I had 3 header bolts that broke off in the head. I tried welding nuts and bolts to them, didnt work. I tried drilling and using an extractor, didnt work. So I went and got a 3/8 in tap and and drill and drilled them out. I started on the passenger side rear bolt and when I was just about done. I broke through something in the upper rear corner it feels like. What did I hit? Are my heads shot?? Please help!!

 

not sure what you went through, might give Richard@WCCH a call, I have seen his repair work and it is top notch. If it needs fixing and is repairable/accessible I'm sure he can help.

 

I took the intake manifold off and it didnt "go into the head" It didnt go in the exhaust or intake areas. It looks like maybe it went into the small area where the valve travels through the head. To be more specific it may have just gotten into the area where the last valve on the passenger side goes through the block. Is this going to cause problems? I cant believe how close that valve travels to the area where the last header bolt goes. Does someone know how serious this is?

 

looks like I didnt ruin them. Im just going to need to use some sealant when I get the bolt in there. So I start to tap the hole and the tap breaks off inside . Im going to take the heads off tommorrow and take them to a machine shop to have them remove the bolts on the driver side head and the tap on the passenger side. Im going to have them tap the passenge hole to 3/8 for the bolt. The rest of the header bolts will be the Stage 8 locking fasteners.

 

Just Heli-Coil it, no need to go 3/8"

 

I could only find 3/8 bolts. Im not sure what a heli coil is or does or how to use it. Ive screwed up enough on these heads. Im just going to take them to a machine shop and see what they will charge. Everything I try to do with these heads ends up breaking . I just want to get it ready to run some boost and put it in. Any ideas what a machine shop will charge to take out 2 bolts and fix a 3rd?? I dont want to get ripped off. I thought $75 or $80 is fair.

 

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.html

life savers

been there, done that, got the t-shirt

 

Take the head to any machine shop,they can install a helicoil to fix the damaged threads.Installing a helicoil is easy,but at the rate you're going I'd use a machine shop.The helicoil thread will be as strong as the original,I've used them on stripped spark plug threads with great success.

 

I agree the machine shop should be able to fix it. If nothing else, the holes can be welded up and re-drilled and tapped with precision on a mill. That is the beauty of aluminum.

 

you can say that again. This has not been a good weekend for me. Spoke with some guys at a local machine shop and they said they could give me a price once they see the heads. They said they charge $50 an hour. I hope they arent going to say more than 2 hours. I can get a set on car-part.com for $200 plus shipping. Now Im nervous about taking out the headbolts