Extracting head bolt

**Lazy7** · 15th March 2006, 15:43

get a high tensile Punch and hit it with a hammer on the corner of the bolt pointing towards the direction you want to turn it.

**Ixion** · 15th March 2006, 15:59

Heta may be the answer if it has been loctited. Heat (VERY hot, not just "hot to touch") will destroy the loctite bond. This is an official BMW recommendation. A lot of their stuff is loctited with the stud grade loctite. Workshop manual says to heat the bolt/nut till it is really hot. Allow to cool, that degrades the loctite and frees the joint. It's not just the expansion of whatever it's threaded into (though that may help) it's actually to destroy the loctite that is holding it in.

**Warr** · 15th March 2006, 16:02

From your explanation of where the offending bolt is..

I'd be rather inclined to drill the head off it. Just as you eluded to.

**Groins_NZ** · 15th March 2006, 16:06

What about an "Easy Out" or bolt extractor - have you heard of them? Local hardware will probably sell them (Mitre 10, Bunnings, etc).

**Motu** · 15th March 2006, 16:39

That comes after he's sheared the head off....should be too long I don't think....

**Sketchy_Racer** · 15th March 2006, 17:22

Yes you can drill the top off then take the head out to get the rest.

but then you will be dropping filings into the bottom end of the engine.

And at 17000 RPM a tiny piece of steel on the mains will turn it to shit big time!!!

**Pixie** · 17th March 2006, 12:52

Originally Posted by Vagabond

If you have access to an oxy/acetylene set heat the head of the bolt red hot , being careful not to melt the bolt, then wait till you can touch the bolt with your hand, should come loose very quickly.
Tried and tested.

Redhot steel bolt = runny alloy thread

**Pixie** · 17th March 2006, 12:53

Originally Posted by Ixion

Heta may be the answer if it has been loctited. Heat (VERY hot, not just "hot to touch") will destroy the loctite bond. This is an official BMW recommendation. A lot of their stuff is loctited with the stud grade loctite. Workshop manual says to heat the bolt/nut till it is really hot. Allow to cool, that degrades the loctite and frees the joint. It's not just the expansion of whatever it's threaded into (though that may help) it's actually to destroy the loctite that is holding it in.

Who's Heta?
Greek goddess of tight nuts?

Oh Heta, why did thou make my nuts so tight?

**Ixion** · 17th March 2006, 14:30

HETA

H igh E xplosive T hermal A ction.

Get some glycerine, nitric acid, sulphuric acid . Mix together. Pour down the plug holes. Spin the engine . The head'll come off all right, Loctite or no Loctite.

Incidentally, if you have any nitroglycerine left after this (and you're back home from the hospital), you might like to utilise it to test this new discovery

A recent medical development will include a small amount of nitroglycerin in the tip of a new Durex condom to stimulate erection during intercourse. "The CSD500 condom contains a chemical in its teat, called glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), which is absorbed by the skin and causes blood vessels to dilate."

Oh, and tight nuts ? Try looser underpants.

**idb** · 17th March 2006, 15:57

Originally Posted by Ixion

HETA

H igh E xplosive T hermal A ction.

Get some glycerine, nitric acid, sulphuric acid . Mix together. Pour down the plug holes. Spin the engine . The head'll come off all right, Loctite or no Loctite.

Incidentally, if you have any nitroglycerine left after this (and you're back home from the hospital), you might like to utilise it to test this new discovery

Oh, and tight nuts ? Try looser underpants.

By Crikey!
That's just crazy enough to work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!