Driving through the stop sign(s)

[Brian Lohnes]

ARGH -- Double F'n Argh

So I drove through the stop signs of the mechanical gods tonight.

I was trying to get the two studs out of the exhaust manifold that sheared off when I was pulling the head off the truck.
The "easy one" that had about an inch plus sticking out was the first one I tried. I headed the manifold ear up until it was cherry red, put my vice grips on that stud, gave it a tug, and it sheared off flush with the manifold.

Oh well, I'll just drill it out and use and EZ out to remove it.

I drilled the center of the stud out, ran 3-4 more progressively larger bits through it, heated that ear of the manifold out, got the EZ out in there, gave it some juice and sheared the effinf EZ out off.

OK MF'r, if that's how it's going to be....

I start drilling the hardened steel EZ out. Get half way through it and SNAP...I broke the goddamned drill bit off inside the EZ out.

I then walked away from it before I took the manifold and smashed it on the floor until I snapped it in half.

I think I'll be scoring an exhaust manifold off John (Milner351).


OK....so tell me your stories about driving through the stop signs of the mechanical gods.

Brian

[BOOOGHAR]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

That wasn't a stop sign, that was a right of passage ;D Sorry Brian, been there, done that too. Lots of WD-40 and a big drill bits later I won. Just took 2000 times longer than it should of.

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

That is a funny ass story..

I was helping a buddy put a recently warmed over 318 in his trail duster...we knew the engine hoist had a bad cylinder, it leak and pressure would bleed off to a certain point then the arm would just fall...we blew it off and just when my fingers were under the engine, adjusting it so it would line up with the mounts....the pressure slowly started to bleed off...I saw it...I knew what was coming...but I thought I could get it lined up before the arm dropped...instead of bumping up the pressure a little i kept on f-ing with the engine till the arm let go smashing my fingers between the mount and the engine...breaking 2 fingers...

[Barry Donovan]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

I posted recently of a stuck bolt.


one bolt.

Simply held the strut in. I welded it clamped tight , way beyond a bolt strength anyway.
As it turned out, the way it clamped shut, the bolt starts cockeyed then goes to squared up with the tapped threads.
the welding stuck the shank end, the threaded end was stuck already...
I then broke the head off, then down the middle, now I have two stuck spots from one bolt. :
I swore out loud..hadn't done that in years..in fact discipline military version, I looked around to see who heard me, as if I was gong to get in trouble...

4 hours later and a couple of drill bit resharpenings, the forged mess I made finally gave up...I got through with an enlarged hole, destroyed threads. ;D
blessing in disguise.. now I can put a hard bolt through the elongation squared, and watch the clamp go back together...also squared, truly tightened.
to ponder this design on millions and millions of cars over 35 years makes me nervous.

[98ciHemi]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

Where do I begin... OK, how about the full day I sent trying to find rod bolt specs for the new 1.9. After finding a book with ALL of the Escort specs, I set my torque wrench, grabbed on, and proceded to torque each rod stud down. Thankfully, the very last stud went *pop* as it broke. Why thankfully? Because I read the wrong torque spec. Had I revved that engine as stretched as those bolts were I would have had four neat little holes in my hood.

Time #2 (I think the statute of limitations is probably passed on this one, especially since the vehicle in question is now in a scrapyard. If you read this Dad, I oopsed)

Just after I got my drivers license, my family was out on the lake in our boat. What set this little trip apart was the fact that the rest of my family was splitting off to the four winds after we were done, leave me to tow the boat home. My first time towing alone. So I got home, and started to go about my procedure for backing in. I had block both lanes to get the boat into such a place that I could get it lined up to back in. I got upset by all the traffic I was bothering, and I went to back the truck/trailer into the drive so I could let traffic go and get out around me. I wasn't paying enough attention and as I was backing in, I sort of hit something. Like the goverment owned aerostar that we were using for a CAP activity. Just a small ding in the fiberglass hatch, but the shape was unmistakably that of the corner of the boat. So I went about parking the boat, grabbed some bondo, and matched the countour of the hatch. Grabbed a brush and painted over it with some white rustoleum, and then smoothed it out with some sandpaper. I used some 2500 to match the fade with the rest of the van. I never lied about what happened. I just never said anything. And no one ever noticed. I would definitely call that one driving through a common sense stopsign. Since then, I always let the traffic deal with my being slow backing in a trailer. (btw, I am now up to backing in a 31 ft airstream without incident or supervision). Someday, I will tell Dad. But I will probably wait till I move away to school. Just to get that little extra buffer zone.

-Walt

[ch1ll]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

I wish you were closer, I'd throw it on the bridgeport and cut them out for you.

I've have had real good luck with getting severely rusted fasteners apart. Like ones laying in a farm fields for 35 years.
Heat up with a cutting torch to a bright orange using an oxidizing flame. You will know when you are there when you see the rust burn off, looks like little stars. This will oxidize the rust bond between the two fasteners. I know this alters the integrity of the fastener, but you won't bust them and you can buy new. Hit it with PB Blaster which you can get at Walmart when it cools enough . Blaster is awesome stuff but keep your nose out of it cause it doesn't smell too healthy.

PB Blaster makes WD-40 look like glue.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

had one on an 87 g van ....the other dude wanted ten hours to do it ....so stupid me , I agreed to it for five
the trick is ...don't bother with an easy out - drill and tap -hindsight 20/20

[truckpuller]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

Just take the torch and blow them out of the holes, use a hi speed die grinder to get the rest and then tap the holes.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

had one on an 87 g van ....the other dude wanted ten hours to do it ....so stupid me , I agreed to it for five
the trick is ...don't bother with an easy out - drill and tap -hindsight 20/20

Yeah, I got greedy and was thinking I'd be able to back the hollow stud out. I was just gonna keep drilling and steal my dad's tap set, then I made the fatal mistake of thinking. :D

I'm visting BS member Fireball Monza today at the machine shop he works at. They're taking care of me. Photos to follow.

Brian

[meatwagon]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

I've never had any luck with easy-outs. Break them every time if they get a good bite. Then have to chisel them out. Can't drill 'em. My procedure is to drill the broken fastener out, increasing the size of the bit until the old broken fastener looks essentially like a heli-coil in the threads of the hole. Remove the remaining coil of threads with a tiny screwdriver and needle nosed pliers. Of course that first drilled hole has to be extremely centered and straight. Had lots of practice at this when replacing a water pump impeller in an old Force 85 outboard and broke all but one of the bolts holding the lower end on. Salt water is unforgiving

[pdub]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

I can totally identify with that. Over the years, I veeeeeery gradually learned - now I'm timid to even check the oil.

[DanStokes]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

Nope. Never had these problems. And I have the scars on both hands and arms to prove it.

I will say that as I've aged and grown older (and maybe a tad wiser) this happens to me less than it used to. There's a few reasons for that:
1. I AM a pretty patient guy.
2. I've learned to walk away BEFORE the tool throwing starts. Nothing REALLY has to be done right now.
3. The accumulated tricks of more than 45 years of messin' with cars.

Not to say I never get caught with my wrenches down. Right now my patience is being tested by the Nailhead which is fused into one chunk by bore corrosion with the immobile trans stuck on the rear. I keep spraying with the knowledge that it'll give up sooner or later. If all else fails I'll let Seth beat on it the next time he's here.

Dan

[moparmaniac07]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

There's JB Weld in my head because of a similar situation. Stud broke, tried to carefully drill it out and got it out. Had to buy a 90* drill to get to it though. Started tapping the hole, tap breaks off in it, cheap chinese piece of crap. Not even going to try to drill out the tap, so I got a punch and broke it up into pieces, blowing them out as they broke off. It was a real PITA making sure nothing fell into the cylinder. After getting the tap out, the hole was messed up pretty bad, either drill it out and use a bigger bolt, or try JB Weld. I chose option two. So far it hasn't leaked, but I haven't taken the header off yet, and don't intend to.

[milner351]

Re: Driving through the stop sign(s)

Brian

I'm back from columbus swap - I'm sure you've gotten it handled - but if not - I can still look for that manifold.

I'm about done with ez-outs myself - I think the torch is the ultimate weapon in this fight -- that is unless whatever it is is busted off in something aluminum :o