I’ve had a stinker. The T30 torx bolt head has snapped while removing leaving just the thread in the spline shaft.
Is there anyway to expose the thread or do I need to brace myself to remove the front panel and find a left hand extractor?
Snapped Head Vanos Torx
- Thread starter Street
- Start date
I’ve had a stinker. The T30 torx bolt head has snapped while removing leaving just the thread in the spline shaft.
Is there anyway to expose the thread or do I need to brace myself to remove the front panel and find a left hand extractor?
Attleborough, Norfolk
If the head has snapped off, will you then be able to remove the vanos unit anyway? Can't quite remember as it's been a little while.
If so, pray you can get something on the stub and turn it.
When it's all out and done you can own up to forgetting it was LH thread.
But seriously, that's a sod of a job. Good luck.
If so, pray you can get something on the stub and turn it.
When it's all out and done you can own up to forgetting it was LH thread.
But seriously, that's a sod of a job. Good luck.
just had a quick look as i have a spare vanos in bits and the screw hold the piston on the cam so when the vanos unit moves its slides the piston which has the remaining tread in and out to alter the timing of the cams. you will need to get the tread out otherwise vanos wont work, even if you might be luck in pulling the part out but you will probably end up taking it all apart to retime unless you can extract it insitu
I’m at a bit of a loss but I’d want to do anything to avoid taking the vanos and chain off
Could you attach/weld something onto the stub to get it to move? Or cut a cross head into the stub to get an impact driver on?
Once moving it should be easy to unscrew and they aren’t torqued you high- 7nm from memory
Could you attach/weld something onto the stub to get it to move? Or cut a cross head into the stub to get an impact driver on?
Once moving it should be easy to unscrew and they aren’t torqued you high- 7nm from memory
Don't know if I'd trust a crappy self-tapper for that. If that fails you're in deep do-do. Imho I think Street would be better off acquiring a proper reverse thread stud extractor set like this one on Amazon.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extractor-Remover-Reverse-Thread-3-25mm/dp/B01M7XDBYF The smallest one in the set is 3mm which will probably do the job 
As Bigwinn said, these bolts are torqued up quite low so, with the heads now broken off, the studs should rotate quite easily if you can get a grip on them. I had this happen on a low torque bolt in the head of a Kawasaki sports bike once. The frame was in the way of getting a drill and a stud extractor in there, and I had resigned myself to having to remove the engine. But I then looked at the sheared bolt head and saw that it hadn't broken cleanly - there was a ridge in it. So I pushed the sheared bolt head back in place and was amazed that just by twisting it with my fingers the stud came out easily!
Worth a try!
If the break is smooth so you can't get a grip on the end of the stud, you might want to try the following. Use some isopropyl alcohol on a cottonwool bud to remove any oil and then glue the fat end of a drill bit to the broken stud - you might just be able to remove the stud by gently twisting the drill bit.
Hope this helps.
PS: Remember to twist the drill bit clockwise!
Update: As there's limited room, the short end of an Allen key might be better than a drill bit.
Worth a try!
If the break is smooth so you can't get a grip on the end of the stud, you might want to try the following. Use some isopropyl alcohol on a cottonwool bud to remove any oil and then glue the fat end of a drill bit to the broken stud - you might just be able to remove the stud by gently twisting the drill bit.
Hope this helps.
PS: Remember to twist the drill bit clockwise!
Update: As there's limited room, the short end of an Allen key might be better than a drill bit.
After much sweating and grumbling I’m happy to report I got a little lucky and the buggers out
My saving tool tip is a hinge drill bit set:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004OJ2JO8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H3A8DEBXHTGXNGBV3YKG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
The challenge as always is the front panel in the way.
After starting to strip the front of the car off to remove it resorted to drilling a 12mm hole in it. Faced with stripping timing chains etc it was an easy decision.
The 3.6mm hinge drill piece fits perfectly as a bushing to ensure the drill bit is dead centre. It didn’t even need to drill. As soon as it got a little bite it twisted out :trampoline: :trampoline:
@Enuff_zed : there’s no hiding it. It was absolutely user error that caused it. A little bit of hanger and loss of concentration. I tightened it instead of loosening it!
Pics of my solution incase anyone suffers the same misfortune.
Can I also say thanks all for the tips and ideas as always.
My saving tool tip is a hinge drill bit set:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004OJ2JO8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H3A8DEBXHTGXNGBV3YKG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
The challenge as always is the front panel in the way.
After starting to strip the front of the car off to remove it resorted to drilling a 12mm hole in it. Faced with stripping timing chains etc it was an easy decision.
The 3.6mm hinge drill piece fits perfectly as a bushing to ensure the drill bit is dead centre. It didn’t even need to drill. As soon as it got a little bite it twisted out :trampoline: :trampoline:
@Enuff_zed : there’s no hiding it. It was absolutely user error that caused it. A little bit of hanger and loss of concentration. I tightened it instead of loosening it!
Pics of my solution incase anyone suffers the same misfortune.
Can I also say thanks all for the tips and ideas as always.
Attachments
Finland
It’s a wonder that such incidents don’t happen more often. The piston covers are so tight, you have to be furious or at least severely agitated to crack them open. Then, after the piston caps you have the piston bolts, left threaded and with a thin neck that breaks from anything but finger torque.
Well done chap!
Great result and your car will perform much better now as you've lightened it a little.
Kudos to you for owning up too.
All been there.
My biggest faux pas was in a confined space, removing the brake control module on a Tornado.
Thought I'd be quicker if I used a ratchet ring spanner.
So, what would YOU do when the spanner butts up against the bulkhead behind before the bolt is fully out: and of course you can't turn it back in again. Hours of fun with a junior hacksaw
Great result and your car will perform much better now as you've lightened it a little.
Kudos to you for owning up too.
All been there.
My biggest faux pas was in a confined space, removing the brake control module on a Tornado.
Thought I'd be quicker if I used a ratchet ring spanner.
So, what would YOU do when the spanner butts up against the bulkhead behind before the bolt is fully out: and of course you can't turn it back in again. Hours of fun with a junior hacksaw