Broken Fuel Rail Bolt

[FourG63GST]

I have a snapped fuel rail bolt. It snapped almost flush against the top of the hole with about half of the threads left. I tried to use an EZ OUT - It snapped inside the hole.

Now Im kinda stuck here. I dont know what to do. What would happen if I had the other two fuel rail bolts in but not that one. The bolt thats broken is the far passenger side bolt.

I really dont want to have to take the head off and take it to a machine shop.

 

[pianoman]

did you break it off in the head? or did you just break off the top of it?

 

[igopoopy]

the ones that hold down the fule rail?

 

[GTM]

I have a snapped fuel rail bolt. It snapped almost flush against the top of the hole with about half of the threads left. I tried to use an EZ OUT - It snapped inside the hole.

Now Im kinda stuck here. I dont know what to do. What would happen if I had the other two fuel rail bolts in but not that one. The bolt thats broken is the far passenger side bolt.
I really dont want to have to take the head off and take it to a machine shop.

Oh fooey a bad hair day any way you look at it. What you don't want to do is panic and throw butcher's tools at it. I don't have a mind's eye picture of the bolt but you could try heating with a butane / propane torch, quenching with water each time. This may work the steel loose by expansion and contraction. Next try filing the remaining part flat so you can find the exact center and with a hardened drill bit keep drilling with incrimental sizes until all the extractor is gone. This gets you back to where you were, without meaning to be insulting they recommended drill and easy out sizes for bolt sizes. If you did all that then you have little choice except to go to the next step. BTW don't use inferior tools, buy the best they are not going to put you in the poor house for drill bits or Easy-outs". If you screw it up I will personally come and strangle you. You wouldn't expect to see a Dr. doing brain surgery with a box knife, you must have the best tools, the best nerves, the best patience. Anything less is going to be disaster.

Once all the extractor has been drilled away you will select the next drill size up and keep repeating unitl you just see the imprint of the thread in the hole you have drilled. You will select the next size larger by 1/64th, now with a "pick" you will tease at the remaining steel portion of the thread until you can get it to collapse so you can unwind all of the broken bolt. It's that simple, you will have spent 30 minutes, pissed off your car and yourself for being so stupid. You must have good tools, you must be patient, you must use some cutting oil... WD40 will work though it's not cutting oil. You must have a good eye to find the center when you first start, if you dont then make sure you can slowly adjust the drill until it pulls center. What's the key word... patience. You got in a hurry, you should have been using a 1/4" drive instead of a 3/8 and it wouldn't have broken in the first place. That's 20/20 hind sight .

Yada yada yada, not every bolt will be at the top of the engine, not every one will be exactly as described or cooperate as described. Sometimes coming in the back door will be the best way to attack the problem. An auto center punch is a good investment to start your first drill. You may have enough threads on the back side to makce a bracket and drill hole to accept what you were trying to do in the first place.

Cheers,
GTM

 

[Carmenpzito]

I am having this same problem, the driver's side fuel rail bolt snapped off and now has a broken easy out in it. In the worst case, can I leave it for now?

 

[PIMking]

take off the other two bolts and remove the ruel rail. then take two nuts that are that size and put one on and then put the other on top of it and tighten down the top nut then use the bottom nut to screw it out. Unless its broken flush in the head.

 

[gsxtasy]

I am having this same problem, the driver's side fuel rail bolt snapped off and now has a broken easy out in it. In the worst case, can I leave it for now?

Bummer man, easy outs are made of hardened steel, and are next to impossible to drill out. Especially drill out straight, ask me how I know. I finally got mine mostly drilled out and heli-coiled so I could get new bolts in there. Eventually, whenever I have my head off, I'm gonna take it to the machine shop and have them fix it properly. Anyway, good luck!