Problem? - Engine Bay Bolt Removal

jcgafford

10 Year Member
Jan 7, 2012
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Adrian, MI
This is one of the two bolts that hold the power steering pump onto the rest of the engine. Never noticed it was broken off this whole time. It seems that with the other bolt in this 1 inch of leftover holds the power steering pump in place with no apparent problems. I have tried to remove it to replace it and it is pretty much there forever. Any thoughts on this? Foreseeable problems?
 

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This is one of the two bolts that hold the power steering pump onto the rest of the engine. Never noticed it was broken off this whole time. It seems that with the other bolt in this 1 inch of leftover holds the power steering pump in place with no apparent problems. I have tried to remove it to replace it and it is pretty much there forever. Any thoughts on this? Foreseeable problems?
@jcgafford
Eng., year, and model?
IOW, do bolts also control belt tightness via slotted adjustment? If so, problem likely exists. If serpentine belt system, torque remaining bolt to level recommended. Or, better, cut broken bolt off flush, prick punch center of bolt as closely as possible, assuming adequate room is available to do this, drill tiny (3/32" hole in center of broken bolt, at least 1" deep, through, if possible, then larger drill, slightly smaller than the tap drill size for that bolt.Then try a tap extractor, after spraying plenty of penetrating oil. If the extractor will not budge the broken bolt stub, remove the extractor, drill remaining bolt portion out using tap drill size for that screw size. Then, carefully re-thread using a plug tap of the correct size. Often, doing this, will re-establish the original threads internal to the bracket, while forcing out remains of the broken bolt. imp
 
You should be able to take that bracket off and get to the back of the bolt and drill a hole in it and easy out it, steel bolt and aluminum brackets don't play well together, lots of pb blaster or equivalent, worse case heat it a smidge, antisize is your friend with steel bolts and aluminum brackets.
 
Aerosol duster & heat to remove broken bolts.

Plan B:
Get a can of aerosol keyboard duster: notice that when you turn the can upside down and spray, it puts out a stream of very cold gas. We are going to use that to our advantage.

Remove the bracket and apply heat to the area around the offending bolt using a propane torch or even better, put it in the oven at 400 degrees. If you use the oven method, make sure that your wife isn’t around. To measure the temperature of the part, you can rub a stick of high temperature melt hot glue on the part near the bolt. If the glues melts, the part is hot enough to work with. The high temperature hot glue melt somewhere in the range of 375°-425°, which is right in the range that the part needs to be for best results.

Get a pair of Visegrip pliers handy, you are going to need then. Put the plastic straw on the aerosol duster, you want to spray a narrow, concentrated stream of the cold gas. Once the bracket around the bolt is good and hot, turn the can of aerosol keyboard duster upside down and spray the bolt on both sides for about 10 seconds each side. The aluminum expands multiple times more than steel does and when you spray the bolt, it shrinks a bit. This is because of the mass of the aluminum is much greater than the bolt. That will often give you just enough slack to twist the bolt out.


Note that ordinary hot melt glue melts at about 250°, which is a little too cool for what needs to be done.
 
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I'd replace that part.

I had an a/c bracket with a similar broken bolt and no amount of heat, or penetration fluid or torque would break it free.

I just hoped on the ole eBay, bought one, and installed that one instead. Sometimes the aggravation isn't worth it
 
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