I did it. Broke an exhaust flange bolt.

[1980GS1000E]

And then, to top it off, I broke the e-z out off in the bolt. Now I need to get the head to a specialist to have it EDMed out, yes? Can the head be pulled while the engine is in the frame or does the entire engine need to be pulled?

 

[Ranger]

I'm not pro at this but I've done it on a prerunner I built... do you have a MIG welder?

Fuse the exposed portion to a nut lined up over the bolt hole. Place a washer in between the nut and the component surface. You want to create a small weld from the easy out to the original bolt so you can extract is as a whole piece. Basically you would be using the metal of the easy out as a rod anyways and are extending the whole bolt with the new one.​

 

[1980GS1000E]

Well, I do not have a welder, nor have I any experience at it. So I need to take it somewhere.

 

[Steve]

Sorry about your predicament, but yes, you can remove the head with the engine in the frame.

.

 

[Ranger]

Check these guys out. One of their workers used to work for my grandparents shop downtown

http://www.cprstreetmachines.com/

If a machine shop would do it I'd recommend JD Machine Shop. Both these places are off prospect and may be able to help since they're pretty close to you.

Hell even Eliminator Motorsports could help, I can call and ex gf's brother to see how much they would charge if they could help you if you want, that is if he still works there...

 

[Nessism]

Sucks big time.

A goodly number of people have experienced this exact same thing. We always try to tell the people to NEVER use easyouts unless they are highly experienced with them but most of the time it's too late. Sorry.

 

[1980GS1000E]

Yeah... Hell, they worked just fine on my patio table. It was my own fault, I know I shouldn't have tried it, but, what the heck. @Ranger, I would appreciate that, thanks.

 

[Road_Clam]

Not to rub salt, but PB Blaster, patients, and some heat and the bolts will come out...too much rush, and too much force then bad things happen...

I had a siezed exhaust allen bolt on my GSXR 's head took a month of PB, and heat but it eventually cam out. It's really challenging to get the fluid up into the corroded threads simply because of gravity..

 

[Skateguy50]

You can get the head out, to get it to a shop, but realize once you do that your are in at least the cost of a base and head gasket to get it put back in.

Good luck, you are now experiencing what every GS member has or will experience at least once.

 

[duaneage]

It's a bit late, but a set of drills in increments of 1/64" is the key to success. Easy outs are an oxymoron. I've got one in my spare engine I plan to tackle this winter, just as soon as I get a decent drill press.

 

[1980GS1000E]

I do have a drill press.. Any pointers? And will I have to change the base gasket if I am only removing the head? I haven't before on other bikes I have owned. As long as the cylinder block is not disturbed, the base gasket has the same sealing integrity after the head is torqued.

 

[Nessism]

It's a big gamble to not replace the base gasket. The gaskets get brittle with age/heat, plus the O-ring is also crushed down. I'd replace all the seals, including the valve stem seals while the engine is apart.

 

[duaneage]

I second that. IF you get it all together and a week later it starts to leak you are going to be feeling pretty bad.

I would take my time with that bolt. Towards the end of the operation you might be able to pick out the threads with a dental pick.

I got a set of studs and nuts from NAPA for 13 dollars that work great and look fantastic. Forget bolts. Bolts was not a great idea for this.

 

[1980GS1000E]

I agree about changing out for studs. That was my original intent. Maybe it makes more sense to take the engine out of the bike and and take the whole thing to the shop. While I agree about doing the job the right way and changing valve seals and such, the engine shows no leaks or smoke now and only has this busted bolt to deal with. Plus, it is a pita to put the pistons back in and I run the risk of crap dropping into the crankcase.

 

[Ranger]

If you need a spare hand let me know.

 

[duaneage]

If you have a block of aluminum you can make a drilling plate that can guide a drill bit on the bolt. I saw this on another forum for VX800 bikes. I would not worry too much about the missing bolt, I know a few GS riders running with missing bolts, some more than one.

But yer bike is so purty it's bound to bother you to the point you'll fix it.

I swapped my bolts for studs last year, I was SOOO nervous taking the bolts loose. I used an impact driver with socket and nursed them out. 2 were real nail biters, they either came right out or took 20 minutes of tapping and heat.

 

[1980GS1000E]

Thanks, Ranger. I may take you up on that. Any way, I think I figured out a way to do this. I did manage to unscrew this stubborn bolt some before it broke off. Judging from how long the other bolts are, there is about 7-8 mm remaining in the head. I also was able to drill all the way through the remaining piece of bolt that was still in the head prior to my use of the e-z out. So, the plan is to hammer on what's left of the e-z out, forcing it through the bolt fragment until it is through. (It broke off right at the entry point, so it's a tight fit, but not too big.) I started banging on it with a hammer and punch and made some progress before the punch broke off. So, I will try some more of that tomorrow with a new punch.

 

[duaneage]

Some of the bolts go straight through and into the spark plug area, you might try a PB blaster attack from the rear of the bolt if that's the case.

Nothing beats a little violence when dealing with stuck bolts.

 

[Nessism]

I wouldn't try drilling it until you get that ez-out, out. Maybe a sharp drift punch can get it to spin out? Salty_Monk put some helicoils in his GS1000's head with the engine in the bike so there must be some room to work, although he said he had to buy an extra long drill bit.

Drilling out bolts is fiddly work but not hard if you take your time. The key is to get into the exact center of the old bolt. If the first drilled hole is not centered, work it sideways until it is, and then go to the next sized drill bit.

 

[Road_Clam]

I do machining by trade, and I have to remove broken corroded studs and bolts frequently. The key to drilling out an old stud is to first have a FLAT stud surface to start with. You will also need a keen eye and a steady hand to precisely center punch the stud. It's very challenging to perfectly drill out a broken stud, and most bench top type drill presses can't accurately perform the task. You are far better off taking the head to a machine shop and they will use solid carbide tooling to precisely remove the broken easy out.

BTW, I have a rusted old set of easy outs in my tool box that have been there for the past 30 years. Easy outs are 101% useless by design...