A friend came to me with a problem today, and I'm not sure what to say... It'* not on a Bonneville, but there might be some educational value!

1994 GMC Safari van. It'* an aluminum block engine, I believe.

The head sheared off of the driver'* side bolt holding the EGR valve on. He tried to remove the rest of the bolt with an EZ-Out, which is now broken off in the hole in the stub of the bolt in the aluminum block. There isn't enough of anything sticking out to get a grip on.

What coulda/shoulda been done to get better results?

What'* left to try?

Is there any hope for the engine? (Is the EGR flange part of the block?)

Any advice would be appreciated!

Mike D.

4.3? Its a cast iron block for sure. I'm sure the heads are too.

Can you weld a nut on the easy out? I've had lots of luck welding a nut onto broke caliper bleeder screws, sunk into the calipers. The heat from the weld actually can break loose the rust barrier. For this to be sucessful, the metal must be clean clean before you weld, or you don't get good enough penetration.

I imagine the block is, but it turns out the EGR valve is mounted to the intake manifold, which is aluminum. So, we're both right!

Now that'* something I didn't consider. I thought he should have tried at least heating the area with a propane torch; aluminum expands faster than steel, so it should have loosened things up a little.

I'm a bit scared of getting near the aluminum with oxy-acetylene, though. I don't know anybody with an arc welder I could borrow, either, and I don't have any experience with that, yet.

First I'll see if I can tease the chunk of EZ-out out of the hole it'* in. If I can do that we can at least try to drill and re-tap the hole, or somesuch. <sigh>

Any other approaches to getting the sheared off bolt out, or other guidance and suggestions? I'm all ears!

Thanks,

Mike D.

you could drill it out and possibley put a helicoil in it

If it were mine, I'd weld a thick flat washer to it, then weld a nut to the flat washer if you are sheared off flush. All it would take is a 110 wire feed with a tank. you want to soak it with rust buster too.
anyone with a Ford SD w/5.4 knows about rusted manifold bolts in aluminum heads...#$%^**&^&*