While putting in a 160 degree thermostat, I twisted the rear stud off the thermostat housing in the intake. It rotated out about 3 turns and then it locked. I sprayed it with PB Blaster and put it back in. I repeated this 3 times and then attempted to take it out. Well it snapped! I bought the right size easy-out but it so small and the bolt was so tight I'm not at all confident the easy out won't break in the hole. I put my finger in the large hole where the thermostat goes and it is not accessable from there. I feel the only way to remove it is going to be by drilling it. Does the the backside of this stud go to the cooling system or the crankcase? There will be substantial fillings from drilling dropping in the hole. I have never broken a bolt like this and really need some expert advise. I really don't want to pull the intake if at all possible. HELP!!!!! PS there is substantial corrosion( I was running mostly water)(big mistake) in the cooling system and I'm pretty sure that is what cause the bolt to lock.

I have got an Idea, tell me how deep in the hole did the bolt break off., 1/8" or so, or did it snap right at the housing?

It is sticking up 3/16ths of an inch from the intake.

do you have one of those bolt-out removers?

Never seen one? I tried to put a vise grip on it but it's too short.

I use liquid wrench,( it freed up a frozen hydrolic valve on an old Land Rover bottle jack I had, I had sprayed the valve with every thing else, liquid wrench was the only thing and Vise grips, that opened it ) then use a heat gun to heat up the intake and bolt area, then while its cooling down use the bolt remover(make sure your turning in the right dirction!), bear down and snap that bastard loose.
its already broken, you've got nothing to loose , worst to worst, you can always have a mech, drill it out for ya. let me know.

go to sears, craftsman makes them in all sizes you NEED THIS PART, hold on i'll get you a linkfor it

go here they work excellent-- http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00952161000

highlight link and put in your search bar

tell me if the link worked

I already tried heat. I'm using PB Blaster, not Liquid Wrench. Is it better? I've been told PB Blaster is better. I'm on my way to Sears to buy a bolt out as we speak. Thank you for your help.

by the liquid wrench when your at sears.

Ive been told brunettes are better than blondes, go figure

when you use heat, you need to wait for it to start to cool down

I found some Liquid Wrench in my cabinet and have already sprayed it on. I'm off to Sears now- thank you again. If this works, I'll UPS you a bottle of your choice, I just polished alternator, bracket, air pump, and the TPI. I REALLY don't want to pull the intake. PS I like blondes better but usually end up with brunettes! Go figure!!! Thanx again!

how did it go?

I'm going to a bigger Sears in Tampa tomorrow afternoon, my local store did not have it. Thanx for asking, I'll let you know.

I'm talking from a lot of experience (unfortunately) about broken bolts, been twisting wrenches on cars for 25 years and the best way to get it out is to grind the top of the bolt till it is flat with the manifold, use a good sharp center punch and punch the bolt dead center. THen use the method by which we call step drilling. Start with small bit, say like 1/8", then redrill again with a 1/4" and so forth. Be careful not to go to big, since a 3/8" bolt is the size of the bolt in the housing. NO bigger than, say, about a 5/16" bit. Then tapout the hole with a 3/8 tap. Stuff a rag in the thermostat hole to keep aluminum from getting in the intake. Be patient on drilling hole, since you are drilling steel in an aluminum hole. Try to keep drill as vertical as possible on the first hole you drill, after that, it is easy. You will feel when the drill bit passes through the bottom end of the bolt. Using easeouts can be more troublesome, especailly if you break one off in the hole, because they are made of hardened steel. Very hard to drill out. Good luck. [8D]

super mech, wouldn't you at least try the bolt out, i used it on a snapped off Land Rover brake calliper bolt, which was torqued way harder than a thermo bolt.

That was a just in case response, cause you where asking about an ease out. Usually, when you galled a bolt in an aluminum manifold, that is what u have to do, so good luck.

I tried the bolt out, I tried to heat the aluminum with an o/a torch, I tried an easy-out, I tried to weld a nut on the stud, ended up drilling it out. I will be tapping it 7/16ths tomorrow. Couldn't find a bottoming tap, they only had plug taps. Thank you for all your help!!!

what i would do is buy a [ hel-coil] kit, they give you all u need in the kit,drill the hole out with the drill they give u,then tap it then insert the hel-coil and u eill never strip out or cross thread again,put some never cease on the bolts so they dont freez up on u again,check what size bolt then mach with kit.i use them a lot,when building motors i replace all the taped out hole in the heads with them, they are the best there is a penitration oil called [koil ]and that **** will unfreez any thing,i used it in the navy.spray it on let soak for 2-3 hours and bammmmmm it's loose,

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