Background:
My b20 vtec has a CTR head, and the previous owner in all his wisdom did not use anti seize on the header bolts, so when removing the header to both install a GSR radiator and new o2 sensor, the threads came out with the bolt.

So, I naturally went to retap and clean up the threads with a tap, and of course, the tap breaks in half leaving it too deep in the hole to try to turn with vice grips. Knowing I was going to probably pull my motor out over the winter, since then I have forgot what size the tap was.

I am going to need one of these odd ball tools from Walton. But my question is, what size?

http://www.wttool.com/c/04130005p

 

damn that sux. try drilling the tap out. if it breaks apart into little pieces u should be set. then just re-tap. it would help if you had pics, but i think i am picturing it right in my head. good luck.

 

also. j/w why you had to take the header off to put in a new radiator and an O2 sensor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by OH_SNAP10k_SHIFT! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">damn that sux. try drilling the tap out. if it breaks apart into little pieces u should be set. then just re-tap. it would help if you had pics, but i think i am picturing it right in my head. good luck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The tap is stuck in the head, threaded in, ive broken 3 drill bits trying to drill it. Its very hard metal.


Because its much easier with the header off and I also got a new gasket, forgot to mention that in the first post.

Someone has to know what size tap extractor to buy.

 

45 views and no one has an idea?

 

hey nick, try the 7,8mm ... its a 12mm head nut, off the top i think thread is 8mm x 1.25 pitch.

sometimes you can get lucky with a s/s pick and reach in and back it out since its not locked in there.

good luck

 

thanks Greg, i think ill give that one a try

In case anyone ever does this, now they know how

 

i dunno waht else to tell you. luckily, i have not come across that problem. good luck tho

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by OH_SNAP10k_SHIFT! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dunno waht else to tell you. luckily, i have not come across that problem. good luck tho</TD></TR></TABLE>

i wasnt really looking for a solution, just wanted to know what size tap extractor to buy

 

got the tap extractor today

it snapped right into 2 pieces leaving the "claws" in the hole with the broken tap lol

 

What kind of drill bit was it that broke?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nick M &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">got the tap extractor today

it snapped right into 2 pieces leaving the "claws" in the hole with the broken tap lol </TD></TR></TABLE>

lol ... i had to admit i cracked up on that one.

I'd heat it up with the mini torch and it'll loosed up all the pieces in there, then just take a pick and manually unscrew it by backing it out with the point on the pick

 

I laughed too, and I still am lol

Thats the next step I guess, good stuff, keeps me entertained during the boring winter months. lol

 

I know that machine shops can dissolve out a tap that breaks off inside titanium with an acid. I don't know if that would work on aluminum. You would have to find something that would eat the steel tap and not aluminum head... Good luck.

 

Any forums/sites for info for something like that?

 

They make a extractor that you put in a drill and run it in reverse while applying pressure to all the broken parts..
I dont mean the nice crafstman ones that you drill a small hole for , I mean the cheapo crafstman ones that looks like a piec of metal rod with 2 -45 degree angles ground onto it that grab when force is applied while going in reverse..

 

Go to a cheap tool place, buy a set of needle nose pliers grind them down to fit in, use heat(torch) and try and back it out. I work at a machine shop and have had to do this before. If all else fails, take off the head and take it to the machine shop. Good Luck.

 

sounds like a problem that i would run into... it seems like the simplest things turn into a huge thing with me...oh well

good luck...im entertained just reading about it.

 

Man, that's a bitch, I did laugh too when you said the extractor broke that sucks ***.

 

just take it to a machine shop and let them get it out and then have it helicoiled. I would never attempt to retap stripped threads with the same size.

might as well have them pound in some new valve guides while you're at it as well.

you keep goofing with it like you're doing and you're gonna end up with even more problems..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 5thgenallmotor &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Go to a cheap tool place, buy a set of needle nose pliers grind them down to fit in, use heat(torch) and try and back it out. I work at a machine shop and have had to do this before. If all else fails, take off the head and take it to the machine shop. Good Luck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You work in a machine shop, have you had any experience using nitrc acid in a situation like this?

I was reading about it in Google Groups. In this thread, someone has a stuck sparkplug, in an aluminum head. The Nitric Acid disolves the steel but does not react with aluminum.

http://groups.google.com/group...4d043

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Runnerdown &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What kind of drill bit was it that broke?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Where did I say I broke a drill bit? lol

 

Sorry I don't have any great insight for you but I was just wondering how you broke off a tap inside an aluminum head? Didn't pre-drill large enough? Forgot to back off on the tap so the shavings didn't bind up?

Not trying to insinuate anything, just want to know for future reference so I can be better prepared myself.

Thanks and good luck.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nick M &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Where did I say I broke a drill bit? lol</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nick M &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

ive broken 3 drill bits trying to drill it. Its very hard metal.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Yeah, I thought he meant I got a drill bit stuck in the hole, misread.

The tap was the same size as the hole. No need to drill anything. I just intended to clean the threads up alittle bit and see if a new bolt would bite what was left.

The tap was turning fine with very little effort when it just simply snapped in half. Like it was a twig. I was shocked.