First disaster - snapped hood bolt

GMB Racing · May 26, 2018

Let's tell him how to get the snapped off bolt out/ not about torque wrenches.
get your self a set of easy outs WITH the correct size LEFT handed drill. As someone above said try and get a flat spot on the face of the bolt and center punch to start the drill in the center. Why the left handed drill? Because as you drill it wants to loosen the bolt, Not tighten it in more. if you are not confortable doing this any good mechanic should be able to do it for a reasonable charge.

GT Pony · May 26, 2018

michail71 said:
I was installing hood struts today and I snapped the driver's side top bolt on the hood. :(

I rechecked my torque setting several times at 17 lb. I'm not sure what went wrong.

Were the threads dry or lubricated?

GT Pony · May 26, 2018

GMB Racing said:
Let's tell him how to get the snapped off bolt out/ not about torque wrenches.
get your self a set of easy outs WITH the correct size LEFT handed drill. As someone above said try and get a flat spot on the face of the bolt and center punch to start the drill in the center. Why the left handed drill? Because as you drill it wants to loosen the bolt, Not tighten it in more. if you are not confortable doing this any good mechanic should be able to do it for a reasonable charge.

The male threads are studs that are permanently attached to the hood, and nuts hold the hood on to the brackets. Not bolts.

DarkHor$e · May 26, 2018

For these low torque items, go pick up a In/lb wrench. good luck fkng with that sht. gonna suck. Drill it out and try to Tap it? I would remove the hood and place it on a Blanket to work on it. Take your time.

GT Pony · May 26, 2018

DarkHor$e said:
Drill it out and try to Tap it? I would remove the hood and place it on a Blanket to work on it. Take your time.

The stud is probably welded into the hood ... can't tap anything.

sigintel · May 26, 2018

Get simple split beam torque wrenches.
They are by far the most reliable, simple, robust, cost effective way to torque most fasteners.
Hardest torque wrenches to screw up with.
Soending more? Get the Amazon AC Delco torque wrench calibrators. Freakn tits for the dollar to test Harbor freight or other torque wrenches during shop sessions chucked in bench vice.

Op, hood is fixable. Everyone strips nasty stuff, lol.
Just post pics of the drama. Even w one bolt, hood can carefully be closed and car driven.

michail71 · May 26, 2018

Well, I did the clamp test and the wrench didn't work at any setting. Low, mid or high. I just purchased it last week so I exchanged it for a more expensive model. The new one works great! Although the store manager wanted to argue with me that I had misused it.

I installed the Steeda strut tower brace with the new one. It called for 35 foot lbs. so I went in 5 lb increments just to make sure everything was ok.

I do have a degree in engineering but that was another lifetime ago. I just know enough to know I don't know much .. just enough to get myself in trouble I suppose. I could have had the shop just do the job but I kind of enjoy the process of learning from my screw ups.

I'll see what the dealer say on Tuesday and also check with Steeda.

Now I just hope my next upgrade isn't a carbon fiber hood. :( But it seems to be stable with the broken bolt.

DarkHor$e · May 26, 2018

GT Pony said:
The stud is probably welded into the hood ... can't tap anything.

After you drill it out, why couldn't you tap new threads into the hole? Welding would prevent that? :shrug:

michail71 · May 26, 2018

DarkHor$e said:
After you drill it out, why couldn't you tap new threads into the hole? Welding would prevent that? :shrug:

I'll probably try to go that route. Any idea what that would cost for a shop to do? Much less than a hood I'd guess, lol.

I'd think it should be possible to also drill it out and use something similar to the brackets used for attaching the bottom strut mounts.

DarkHor$e · May 27, 2018

Watch what that drill does!!! that top layer is aluminum and THIN!

sigintel · May 27, 2018

Hold my beer. :cheers:
The stud can be replaced by a carriage bolt or elevator bolt.
Head is ground flat sided to fit thru the square hole about a foot and change away from stud and then dropped into place from inside after driling out old stud.

Pull hood and lay flat up sude down on a large harbor freight moving blanket/carpetscraps/etc on back lawn.
First, grind or cut a clean “face” onto the end of the broken stud.
Use a center punch to center up start divot to drill into stud head.
Start w a small bit running backward light and slow.
Work up to a 1/16” pilot.
You need to chuck the bits short so you dont punch thru to top side.

You need to find a plow, carriage or elevator bolt of similar diameter thread and get washes n nuts.
Shorten threads to be about the same.
Grind two opposite sides ofhead if necessary to get it narrow enough to drop thru the square access hole.
Little magnets might be very helpful here.
Measure your new bolt thread diameter n find a bit just an ass hair wider. You can use exact size bit and just evenly waller hole.
Dry fit it all up w new nut and extra washers.
When ready, pump a bunch of rtv, or E6000 thru the hole and then pull bolt thru.
Might be wise to painters tape the area as this might make a mess.
Line it all up and either rig the bolt sticking thru straight out to cure bolt hanging down w hood propoed on saw horses?), or put the whole hood back on and put the nut on.

michail71 · May 27, 2018

sigintel said:
Even w one bolt, hood can carefully be closed and car driven.

It seem to be fine. I'm just being really careful when I open and close it.

I'm just upset I can't get the struts on. I still haven't been able to find the bracket either. It's not on the ground and it's a big piece.

Sig556 · May 27, 2018

This will only work if you have bolts going into the hood. If they are hood studs you will need to have a shop install a new stud and paint repair may be necessary.

Just my two cents. Forget the ez-out more times than not these tools just turn in the drilled hole. What I would do is this. Tape out your hood from the under side and mark the location of the hood bolts or locate them with a magic marker. Get someone to help you and carefully remove your hood. Find a safe place to lay down your hood and If the broken bolt is sticking up a little use vice grips to carefully work back and forth to unscrew and remove the sheared stud (Bolt) (2) if the bolt is sheared below the hood carefully drill a small hole through the stud and slowly increase drill sizes until the broken bolt gives up. If you are lucky the sheared part will unscrew from the hole. Caution CAREFULLY MEASURE the hood bolt size (Length) drill just a thread longer. Tape ( A thin strip of duct tape works well) off your drill bit to act as a stop and not allow the bit to touch your hood.
I did this repair on my 55 Chevy hood where a hood bolt seized and snapped off. YOU CAN DO THIS take it real slow. It does work Good luck. It sounds like a lot but once started it goes fast.

PS: I use torque wrenches all the time but if you are torqueing something around 15 lbs. or less the leverage of the wrench alone is enough to snap or strip a bolt.
Hand tighten and a dab of BLUE Loc-Tite will keep you out of trouble.

sigintel · May 27, 2018

Sig556 said:
This will only work if you have bolts going into the hood. If they are hood studs you will need to have a shop install a new stud and paint repair may be necessary.

Just my two cents. Forget the ez-out more times than not theses tools just turn in the drilled hole. What I would do is this. Tape out your hood from the under side and mark the location of the hood bolts or locate them with a magic marker. Get someone to help you and carefully remove your hood. Find a safe place to lay down your hood and If the broken bolt is sticking up a little use vice grips to carefully work back and forth to unscrew and remove the sheared stud (Bolt) (2)

>>>>>>its a carriage bolt flang installed inside before hood panels are bonded together. Its not threaded into the backing flange, just panel adhesived or spot welded. You cant “unscrew” it as tbe head is all one piece w bolt threads.
55-58 Chevy hood is real studs threaded into internal threaded flange.

if the bolt is sheared below the hood carefully drill a small hole through the stud and slowly increase drill sizes until the broken bolt gives up. If you are lucky the sheared part will unscrew from the hole. Caution CAREFULLY MEASURE the hood bolt size (Length) drill just a thread longer. Tape ( A thin strip of duct tape works well) off your drill bit to act as a stop and not allow the bit to touch your hood.
I did this repair on my 55 Chevy hood where a hood bolt seized and snapped off. YOU CAN DO THIS take it real slow. It does work Good luck. It sounds like a lot but once started it goes fast.

PS: I use torque wrenches all the time but if you are torqueing something around 15 lbs. or less the leverage of the wrench alone is enough to snap or strip a bolt.
Hand tighten and a dab of BLUE Loc-Tite will keep you out of trouble.

Inline note

sed6 · May 27, 2018

Forget replacing the bolt. I'd just tack weld the hood to the bracket and be done with it. A little touch up paint and no one will ever know!

First disaster - snapped hood bolt

GMB Racing

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GT Pony

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GT Pony

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DarkHor$e

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GT Pony

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sigintel

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michail71

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DarkHor$e

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michail71

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DarkHor$e

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sigintel

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michail71

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Sig556

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sigintel

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sed6

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