2 injector clamp bolts snapped in hole, 2010 Mercedes E350 3.0 V6 . What should I try ?

[Petrol Pete]

Are we even allowed to say 'Dwarf' these days ? How about Short a$$ ? No ?

 

[E55BOF]

Wash your mind out with soap...

 

[Flyinspanner]

Damn you autocorrect

Swarf

 

[Trickythemerc]

Try vertically challenged

 

[E55BOF]

I'm not sure 'Damn you vertically challenged' is OK either...

 

[jasonh]

There is a big difference between a bolt that snapped undoing it and one that snapped doing it up.

If undoing it's because the bolt is seized in the hole and here you have a massive challenge.

If you were doing it up and now the bolt is snapped the remaining part will literally undo with your fingers, there's no torque on it at all. If there is any part exposed pliers or tweezers could do it. If there is nothing exposed a reverse drill bit will undo it (in reverse) as the drill starts to bite.

 

[Petrol Pete]

There is a big difference between a bolt that snapped undoing it and one that snapped doing it up.

If undoing it's because the bolt is seized in the hole and here you have a massive challenge.

If you were doing it up and now the bolt is snapped the remaining part will literally undo with your fingers, there's no torque on it at all. If there is any part exposed pliers or tweezers could do it. If there is nothing exposed a reverse drill bit will undo it (in reverse) as the drill starts to bite.

Unless it's snapped because it has bottomed out (too long for the hole) but I agree with you and have experienced exactly what you described on more than one occasion

 

[colinallcars]

Unless it's snapped because it has bottomed out (too long for the hole) but I agree with you and have experienced exactly what you described on more than one occasion

Worth running a tap through all the holes before the bolts?

 

[Trickythemerc]

And making sure the hole is clear of any debris, there is very little clearance before the bolt bottoms out. A quick depth check against the bolt and clamp length before assembly is a good move.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Worth running a tap through all the holes before the bolts?

Yes . As long as the holes do not contain a thread insert, you can get on it nice and straight , that you can use compressed air to clean the hole , you know exactly what thread/pitch is being used , you use a bottoming tap (plug tap at a pinch) and you don't snap the tap .....

Over to you.

 

[KramEkard]

Hi my mate drilling them out tomorrow says the hoke is to small to try unwind them out . He's saying he won't have to drill all the way down, rather just enough to catch the threads. Does this seem right ?
I don't want the bolts sticking out either

 

[KramEkard]

They snapped while tightening, neighbour set torque wrench on 58nm apparently rather than 8nm

 

[E55BOF]

Hope it goes well. I take it this mate really knows what he's doing?

 

[Petrol Pete]

Just as long as it's not the same mate who got 8Nm and 58Nm mixed up what could possibly go wrong ?

 

[KennyN]

Hi my mate drilling them out tomorrow says the hoke is to small to try unwind them out . He's saying he won't have to drill all the way down, rather just enough to catch the threads. Does this seem right ?

No , sounds like you need a new mate.

How can the hole be too small to wind them out - they went in through the same hole.

What does he mean by "just enough to catching the threads" ?

Your mate is going to have to be handy with a drill + tap so as not to damage the soft metal of the head.

FWIW , i hope your mate is successful but it has been mooted a few times that the repair now needs professional intervention.

K

 

[V12cat]

No idea of the access in this scenario but one of the very best ways of extracting a snapped stud is to hold a washer with a hole no larger diameter than the stud over it then mig (or Tig) weld directly in the middle of the stud, welding the stud to the washer as well as you can. Obviously adding protection to any vulnerable parts / holes beforehand. Then weld a bolt to the washer and undo the stud with the bolt. The washer (if sized correctly) stops you welding the stud to the parent metal and also gives a much larger surface area to weld a bolt to. The obvious heat input makes a big difference to seized bolts/ studs too. I've used this method countless times on many sizes of stud or bolt.

The only time I wouldn't use it is if the stud has broken a significant distance down the threaded hole.

 

[KramEkard]

Update .
My friend drilled out both of the 2 holes but didn't get the entire amount of either of the 2 broken bolts out.
So what he did was after drilling was he tapped new threads, then found 2 shorter bolts but thicker to accommodate for the now wider bolt holes.
He drilled through the clamps to enable the thicker bolts to drop through and I have finger tightened them down and will torque them tomorrow to 8nm

 

[KramEkard]

 

[SpikyMikey]

Found this on another forum and thought it may be relevant (in a very tongue-in-cheek way)

 

[audiavant]

Found this on another forum and thought it may be relevant (in a very tongue-in-cheek way)
View attachment 156072

Do you need a left-handed spanner for these?