. The fact that the bolthead is already sheared off is a red flag that it probably won't come out easily.
I have to, dont use an easy out. Youre going to break it and make it even harder to drill out.
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