Did i just make the biggest mistake ever on my 04 f150 fx4????
 

I thinki have a major problem. I decided to change the exhaust gasket on the passenger side on my own on my 04 f150 fx4. ...... i removed all the top bolts and the back bottom bolt......then.... when i removing the front top bolt...snap, the bolt broke off flush inside the engine..... What do i do now, i can't get to it to remove it without pulling the engine, what kind of technology did for invent now.

get yourself a good set of easy-outs. use a center punch to start a hole, and drill directly into the bolt. (or whats left of it) soak it with some liquid wrench or wd-40 and with an adjustable wrench, slowly work it out of the block.

the easy-outs are designed with an opposite and aggressive thread, so when you would be turning counter-clockwise to extract it, the teeth are biting into it more. just don't use a real big one, if it slips and chews up the threads, you'll have to drill the whole thing out and go in with a heli-coil.

Exactly:thumbsup: I had to do this in auto tech class last nite. Easy if you get the right tools.

I have done that repair on my 1991 ford probe gt, the hardest thing was taking everything off to get to the broken stud, drilling and easy-outing them is the easy part. I assume there's not much room to get a drill in the space provided with the f150, you might need a right angle drill, but I could be wrong.

Under no circumstances attempt to remove that bolt yourself unless you have used easy outs before & know how to use them correctly. You've already broken the bolt off in the head and now you have to remove a steel bolt from aluminium. Things could get exspensive in a hurry. Easy-outs are easy if you know what you're doing. For a novice, I would not recommend them at all.

That is of course you don't mind paying to have it towed to a machine shop to have you head machined and a heli-coil installed after you screw it up even more. Just save yourself the hassle & let a machinist fix it. There is a machine shop right near my house & 1/2 the money he makes is fixing other peoples screw ups.

KC-10 FE out...
:beers:

Or J??????Lube

Like KC says, if you haven't done it before, and it's in a tight spot. Have a bolt removal place or machine shop try it. You'll save money in the long wrong.

If you feel comfortable doing this kind of work, then have at it. If this is your path....Look for left hand drill bits, a 90 degree drill motor, and have patience.

I've done it on $100,000.00 yacht engines, on my head. Talk about the pucker factor....

Good luck.

Mike

It is not a boat. its a YACHT. :D

Steel out of aluminum isn't something to be screwing around with if you've never done it before. Especially if the stud is broken off below the surface of the cylinder head.

he's only gonna learn by doing it himself. I'm sure that's how 90% of us got to where we are with our trucks. whats he going to learn by paying someone else to do it? Besides, if he's ambitious/knowledgable enough to replace the gasket, I'm sure he'll want to know how to fix it.

i dunno... just the way i see it.

not to throw further concern or worry but.........easy outs can and will snap off. if that happens good luck, cause you aint drillin that baby out. if you decide to do it and it is in an difficult spot, go buy a new top quality easy out. then you know it has not been stressed before. keep all the torque even. no side loading. also have a couple shots and beer standing by if you hear and feel that snap.

I'm a proud student of the School of Hard Knocks, so I understand what you're saying. But trying to drill the remains of a broken steel bolt out of an aluminum cylinder head at an oddball angle really isn't the kind of job for someone who wants to learn, or for someone who's always wanted to try it. The potential to make the situation that much worse is too great.

i hear ya quintin.:cool:

Put all of the other bolts back in as tight as you can without breaking them and go trade it in:thumbsup:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

AMEN BROTHER...I was going to say the same thing! A man after my own heart! :lol: