The $85,000.00 GM 4.2L Engine Repair

[mrrsm]

"WHAT IS THE WEIGHT...OF AN LL8?'

"WHAT IS THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF AN LL8 AND A 4L60E TRANSMISSION?"

That seems to be the central unanswerable Internet Google Question of the evening and obviously, nobody seems to know. But since this is not an unreasonable question and it is critical to what follows, it would help to get a very accurate straight answer.... NOT LIKE THAT GUY AT TRAILVOY WHO GAVE SOME OTHER MEMBER THE ANSWER SHOWN IN THE ATTACHED SCREENPRINT!) With that in mind, l'll explain why this will become so important under the present circumstances.

If the issue of the Aluminum Head R& R repair goes sideways on me and I have to pull the engine, then I want to try something to facilitate these repairs in a way that has probably never been attempted before. My reasons for trying this involve knowing some mechanical history. If you've ever watched the many Youtube videos of how NASA stacks and build the incredibly massive modular sections of the Saturn V rockets, then you know they also install the Rocketdyne F-1 Engines underneath using a combination of Half-Moon shaped Gimbaled Supports that rotate in three axis' via using large dowels that plug into the cradles holding these enormous Rocket Engines. All that weight is suspended from a huge, formidably strong Cranes by means of large caliber steel cables and If you watch closely, a handful of technicians guide the motors to their mounts by hand with very little manual effort!

Well, I want to use this same concept with the GM 4.2L Vortec 4200 LL8 while the GM 4L60E Transmission is STILL bolted to the engine. But, before I take a chance in keeping these fairly large and heavy components suspended in the air for the time it takes me to complete the repair steps in the vertical position over the engine bay, I want to be certain that my HYBRID HYDRAULIC ELECTRIC HOIST with a maximum lift limit of 1.350 lbs will have the strength and power to do the job and NOT fail. So knowing how much everything weighs in combination on that winch cable is an essential safety issue before I decide to try his procedure.

My intention here, it to first elevate the Trailblazer on sturdy, unmovable wooden supports that are tall enough to allow the engine and transmission to be guided out and up once the mounts & brackets have been removed. I want to gradually winch the combo outward then turn it incrementally towards the vertical position with the aid of the ELECTRIC HOIST. The height of the vehicle must be sufficient so that the Tail Shaft Housing can clear the ground beneath and not get damaged by dragging along on the deck. To help ensure this, I will attach a small Mover's Dolly to roll along directly underneath the Tail Shaft Housing. When the whole apparatus is finally vertical, then I'll lower the whole thing lightly downward on top of a strong, Pre-Fabricated 3/4" Marine Plywood Support Box Stand that will serve to hold the weight of transmission in vertical in position. Next, the three bolts holding the Flex-Plate to the Torque Converter must be removed and then finally it will be time to unbolt and separate the engine from the transmission.

Having this arrangement will give me uncommon access to the transmission- to- Engine Bolts and also makes the removal of the fasteners easier than having to work on them while laying prone on my back, stuffed under the truck. At the point where the engine is finally completely free of the Transmission, I can lift the motor off the guide bolts and move it away from the vehicle entirely and attach the motor to an engine stand.

Once the rest repairs on the engine have been completed, then the reverse procedures would follow to re-install the Engine/Trans Combo back into the vehicle. My only concerns about doing this (besides EVERYTHING...) is: "What will the fluid dynamics will be like on the engine and transmission internals when everything is "Standing on its Head?" So I suspect that like it or not, unless I drain the transmission fluid dry, then I will have to make a tightly sealing enclosure around the Tail Shaft Housing or risk dumping all of the Transmission Fluid on the driveway. But worse than that would be to have the fluid migrate into spaces and places that it would not normally go to when in the horizontal position.

EDIT:

I just realized that prior to proceeding with the lift/removal... I'll have to leave the engine head bolts untouched and seal up any Water Jacket openings and/or open hoses and hose connectors... or the remaining Anti-Freeze might migrate, drain, leak or travel inside the engine and corrode the rotating assembly bearing surfaces! Ouch!

 

[Tiggerr]

I've never pulled an engine out of one of these trucks and have no idea on weight. That being said, most vehicles I've done swaps in I've pulled motor and trans all at once. I prefer to do it that way myself. As long as there's enough clearance you should be able to wiggle it out of there. I've never had to go quite vertical as your describing above. I've always been able to get it out and set on floor to separate engine/trans. Just plug the tailshaft on the trans to keep from making a mess and losing all your trans fluid all over.

 

[mrrsm]

Okay... This gives me some encouragement... Thanks @Tiggerr . I also did some more research this morning trying to find a reliable Substance/Volume/Weight Calculator, and this one seems to have universal utility that most of us here would benefit from grabbing and bookmarking:

http://www.custompartnet.com/quick-tool/weight-calculator

I wanted to use this because I needed to calculate out to a five decimal point level of precision what the weight difference was between One Exact Cubic Inch of Aluminum vs. One Exact Cubic Inch of Steel... Here is the result:

MATERIAL VOLUME WEIGHT
Aluminum 1.00000 0.09750 lbs.
Steel 1.00000 0.28360 lbs

This is a very significant analysis because it bears out what we already know by common sense and scientifically confirms our empirical experience when comparing the same size pieces of Aluminum against the same size pieces of Steel that the Aluminum pieces or parts of an equal size and shape with Steel parts and pieces...are only about 1/3 as heavy... here again... this fact gives me even more confidence that the Electric Hoist portion of my Hybrid Lift will be strong enough to support essentially everything while this assembly is hanging on its end, nose up and tail down. (Aluminum Engine Block, Aluminum Head, Aluminum Transmission... it would seem there is a great savings in weight here!)

About the TF leakage problem... because the sheer weight of the approximately 11 quarts of Transmission Fluid inside the average 4L60E, it will gravity feed downward and collect in a high volume with increasing pressure. And unlike a soft plastic slide-on style plug that might be sufficient to seal the shaft once the Aluminum Drive Shaft is removed in roughly a horizontal position... I'll have to tightly Duct Tape a Home made Slip-On Cover that will Seal that opening very snugly.

In the event this job does go in the direction of The Full Monty work described above... once its finished and everything is re-installed... I will allow a few hours for these liquids to drain back down into their respective fluid pans before attempting to start the engine and give the pump in the transmission the chance to cycle the fluid long enough to purge any trapped air bubbles inside the various ports, lines. channels, nooks and crannies before attempting to place the vehicle in gear.

I WAS going to to work on the TB Engine this morning but ....like in "The Terminator"...when the little Hispanic Boy who took Linda Hamilton's (Sarah Connor) Polaroid while she sat in her Jeep, PG with John Conner and Big as a Barn said to her, "Viene La Tormenta..." (There is Storm Coming...) Thanks for NOTHING... Florida! Well... I have been up all night and my left leg is killing me... So I am off to Lilly White's Party (going to bed... but I will try to get under the hood later this afternoon...)

 

[ddgm]

Google search shows an LL8 weighing 470 lbs. and a 4L60E transmission weighing 146 lbs. dry and 162 lbs. wet. I searched through your referenced attachment and if you click on jimmyjam's (searches) reply it gives some information.

 

[mrrsm]

Just looked in on this link to get a peek at the K&N "J" Hooks in Action... Maybe THAT is why those two circular ports with the Hex Center are there... to give a positive visual window for "Setting the Hooks" ? (Props to T-V's "ragtopwife" for the Thoughtful How-To and HQ Images...)

http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=81181&highlight=cam+gear&page=2

 

[Mooseman]

Nope. I used those same hooks and all I did was look down, hook the chain and put tension on them to hold the chain. BUT, you won't be able to use those hooks for removing the head because the blocks rest on the head. The wedge tool is your only option here.

 

[mrrsm]

Nope. I used those same hooks and all I did was look down, hook the chain and put tension on them to hold the chain. BUT, you won't be able to use those hooks for removing the head because the blocks rest on the head. The wedge tool is your only option here.

Yes... I started a new chapter in this repair in which that "Special Tool" became Center Stage... Oh... I finally figured out (Durr I'm so stupid!) in the course of much progress on what is now "yesterday" since I worked day and night on this and have not been to bed yet... the purpose of the plastic circular port is to give access to the upper bolts holding the Timing Chain Guides flush against the Engine Head.... while the lower connecting bolts hold the guides flush against the Engine Block and so those must come off before the Engine Head can be lifted...

 

[mrrsm]

For the visuals of the today's work without knowing the proper context to the story... please visit here and because Photobucket loads bulk imagery without sorting the resulting transfer... these are best viewed in the the order of 4,3,2,1 Album Pages to be in the same order I completed everything I worked on all day. The images and story follow each other closely and are mutually supportive... if you have the patience to follow along.

http://s557.photobucket.com/user/60dgrzbelow0/library/0000TRAILBLAZERENGINEREPAIR?sort=3&page=1

Okay Folks... For those you who want to know about the progress I've made, I'll try to describe these procedures in a series of installments. All of them will explain the collection of images in my Photobucket Albums above and will be more digestible if broken down into manageable chunks. I will make dynamic edits and corrections as things progress... but the documenting of this job is almost as difficult to get accurately done as the actual DOING of the job and since the information is very dense and demands more than a casual explanation, please forgive me if I have to take more time to complete this story.

“How I Ate a 4.2L Metal Elephant... One Bite at a Time”:

Part One

This job begins after the proper achievements of getting the #1 Cylinder exactly at TDC and both Flats of the back ends of the Intake and Exhaust Camshafts facing up, horizontal and perfectly flat. The Camshaft Retention Tool is put in place by sliding it over these ends and serves to prevent these cams from moving during any of the actions of disassembly that follow. When looking straight at the engine, if the VVT Actuator Sprocket is not damaged, the word DELPHI will also appear level with the top of the engine head. If that word appears rotated clockwise towards the driver's side, then it has been damaged and must be replaced. Look at the front of the engine and ensure that the Position Alignment Marks on the face of the V-V-T Sprocket and Intake Sprocket align perfectly with the Black Links on the Timing Chain. If you want certainty that no movement of the Crankshaft will take place, try placing a Short 1/2” Extension into a Thick-bodied 15MM Socket and slide it over the lowest bolt head on the Engine Flex-Plate that can be reached through lowest point of the access port for the starter and gently tap it in snugly. Don't turn it or try to force it in place or cause the Flex-Plate to move even a fraction. If this setup does not fit easily into that exact location perfectly, then do not attempt this extra safety step.

Next, you'll need to thoroughly clean the top, front faces of the Timing Chain of both the V-V-T and Intake Sprockets of any Oil, Dirt, or Rust so you can mark Vertical Lines in White Enamel with a Sharpie Permanent Paint Marker at the 12:00 Position on the upper, center face of both sprockets and right at links of Timing Chain. I used almost and entire can of Spray Brake Cleaner and a handful of clean rags because it was the most efficient and manageable way to do this part. I chose to paint the lines first and after the paint dried, I dragged a hardened steel razor knife edge through the center, so that if the White Paint scraped or chipped off, the more permanent etched-in cut lines would survive to be painted over again as a visual guide. The top the Harmonic Balancer/ Serpentine Belt Pulley must also be cleaned around the front case cover of the engine and on the Splines that Guide the Serpenting Belt as well and then marked in this identical fashion... also at the 12:00 position. These markings will only line up henceforth when the rotating assembly has achieved these exact reference positions.

This is critical...

So far, the work listed in the first part of this tome is the necessary housekeeping to prepare for actually getting things done. But... and this an important pause... this GM 4.2L Head R&R Repair can only be completed when the engine in front of you looks EXACTLY like this: Three hand-Marked Positions; all at 12:00 O'clock High... #1 Cylinder at Top Dead Center... Both Camshaft Flats, Facing Up and Level. And last but not least, the word DELPHI cast molded into the face of the V-V-T Actuator is level with the upper edge of the engine Head. If you can't say with absolute certainty that this visual guide is PERFECT, then stop right now before going further. If the engine were to be inadvertently rotated even in the slightest in a counter-clockwise direction and you don't want to have to do a great deal more work, it would be wise to hand-crank the engine over again the required 14 Rotations to get us back to where we are right right now. If you do, and everything described above winds up in the proper position, then we are ready to proceed.

From here, the Upper Chain Guide must be removed using either a 10MM Socket on a 3/8” drive ratchet or a 10MM Box End Wrench will work if it has a long handle for leverage because these bolts hold tight. Unbolt both fasteners and tilt the guide out from under the Timing Chain. By Ziploc bagging these items together, collecting and consolidating all your Parts Sets will go a long way at stopping the agony of losing vital parts over the length of time it takes to complete such a big project. Next, use the Brake Cleaner and spray down the front of the Timing Chain Cover Plate and areas around the two circular plastic threaded Timing Chain Guide Bolt Cover Lugs to clean them up and then use an S2 #6 Hex Socket on the 3/8” drive to carefully unscrew and remove both covers to give access to the upper bolts holding the Timing Chain Guides to the Aluminum Engine Head (...they will come off later in this story).

Place an S2 #8 Hex Socket into the center bolt holding on the V-V-T Exhaust Actuator Sprocket and let it rest there. Soon we'll remove that bolt it and throw it away... but before that can happen, we have to ensure that the huge amount of force necessary to start unbolting it, the Exhaust Camshaft will have to be restrained by placing a large Crescent Wrench, 25MM Box End Wrench or 1" version of the same onto the flats of a hex shaped portion near the front of the camshaft to act as a counter-force. So while ensuring that the Camshaft Retention Tool is in place on the cam flats is helpful, the action of twisting counter-clockwise to remove the V-V-T bolt might damage it on the opposite end and so the closer placement of the Crescent Wrench, 25MM Box-End Wrench or 1" version of same allows for the use of both hands very near to one another. And so, here is where the Crescent Wrench will come into play to hold the Exhaust Camshaft inert and stationary while you are slowly reversing the Center Hex head bolt in the front of the V-V-T Actuator. Don't be tempted to completely remove it just yet! You'll get a chance to completely remove it and throw it away later...

More to follow after I get some rest...

 

[07TrailyLS]

Nobody else has said it, so I will. You are by far the most thorough and knowledgable member of engines I've met on all the different forums I've browsed over the years. Hats off to you and your awesome mechanical abilities !! @MRRSM

 

[mrrsm]

Nobody else has said it, so I will. You are by far the most thorough and knowledgable member of engines I've met on all the different forums I've browsed over the years. Hats off to you and your awesome mechanical abilities !! @MRRSM

Such praise is very gratifying and I am thankful... but I should like to mention that I am allowed to continue this thread of stable knowledge on an enormously difficult mechanical repair problem only due to the precise instructions and direct encouragement I have obtained by following in the footsteps, ...right here on GMT Nation... of @Mooseman.

I can lay claim to having a decent turn of phrase now and then and perhaps possess a sound and methodical approach to doing repairs... but none of this would be happening right now without his help and original posts. His work and the helpful nods ... from you....and from so many other GMT Nation Members, allows us the chance to walk out into our driveways right now and look at all those 4,000 pound + GMT Paper-Weights just sitting there...broken down, right in the eyes and whisper to ourselves, "Not to worry... I'm going to get you Back on the Road!" It is an absolute privilege to follow such men into action here and get things DONE!

 

[mrrsm]

NOTE: Because each chapter needs a pointer to all of the 75 in-sequence photos of this part of the repair, I will be dropping the link to those images at the top of each long chapter:

http://s557.photobucket.com/user/60dgrzbelow0/library/0000TRAILBLAZERENGINEREPAIR?sort=3&page=1

Part Two

In order to hold the Crescent Wrench in the best position on the Exhaust Camshaft, I used two slightly different colored blue plastic-coated wire hangers because this hold down arrangement would need to be repeated in the future for the installation of the new head and having a second wrench to perform this Center Bolt R&R on the Intake side as well would be necessary. I slid the wires hangers through the circular end of the Crescent Wrench, 25MM Box-End or 1" variant of same... handle and made sufficient windings on each to ensure they would not come undone, I then located two areas on the fender well that displayed holes in the laminated metal strong enough to resist any torque applied upon the wires. I note here that the two wires can assume almost any angle you choose to attach the wires, however, their support vectors must match as close as possible to be rigid. In short... both wires must form an opposing straight line., If they are attached Willy-Nilly at any various other positions, the wrench will not stay put and as soon as force is applied, then the wrench will try to come off of the cam hex Flats. Most of the counter resistance here will come from your own hand... the wires are there just to ensure that you don't over do it. I'll admit that setting this all up is, its almost as tedious having to write about it here, but lets not tempt the fates and be as cautious as possible during each step and hopefully no problems will occur.

As soon as the Crescent Wrenches are in place and secure, place a 3/8” long handled ratchet into the S2 #8 socket still plugged into the Center Hex Bolt of the V-V-T Actuator Sprocket and while standing belly up against the passenger side fender, use your Left Hand to grab the handle of the Crescent Wrench, 25MM Box-End or 1" variant of the same and position your right hand on the ratchet handle. The trick idea here is to just hold the Crescent Wrench as still as possible, resisting equally any pressure you feel coming towards your palm without moving the position of the Crescent Wrench, while slowly PULLING the ratchet handle towards you. It is important to remember that this Center Bolt was not just torqued down at the factory...but was further tightened in a manner that stretches it along its length like a thick rubber band... so it is in there really tight and you will be surprised at how much force it will take to break it loose. Once you feel the slippage occur, you can relax because removing the bolt (NOT NOW!) can be done with just your fingers. Just leave the bolt in for there now and do not attempt to touch or move the V-V-T Actuator Sprocket.

Repeat this process for the Intake Camshaft Sprocket, using a 15MM Socket and applying the same physical positioning on the Driver's Side Fender Well. From that position, you will be PUSHING on the ratchet handle with your left hand while fixing the the position of the second Crescent Wrench locked on to the hex flat of the Intake Camshaft using your right hand...and remember NOT TO REMOVE THE BOLT or disturb the Intake Camshaft Sprocket. The reason these loud cautions are being made is because up until now, we have not taken any steps to secure the Timing Chain from falling off of the Lower Timing Chain Sprocket, thereby losing its proper timing orientation if the chain accidentally drops down inside the Crank Case because of premature removal of the Timing Chain from above.

Okay... It's RED-TAG time... This is a precautionary step to remind you that the actions you are about take have dire consequences should you get anxious and catch the fever of, “Okay ..Let's Hurry Up and Get This Damned Thing Done...” and forget to REMOVE this Special Metal Device at the appropriate repair interval. I am using a tool made affordable by Freedom Racing Tool & Auto, LLC (641-784-TOOL Ext. 8665- Cory) that acts to place enough controlled pressure behind the inside of the Timing Chain to press it firmly enough against the pressure pad of the spring loaded Timing Chain Tensioner pushing on the outside of the Timing Chain inwards enough to basically Pinch-Hold the chain in place long enough to complete the repairs. Once its installed, this tool will be completely out of sight and so, it will be very easy to overlook and be left behind during the re-assembly process. So to protect against this... you might make a durable RED TAG with instructions written on it that says:

“REMOVE THE ALUMINUM WEDGE ONLY AFTER BOTH TIMING SPROCKETS AND THE TIMING CHAIN HAVE BEEN RE-INSTALLED AND THE CENTER BOLTS TORQUED DOWN. USE CAUTION WHEN GUIDING THE THREADED ROD DOWN INTO THE THREADED TOP OF THE ALUMINUM WEDGE TO AVOID CROSS-THREADING THE TWO. USE ONLY HAND TIGHT PRESSURE TO SECURE THE TWO TOGETHER COMPLETELY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO EXTRACT THE WEDGE FROM INSIDE THE ENGINE. ONCE EXTRACTED, GET WELL CLEAR OF THE OPEN ENGINE AREA TO PREVENT ACCIDENTALLY DROPPING THE OIL-SOAKED WEDGE DOWN INSIDE THE ENGINE.”

The tag functions best if clear tape is used to cover the Red Paper and avoid being oil-soaked and useless. The tag is carefully attached by a small plastic Zip-Tie to the loosened Timing Chain as soon as this procedure is completed. Naturally... you can use whatever serves the purpose of reminding you not to leave this tool behind... but it is helpful not to rush to extract it, and following the written instructions is a good reminder to be careful when doing this task.

Okay... Lets get the tool ready to be installed. There is nothing fancy about the Delivery Rod and Handle... Its just 21” in its overall length without its cargo of the Aluminum Beveled Wedge. The lower portion is made of 3/8” Black Phosphorous Coated Steel rod and has a 1/2” long tapered, course threaded end designed to allow the rod an easy entry into the threaded opening on the top of the wedge and has a fairly forgiving ability to be threaded in and out under circumstances where the precise meeting angles may be slightly off center and completely blind to being viewed during the process. To begin, the Delivery Rod is firmly hand-tightened into the Aluminum Wedge first, using the grip of the larger knurled Aluminum 3/4” diameter, 6” long upper handle. The top of the wide handle has a flat end to support gentle taps of a small hammer during the delivery of the Aluminum Wedge.

GM provided this uncommonly well written “HOW-TO” Step-By-Step instructions with color imagery showing you how to guide the tool from the top down into position to deliver the wedge right in place.

I think you will appreciate using your Ipad/Cellphone/Laptop accessing this instructional .PDF on-line file because it will be very handy having this exact visual reference information on how this tool is applied...(Well perhaps the one depicted in the .PDF is a K&M version) right there at the vehicle helping to keep things honest and on track:

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/GMGreatWrench/2011-01-08_023933_tblazer_t-chain_part_12.pdf

2011-01-08_023933_tblazer_t-chain_part_12.pdf

More to follow after a break...

 

[mrrsm]

Okay... Just a little "Mad Mechanics LCOD" (Last Cup of the Day) Sidebar...

"Some say The World will end in Fire... Some say in Ice
From what I've tasted of Desire, I hold with those who favor Fire
But if I had to perish Twice, I think I know enough of Hate
To say that for Destruction, Ice
...is also Great... and will Suffice."
* Robert Frost *

Considering the elemental nature of what follows... The Poem, "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost seems a perfect backdrop... but lets get to the meat of the situation and then you'll see what I mean:

I know that somewhere...out there in the "Thu-Nation" right now... Someone is lurking... and almost cannot sleep LOL over the fact that in spite of all the precautions I took to try and live up to my Sage prediction that I would become, "The First Person EVER to remove the GM 4.2L Engine Head WITHOUT SNAPPING OFF ANY BOLTS...blah---blah--blah..." I messed that whole concept up completely when I broke three bolts. And so now at 3:00 AM, he is up and wide awake. Right? ...waiting and wondering: "Okay... Mr. Big Shot, Know-It-All"... AHaaaah! What in the name of God's Holy Trousers are you going to do about THIS problem...Hummmn...Bob?"

Well, of course...He's right! He has a right to be curious... Right? I mean, really, I've got all of these other related 'Particles of the Project" being so fastidiously juggled, worked on and attended to and finally documented... I mean what the Hell am I going to do ...now that I have somehow managed to snap off 3 three of the 14 Long Head Bolts right at "The Gum Line"... Right where the bolt threads end on the shank where they snapped. Right where the Head meets the Block! Yup... He is RIGHT!

EDIT: 03/20/2016 @ 02:15 PM

WHAT FOLLOWS IN MY EFFORTS TO PERFORM AN EXTRACTION OF THE THREE BROKEN HEAD BOLT SHANKS ALMOST TURNS OUT TO BE A COMPLETE DISASTER BECAUSE I TRIED TO CENTER DRILL AND EXTRACT THESE SNAPPED OFF BOLTS ...WHILE THE ENGINE HEAD WAS STILL BOLTED ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THIS IS A HUGE MISTAKE TO TRY AND DO THE EXTRACTIONS WHILE IMAGINING THE ADDED THICKNESS OF INSTALLED HEAD WOULD ASSIST IN GUIDING THE REVERSE DRILL BITS DURING THE WORK. WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED WAS THE WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO BECAUSE:

(A) I COULD NOT SEE THE BROKEN FASTENERS TO DETERMINE THE CONDITIONS UP CLOSE AND THEREFORE COULD ONLY GUESS AT WHAT MY PROGRESS OR PROBLEMS WERE WITH THE ENGINE HEAD STILL ATTACHED TO THE BLOCK!

(B) I HAD NO IDEA THAT MY PILOT DRILL HOLES WERE WELL OFF-CENTER AND ALLOWING THE DRILL BITS TO CHEW THERE WAY ON AN ANGLE AWAY FROM THE BROKEN BOLT SHANKS AND INTO THE ADJACENT SOFT ALUMINUM OF THE BLOCK CASTING... COMING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO DRILLING RIGHT INTO THE WATER JACKETS SURROUNDING THE "STEEL-ENCASED-IN-ALUMINUM" ENGINE CYLINDER SLEEVES!

So PLEASE!... Understand that the following information is still valid... BUT ONLY IN THE EVENT THAT THE GM ATLAS 4.2 ENGINE HEAD...HAS BEEN REMOVED!

Now even though I have the proper "bolt-drilling" gear to reverse-drill out these "Three Stooges" and make them ready for the use of the extraction tools designed for this purpose, they are best utilized while the Engine Head remains installed on the Block. This generally works out better because you can use the right sized Hardened Steel Drill Guides that will slip down nicely inside the engine head bolt holes. And so, the Engine Head itself serves to support what would otherwise be a difficult, dangerous, messy and possibly disastrous effort, should the three extractions take place without the presence of the head remaining in place. This clever tactic serves to protect the head surface from being exposed to snapped off drill bits skipping merrily across the head surface doing GOK (God Only Knows) how much additional damage.

Ohhhh... We're not quite finished yet...

Now as cool as it is to have the right Specialty Tools and to survive the "Broken Bolt Debacle" by using them successfully, I really much prefer to take a more direct * "Incendiary Method" * of extracting these Steel 'Nubbies. Now please don't get too excited about what follows... its not my own, original idea; brilliant though it may be, But I do prefer MELTING THESE BOLTS OUT... instead of all that Precision Drilling and Tapping (Well... Sort of...)

But First.... We have to cover a few very important "ABC" CAVEATS:

(A) This is a very dangerous procedure, even if you can say that you are an "experienced welder", very familiar with the subjecting various ordinary metal components to sustained open flames and electric arcs, sufficient to elevate the temperatures of metal parts to the point of Glowing Red Hot and fusing these things together as result, you must also be keen to what follows. The actual process of removing a broken head bolt by means of welding; even ones that have been snapped off well below the surface of the engine block, is probably fairly well known, commonplace and straightforward procedure... (Well cover that next)

( B) But what is UNCOMMON about this one is that it must be accomplished while working inside the engine nacelle of a Motor Vehicle and in this case, made much more difficult by the fact that the engine in question is made of an Aluminum Alloy casting using the "Waist Foam" method for its manufacture. This means that there is very little margin for error if things go wrong and you will risk destroying the Engine Block if (1) You don't know what you are doing or (2) You KNOW what you are doing but you have a Bad Day and make a mistake. Okay?

(C) And finally, If you attempt this work, you must Employ Extraordinary Safety Precautions and use the Proper Safety Standards for Welders that extend in all areas and in every direction that include:

Start with,”HOW'S MY COMMON SENSE TODAY?” If the answer is, “NOT GOOD...” STOP!.
Moving the Vehicle out of the Garage and Well Away from the Residence
Have At least Two Spotters/Observers on guard to react to any Danger while the Welder is focused and looking down at the Work
Fire Suppression Gear: ABC Fire Extinguishers
Fire-Proof Covers on and inside the engine compartment of the Vehicle, Top to Bottom
Engine Preparation to Isolate and Cover the Weld Work Area down to the size of (1) Engine Head Bolt

Okay? All right.. Now...This is all there is to it:

[A] Clean the surface areas around the broken bolt/hole on the face of the Engine Block.

Triple Cover Every opening in the Engine Block with 2” wide Blue Painter's Tape.

Cover ALL AREAS including the uninvolved areas of the engine with a large dampened cloths. (MAKE SURE THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED FIRST!)

(C) Find (in this case 3 of them) 12-14MM Plain Steel, Uncoated 6 Point Barrel Nuts.

(D) Place Each Nut symmetrically over the Bolt Hole containing the broken bolt stub and after aligning it, fix in place with a non-electrically conductive hold- down tool.

(E) Use a MIG Wire Welder to Spot weld the Nut, STARTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT using short, controlled bursts and VERY minimal wire feed. If you get a tall stringer of wire stuck, stop and cut it off flush with the top of the nut

(F) DO NOT RUSH...HASTE MAKES WASTE AND 'HASTA LUEGO... ENGINE BLOCK'

(G) Allow sufficient time between touches for everything to COOL DOWN very well

(H) Its better to do this in Baby Steps... If the Blue Tape starts burning avoid the fumes and use your glove to smother any flames. DON'T SPRAY ANY WATER OR SOLVENT OR EVEN SPIT on the the work area or around any electric arcs or open flames! Any sudden changes in temperature might warp or crack the engine block.

(I) Ordinarily, the welding will NOT stick to the aluminum surface unless you make the mistake of using a TIG or Argon gas protected welder.

(J) Make sure you know the mix of metal alloys in your welding wire...don't use anything that will weld or braze Aluminum to Steel!

(K) Build the weld stack from deep inside gradually higher and taller until you reach the point where there is a solid metal dome in the center of the nut. When that happens STOP

(L) Do NOT use any slag-removal chipping tools to clean up the work. If all went well... you will have that broken bolt unwound and thrown away (or made into a Key Chain Fob) in about fifteen minutes. There is not gonna be a "Metal Shop Quiz" on Friday, so don't get too fussy about your work!

(M) WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE DONE...YOUR ARE ...STOP! WALK AWAY AND ALLOW EVERYTHING TO COOL DOWN FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE TO THAT NUT!

(N) AFTER 15 MINUTES AND NOT ONE MINUTE SOONER...Get your 12-14 MM Flat Box End Wrench READY and place it where you will have good MANUAL control and mechanical advantage before starting to use it... DON'T TURN THE WRENCH YET!!!!!

(O) Point your can of CRC FREEZE-OFF right inside the Nut/Wrench area and SPRAY IT ALL DOWN FOR 10 SECONDS... THEN...VERY SLOWLY WORK THE WRENCH SLIGHTLY BACK AND FORTH A LITTLE AT A TIME...DON'T TRY TO UNBOLT THE BROKEN PIECE ALL AT ONCE.

(P) If all goes well... you should feel the Broken Bolt piece coming loose...when it does keep the wrench flat and level with the engine block and unwind the bolt completely out of the engine block.

(Q) If the Broken Bolt does not move....STOP... Remove the Flat Wrench and spray more CRC FREEZE-OFF again, and place the wrench back onto of the nut and give it slight bumps on the handle to jar the bolt loose. This procedure has a very high success rate when these instructions are carefully followed.

(R) Very carefully use A BOTTOMING TAP or Specifically Designed Thread Chaser to clean up the Bolt Hole Threads...but be very cautious as it does not take much to wallow out the threaded holes in an Aluminum Engine Block. DO NOT USE A TAPERED CUTTING TAP UNLESS YOU WANT TO BUY A NEW ENGINE BLOCK!

(S) IF YOU PROCEED TO DO ANY OF THIS , YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK OF LIFE, LIMB AND PROPERTY!

 

[mrrsm]

THIS IS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!

DO NOT EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER, SPRAY OR USE "BRAKE CLEANING FLUID" OR "BRAKE CLEANING SPRAY" AROUND OPEN FLAMES, WELDING TORCHES, INCANDESCENTLY HOT METAL DURING WELDING OR WHEN AN OPEN, OBVIOUS SPARKING ELECTRICAL IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT. WHEN "BRAKE CLEANING FLUID" IGNITES, IT IMMEDIATELY CONVERTS INTO PHOSGENE GAS AND IF INHALED... IT WILL BE INSTANTLY FATAL...AND EVEN IF YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE...YOU WILL EITHER BE IN A COMA FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE OR PERMANENTLY PARALYZED! (PLEASE...READ THE CAN WARNING LABELS AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND!)

 

[mrrsm]

A word or two about why CRC-FREEZE-OFF is The Best Kept Secret in How to Avoid Snapping off Engine and Component Studs that Are RUSTED SOLID...

This product is so amazing and soooo "cool" and therein lies its SECRET. In the study of "Fascinating Fasteners - 101" we find out that all threaded Bolts and Nut combinations follow a specific angle of increase of leverage that is based up the original Ideas put forth by the Greek mathematician, Archimedes. He posited the ideas of increasing human power incrementally using levers, pulleys and in the case of Bolts and Nuts... The basic RAMP. All of those threads that are either molded, cast or machined into the outer diameter of The Bolt and conversely, the Inner diameter of The Nut...represents a COILED UP BUT VERY LONG RAMP.

CRC_FREEZE-OFF Works by...

(1) Freezing down the temperatures of the different metals at slightly different rates making up the Bolt vs, the Nut and so temporarily increasing the spaces between their thread interfaces RAMPS.

(2) In that instant, the Super-Penetrating lubricant present in the spray stream can sneak along those newly opened up spaces between the threads and deposit there as a smooth lubricant, thereby breaking the Rust Bond that prevented their easy separation! In some cases, the nuts will even spin off by hand!

(3) On REALLY rusted together fasteners, it helps to use either a box end wrench or a socket ready to shock and undo the Nut from the Bolt BEFORE the cooling spray completely evaporates in quick but small increments of loosening and tightening actions.

Anyone who has ever had to completely remove cast iron exhaust manifolds just because of Bolt Studs snapping off will appreciate how well this stuff works in areas where trying to use an Oxy-Acetylene Torch is both dangerous and impractical.

 

[mrrsm]

EVERYTHING YOU LOVE TO HATE ABOUT GM'S USE 0F TTY (Torque-To-Yield) HEAD BOLTS... AND HOW TO 'EXTRICATE" FROM THE PROBLEM WHEN THEY SNAP OFF:

If you view the attached images I took two days ago of a layout of GM 4.2L Removed Head Bolts compared to a Single, Brand New, Un-tightened, Un-stretched Head Bolt, you will have an uncommonly interesting opportunity to observe HOW these bolts are made and also WHY they are the WORST and LAZIEST excuse for R&R GM Engineering of all time! I have also been lucky enough to find an article that describes what happens when the problem of Bolt Breakage rears its Ugly Bolt-Head...and the unfortunately, ridiculously expensive Extraction Tool Set that is necessary to use to get out those snapped off chunks out of the Aluminum Block and allow for the continuation of replacing the Engine Head. This article was written SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GM ATLAS 4.2L ENGINE so you can't really ask for more than that. I am including an image of the over-the-top pricey K&M EN-47702 Bolt Extraction Kit available on eBay for around Three Beans... ($300.00...But there are places selling the kit for as high as $418...Crazy... Huh?...You could almost buy a Used Engine for THAT much Jingle...)

http://www.motor.com/magazine/pdfs/112009_02.pdf

http://www.amazon.com/ARP-132-4001-6-Point-Chevy-Inline/dp/B003TPPH2Y?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffhp-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B003TPPH2Y

http://www.turbotechracing.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2793

 

[mrrsm]

http://s557.photobucket.com/user/60dgrzbelow0/library/0000TRAILBLAZERENGINEREPAIR?sort=3&page=1

Part Three

Even though we are a long way off from the time they will be needed, you should have ordered and received the Two Special Stretch Bolts that are necessary to install the V-V-T Actuator Sprocket and Intake Sprocket onto the camshafts of the Brand New Engine Head. If not... then please refer to the attached images of these items which include their respective GM- AC-Delco Boxing and Bags that bear the appearance of their GM Part Numbers. DO NOT RE-USE ANY TTY- (Torque-To-Yield) BOLTS!

Now that the Two Disposable Bolts holding on the two Camshaft Sprockets have been loosened enough to remove by hand and the Aluminum Wedge has been installed to prevent the Timing Chain from becoming disoriented, we move on and prepare for the removal of both sprockets. Before that can happen, its wise to take a Red Plastic Coated Hanger and loop one end fairly snug, roughly around the center of the Timing Chain in the open area exposed between the sprockets. Leave the other end long enough for guidance control as the Timing Chain will need to be carefully lowered or lifted up and down as needed inside the front of the engine block to allow for the old head to be lifted off and the new one installed in its place.

Next, unscrew the Center Hex Bolt holding the V-V-T Actuator Sprocket on the front of the Exhaust Camshaft. IMMEDIATELY THROW THAT LONG, USED STRETCH BOLT INTO THE TRASH! Then grab the left and right outer gear sides of the V-V-T Actuator and pull VERY GENTLY, slightly pull it towards the front of the vehicle and then lower the V-V-T Sprocket just enough to lift the Timing Chain off of the teeth of both the V-V-T Sprocket and Intake Sprockets. Then, use the attached Red Plastic Coated Wire to lower the Timing Chain gently down inside the the front of the Engine Block. Place the V-V-T Actuator Sprocket on a clean dry shelf where it will not be disturbed. ROUGH HANDLING OR TURNING OF THE V-V-T MECHANISM CAN DAMAGE OR BREAK ITS INTERNAL COMPONENTS AND CAUSE THE INTERNAL STOP-TAB TO BE DAMAGED, RENDERING THE V-V-T USELESS!.

Take a moment to look things over and then lift the Timing Chain carefully upwards and off of the teeth of the Intake Sprocket still attached to the Intake Camshaft and using the Red Wire, lower the chain carefully down inside the narrow space in the front of the Engine Block. With the Timing Chain completely moved out of the way, unbolt the hand-tightened Center Bolt in the middle of the Intake Sprocket and after unscrewing it from the Intake Camshaft, THROW THIS BOLT IN THE TRASH! It is time to take hold of both sides of the Intake Sprocket and pull on it gently enough towards the front of the vehicle to remove the sprocket and set it on the same shelf with the V-V-T Exhaust Sprocket. Remember that both sprockets have been marked and scribed with White Paint Orientation Lines, so minimal handling is in order to prevent accidentally wiping away these “Guide Lines”. With both sprockets removed, now you can see that both Woodruff Key Slots machined into the front end areas on both camshafts are locked into place by the Camshaft Position Holding Tool at the 12:00 PM High Noon Position.

Removing the 14 of 17 Long Head Bolts:

It is too bad that there is not an Alternative Hold Down Tool that could be fastened to the front of and fix in place both camshafts to prevent their accidental rotation risking damage to the tops of the pistons in some of the cylinders. Such a device would have allowed for the temporary removal of the Camshaft Position Holding Tool at the rear of the engine head to facilitate my having easier access to the two remaining Long Cylinder Head Bolts, Without that tool at the back of the engine at the firewall, I would have had an easier time at getting more direct while hammering on top of the last two distant bolts. Thankfully, I was able to impart enough vibration to loosen them for removal without having them snap off inside the Engine Block . If the bolts had broken off back there, it would have made for a very difficult scenario for “Broken Engine Head Bolt Extraction”.

Since all “Hindsight Visions” are always 20-20... if you ever have to endure this “Nightmare Repair” all over again... it would be wise to use the “Hammer on Top of the Bolt Heads First” Tactic well in advance of all the procedures involved in removing the Dual Cam Hardware. I chose to use a sacrificial inexpensive chrome plated 3/8” Female to 1/2” Male adapter which I plugged into the 1/2” Female end of the H-10 Hex Socket designed for a perfect fit into the Hex hollows of the 14 Long Head Bolts. As you can see from the images posted along with “Part Two” of this detailed missive, the amount of force I used to impart enough energy to shock loose the Head Bolts right down to the start of their threads was sufficient to peen over the end of the sacrificial adapter....(the damage made it look sort of like “Bart Simpson's Hair-Doo')...But...It left the H-10 Tool completely unharmed and therefore useful in the future when it comes time to install the New Engine Head with New TTY Head Bolts.

You will have noticed from the follow on images that show the back of the Engine Head that I took the added precaution of slipping a Blue Colored Plastic Coated Hanger section of wire around the Camshaft Holding Tool and secured it from falling off the back of the flat upright ends of both Camshafts. The reason I did this was that if the forceful vibrations would have jarred the tool loose while I was busy hammering away on the head bolts...it might have jarred loose the positions of both camshafts and struck the tops of pistons violently enough to do some real damage. So... Better Safe..than Sorry...Right?

I was fully prepared to write an elaborate documentation of, “How to Use The Reverse Torque Pattern to Successfully Unbolt the Aluminum Engine Head of the GM Atlas 4.2l Engine” However, my abject and complete failure with trying this technique will thankfully eliminates the eye torture you would have had to endure while wading through such a gloating chapter. And since all my chances to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for Creative Wrenching have gone out the windows... If there is any upside to this sad outcome... it will be if and when I can render the scrolls for us all with the words and images demonstrating instead, “How to Remove The Head Bolts You Will Break if You Try the “How to Use The Reverse Torque Pattern to Successfully Unbolt the Aluminum Engine Head of the GM Atlas 4.2l Engine”.

I think that having Three Broken Head Bolts to remove should give me an ample amount of experience and an uncommon opportunity to demonstrate The Extraction Tool Set and how they can best be used. As a final note on the subject of Removing TTY Head Bolts, etc... When I managed to get the H-10 Hex Socket into the LAST OF THE ACCURSED 14 Long Head Bolts... I tugged upon the end of my Paul Bunyan sized huge 1/2” Drive 3 Foot Long Breaker Bar... and after about ten minutes of careful coaxing... the bolt loosened so explosively and unexpectedly that my right hand was thrown off the bar handle and got caught on some other jagged metal something-or-other and that put a deep gash right down the middle of my Bird Finger.

I was so anxious to make certain that the bolt had loosened vs. having snapped off that I ignored the injury until I discovered I was bleeding down the length of the H-10 Socket while trying to finish unscrewing that last bolt and it started to get really slippery between my fingers. I looked more closely at the situation and I could see the blood running out of my finger all over the place. But the GOOD part was...it was only my finger...and NOT a Broken Bolt near the firewall side of the engine! All three of the other broken bolts are located in the Front to Middle areas of the Engine Head (Whew! Wipes Brow...THAT was close)... And so now... I have Officially Baptized this Project in my own Blood Mixed with Dirty Motor Oil... so perhaps now...The Gods and Titans of The Mechanical Universe who ordinarily look down and laugh... will take pity upon us and instead, see fit to smile down upon us for just a little while longer ...as we struggle on.



More to follow before this Week-End is out,,,

 

[mrrsm]

Because there is such a dearth of Videos and Visual “How-To” aids on the subject of Major Repairs on the GM Atlas 4.2L 4200 Vortec, I am adding this handful of all the relevant videos I could scavenge on Youtube. Each provides some fraction of the total repair and gives the viewer an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others and if need be, Freeze-Frame, Screen Print & Print a Hard Copy for Use at the Vehicle on the necessary portions of their work. Scanning and freezing portions of these videos can be extremely helpful in order to see in minute detail parts and areas of the engine that you may have to encounter during your tear down or build back efforts and gain from their experiences. If anyone out there in the GMT Nation has any other Multi-Media that would be contributory... please feel free to drop the links in this section:

This man is arguably the Bravest Mechanic around and my personal favorite for tackling this job without any Special Tools and for having the perspicacity to document what he did and also to admit when he had made mistakes. He recorded his solid efforts in a set of two videos that directly support the OP's Posting Here:

This video displays how to use the original TTY Used Bolts to attach a Four Point Load Leveler Lifting device to a GM 4.2L Engine just prior to pulling he motor from the vehicle:

This is an excellent video from “realfixesrealfast” shows the unusual technique required to lift the entire SUV body off of the Trailblazer, leaving the lower super-structure of the remaining vehicle and exposing absolute access necessary in this case to separate the destroyed engine from the transmission. This video has additional value in that it presents a kind of “One Over the World” view of where all the components are in a variety of angles which can be helpful to observe before tackling many kinds of repairs... especially on and around the Transmission:

An Unfortunate Young Mechanic Tackling a GM 4.2L with a Destroyed Valve Train:

This video gives excellent opportunities to view the GM 4.2L Engine while the motor is inside the vehicle and with the Crankcase/Oil Pan and Front Timing Chain Cover removed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yw-kcB80mw

Chevrolet Trailblazer Gm 4.2L Aluminum Cylinder Head Three Angle Valve Job:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4OIzikHmUc

 

[mrrsm]

Part Four:

Now that the last dreaded TTY Head Bolt has been successfully undone and removed from Firewall side of the GM 4.2L Aluminum Head-to-Aluminum Block, the next step procedurally is to prepare the field for work on REMOVING THE BROKEN OFF HEAD BOLT REMNANTS FROM INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK--- WITH THE ENGINE HEAD STILL INSTALLED.

Before You Begin... Some Common Sense Admonitions Regarding SAFETY!

Before introducing any of these tools into the bolts holes of the GM 4.2L Engine Head/Block,you are well advised to use compressed air judiciously when blowing out these holes. APPLYING HIGH PRESSURE AIR INTO THESE BOLT HOLES WILL CREATE EAR -SPLITTING, EXTREMELY HIGH FREQUENCY - HIGH DECIBEL LEVELS OF SOUND THAT CAN PERMANENTLY DAMAGE YOUR HEARING! KEEP OTHERS, FAMILY AND BY-STANDERS WELL CLEAR OF YOUR IMMEDIATE WORK AREA. WEAR PROTECTION FOR YOUR EYES AS WELL AS FOR YOUR EARS TO AVOID INJURY BY HAVING PARTICLES OF BROKEN BOLT METAL AND DIRT THAT WILL BE PRESENT INSIDE ALL OF THE BOLT HOLES JETTED INTO YOUR EYES!

Do NOT jerk or use any extremes of maximum torque pressure or twisting motions with any of the tools described in this Instructional. If the broken bolt segments do NOT budge... Put down all the tools and WALK WAY FROM THE VEHICLE. You will still have the option to remove the Special Tools from the bolt hole(s) and to spray either [ KROIL- 'The Oil that CREEPS'] down inside the vacant bolt hole(s) or use CRC -FREEZE-OFF in the same manner. The latter will super-cool down the Steel Bolt remnants and the threads inside the Aluminum Engine Block at different rates and help to break their bond. Let this material soak for ONE HOUR, before returning to insert the Bolt Extractor “Come-Out” Tool after cleaning out the hole(s) of excess penetrating fluid residue. HOLD A RAG OVER EACH BOLT HOLE BEING SPRAYED OUT TO AVOID HAVING THE BLOWN OUT MATERIAL FROM GETTING INTO YOUR EYES OR ALL OVER THE TOP OF THE ENGINE.

Use of CUTTING OIL to Prevent the Catastrophic Failure of These Tools

It will be necessary to use a CUTTING OIL to prevent damaging the Special Drill Bits while in action under circumstances that cannot be observed first hand. Unlike the normal use of a drill upon any flat metal surface; perhaps prepared by a center-punch before starting to drill... Your quarry is concealed and buried DEEP inside the engine block separated by the Aluminum Engine Head. This job is further complicated by the fact that during the last drilling to be done, the Drill Motor must be set in the REVERSE DIRECTION (COUNTER-CLOCKWISE) and so... it is imperative to use CUTTING OIL such that this fluid is poured in small amounts down inside the bolt(s) hole(s) and used there as a ready lubricant and cooling agent for the very brief intervals you should using the Special Drill Bits. Then it is wise to do the drilling in short intervals, stopping long enough to introduce a slender, Small Telescoping Magnet all the way down to the extraction level to gather up and remove all of the cutting ends and chips of metal that will naturally collect inside the space around and above the bolt hole at the point of contact between the Special Drill Bits and the remnant(s) of the Broken Bolt(s). Wrapping a paper towel around the end of the magnet over a trash can will make it easier to pull the very sharp, oily metal bits from the surface of the small magnet and discard them between each drilling interval.

Performing these clean-out steps serves also to allow the Special Drill Bits as well as the broken Bolt Segment(s) the chance to COOL DOWN. When high grade tool bits are exposed to excessive heat or too harsh of a treatment during their use, it can weaken their metal structure and cause the tool to break down and fail. If you do not have access to a supplier of CUTTING OIL, companies like Fellowes that sell Electric Paper Shredders often include a small bottle of lubricating oil they suggest squirting along the blade lines where the cutting teeth mesh to lubricate them and prevent their High Carbon Steel from premature wear and from rust. You can pick up this Fellowes Shredder Lubricating Oil at Amazon, Office Depot or Staples in pint size containers.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006I58N/?tag=gmtnation-20

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29574/choose-cutting-oil

The attached images display the following items:

A sturdy length of coated wire probe to be used via the markings that show the Standard Length of a New TTY Bolt vs. markings that will show the presence of the Threaded Bolt Stubs still stuck deep inside the Engine Block. It makes sense to use this tool to examine all 14 Bolt Holes to ensure you have completely removed any and all Broken Bolt Segments/Remnants

The K&M Broken Head Bolt Extraction Kit with the following necessary components:

Hardened Steel Bolt Hole Guides for The Special Extraction Drills:

These items are inserted into the Engine Head Bolt Holes and serves to steady and guide, first the Extreme Angle, Right Hand Twist Pilot Drill down to the point of contact on the top of the in-dwelling Broken Bolt and once aligned, the drill can bore out a shallow depth conical cavity. This cavity allows for the Left hand Twist 5/32” Drill Bit, guided in by the matching diameter hardened steel holes guide. The 5/32” Drill Bit is used to drill deeper into the length of the broken off bolt segment, preparing it for the use of the Bolt Extraction “Come-Out" Tool.

Extreme Angle Pilot Drill Bit:

This unusual, Right Hand Twist Drill Bit is necessary to use first in order prepare the upper surface of the bolt stud remaining buried inside the Engine Block. It performs by being inserted through the Hardened Steel Bolt Hole Guide and bores out a conical space at the very top of the Broken Bolt ands serves to guide and center the left-hand thread 5/32” chromium steel drill as it drills into the metal bolt, assisting in keeping the drill bit straight and true. USE LOW SPEED WHEN DRILLING!

Left Hand Twist 5/32” Drill Bit:

This unusual Left Hand Twist Drill Bit is necessary to use in order to drill down inside the Broken Head Bolt Remnant to a depth sufficient to allow the introduction of a Heat Treated, High carbon Steel, Left Hand Twist “Come-Out” that will serve to bite into the prepared 5/32” wide hole down to a depth of approximately ½” to 5/8”. The process of drilling a substantial amount of metal out of the center bolt area also serves to weaken its structural strength and may help relax some contact pressure and grip between the remaining bolt threads and the threaded bolt holes bored inside the Aluminum Engine Block. The idea of using the counter-clockwise cutting force is that if the standard drill were to be used... it could grab hold of the broken off bolt shank and cause it to tighten even more! SO... MAKE CERTAIN YOUR DRILL IS SET ON “REVERSE” AND USE IT AT LOW SPEED!

Broken Bolt Extractor “Come-Out” Tool:

The Broken Bolt Extractor “Come-Out” Tool must be inserted carefully into the bolt hole area, passing first through the Aluminum Engine Head and then gradually down into the 5/32” hole inside the broken off bolt remnant. Once the tool is in a confirmed centered, in-dwelling position, a very, very light tap on the top of the tool will give it a “bite” into the inside of the broken bolt. It is better to use a tight-fitting Impact Wrench Quality Socket to hold the top of the Extraction “Come-Out” tool and by turning it very slowly, very carefully and in extremely small increments in a counter-clockwise direction using a short Breaker Bar, these precautions will give you a greater feel and control over the process.

Use of a BOTTOMING TAP to Completely Clean Out ALL Bolt Holes:

Once the entire procedure has been completed, then the unencumbered engine head should be lifted from the top of the engine block and set aside. Then, use a methodical process of carefully examining each and every bolt hole with a bright flashlight for detritus or debris and “CHASED” with a BOTTOMING TAP to ensure that all of the holes are perfectly free of any debris and as clean as possible, finishing with a spray of compressed air then ...and again one last time just before installing the New Engine Head. DO NOT USE ANY KIND OF TAPERED OR THREAD CUTTING TAP!!!

Preparation and Treatment of NEW TTY ENGINE BOLTS:

All of the New TTY Engine Bolts should be inspected closely and after spraying them down with a penetrating solvent, use a plastic tooth brush to clean the threads on the bolts. Immediately afterwards, spray them dry with compressed air. The full set of head Bolts should NOT be placed back inside the original bag and box they came in. Rather, get a clean, unused ZipLock Bag and place them inside, squeezing out the air prior to closing up the bag. This action might seem a bit paranoid, but unfortunately, it is just as easy to break these NEW Bolts when installing them as it is to have them fracture and snap off when the head is being removed! Some engine builders will often go to the extreme of washing their engine head bolts in HOT, SOAPY WATER and then immediately spraying them down with WD-40 to prevent them from instantly rusting ...and then following up with the scrubbing actions mentioned earlier.

When it comes time to prep the Old Engine Head and complete its removal, I will carefully photo-document images that will directly support all of this wordy description and hopefully do equal justice to both. Subsequently, we'll get ready for the installation of the New Engine Head... More information will follow...

 

[mrrsm]

I know that some of you might have a concern of how the cutting or Direction of Twist can be established when observing images of such an unusual and ambiguous looking set of Drill Bits. This seems especially true where the Extreme Angle Pilot Drill Bit is concerned. Fortunately in this case, since your eyes really can deceive you, the best thing to do here is to Close Them! The Definitive Test you will need to do is very simple:

Hold the Shank of the Drill Bit between the Thumb and Forefinger of your Right Hand.
Hold the Very Tip End of the Drill Bit between the Thumb and Forefinger of your Left Hand.
Now... Close your Eyes.... ( Yeah, Yeah, I know I mean AFTER you read this...)
First, slowly rotate the Drill Shank Counter-Clockwise...and see how it feels.
Next, slowly rotate the Drill Shank Clockwise and see how it feels.

If you feel the cutting edges digging in to your Finger Tips in a Counter-Clockwise Direction, then the bit in your hand is a REVERSE TWIST DRILL BIT.

Conversely, if you feel the cutting edges digging in when rotating the Drill Shank in a Clockwise Direction, then the bit in your hand is a STANDARD, RIGHT HAND TWIST DRILL BIT.

Drills work by removing metal in only one direction and cutting can only occur when cutting edges are digging in towards the material being removed.

 

[mrrsm]

I know that I'm jumping ahead a bit of the Bolt Extraction necessary to be done next, but I need some help that might take some time to surface. (Although, today... I did order a New Hitachi Reversing Drill that has a Fine Speed Control feature for Low Speed Drilling). I have an excellent, Heavy Duty Four Point adjustable lift device that sports a Worm Gear Balance Control to help either tip or level the head for removal and installation. The problem is... While I have a Brand New set of of Dorman Bolts for the New Exhaust Manifold and I can certainly use them to fasten two Lift Bracket and Chains on the Passenger Side of the Aluminum Engine Head... I have no idea what the Metric Bolt Hole Size of the Intake Manifold side of the engine head is... Anybody know the Metric Specs? Thanks in advance for the “Best Information” to come my way. The attached images give a good look at how adjustable and handy this thing will be when I can properly secure it to the engine head. I was just thinking... there is another interesting possibility here...that by just using the Dual Chain Brackets and "U" Bolts attached to the Single Hook on "The FrankenLifter"... it would allow even more vertical lifting space under the hood area of the TB. Hmmnn.. Yeah Simple is ALWAYS Better!

 

[Mooseman]

Tried looking up in a few online microfiches, nada for bolts

 

[mrrsm]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000EI97B/?tag=gmtnation-20

When I realized that all I had in the way of corded electric drills around here were older, worn down, clockwise only versions with "Golliwobbled Chucks", I ordered this Hitachi from Amazon at a pretty good price. I now know that this will produce a nice and stable, low speed drilling that I can pre-set for the kind of precise, counter-clockwise cutting speed action I want to have when I snake those Special Drill Bits down inside the Aluminum Engine Head. I am only going to get one opportunity to do this right and I do not want to take any chances with this procedure... and besides that... Getting a New Drill has been long overdue.

 

[mrrsm]

Tried looking up in a few online microfiches, nada for bolts

@Mooseman Thanks for digging deep. I looked pretty close myself, but I guess that I've been reduced to having to pull one of these fasteners off of the Intake Manifold and tote it down to the local Home Depot for a Trial and Error Check. Once I figure out what it is, I'll buy a handful of these Bolts a bit longer than the stock version and get some Wide Steel and Wide Plastic Washers to cushion the points of contact between the harsh Galvanized Steel Brackets and the soft Aluminum Head Intake and Exhaust Port interfaces. This will NOT be the first time I've had to resort to this procedure so I can make certain of getting the hardware exactly right... and of course... I will publish the Accurate details of these necessary support bolts right here at GMT nation for future posterity.

One very cool thing just happened as a result of scouring "The Internets" is that I just found this amazingly detailed 34 page GM Atlas 4.2L Vortec Engine White Paper . This document has THE BEST POV IMAGES OF THE ATLAS ENGINE CONSTRUCTION AND POV BUILD SUB-ASSEMBLIES BREAKDOWN... ANYWHERE! This .PDF might save a lot head scratching when trying to imagine or remember what the various sides, components and internal parts of the I-6 engine look like...Hell... its almost in 3D!

http://vortec4200.com/index_htm_files/vortec4200.pdf

 

[07TrailyLS]

The site you posted is absolute GOLD. Gives any info you could possibly be looking for and ultra clear pics for any scenario you may be putting together. Awesome find!

 

[mrrsm]

I ordered the aforementioned Hitachi Drill at around 1:00 PM Today (11/17/15) and since I had an option for “Same Day Delivery” that was the identical price as the regular S&H costs, ...I thought... Well WTH...let's go with it. Well... to my very great surprise, at around around 10:00 PM I heard a loud and uncustomary knock at the front door and … Voila! The Hitachi I wanted to get here ASAP so I can begin the process of the Dreaded Three Broken Bolt Extraction Surgery...was within my GRIP!

Okay... all drama aside... and since I can't go out and work on this right now without daylight, I might as well do a "Non-Video Un-Boxing of the Hitachi Model 10VH 3/8”-10MM Corded Electric Drill". Now that I don't have to wait until the weekend or next Monday to get on with this, I will start tomorrow morning with setting it all up and obtaining Step-By-Step procedures. The most important features of this drill hold great significance to the outcome of this difficult and arcane action. This new Hitachi is equipped on the interior of the handle with a combination of a Rotating-Click-Stop- Speed Control Dial and a Push Button Trigger Stop built into the grip handle. Fortunately, the drill speed can be manipulated via the variable finger pressure working a Rheostat within a range of from 0-2,500 rpm.

The significance of this sublime Built-In Speed Control cannot be over-emphasized. Anytime you have set your expectations in motion to get through a very complex repair, there is that pressure and tendency to want to work as quickly as possible to get it all done. But, when you encounter the dreaded Broken Bolt Nightmare... EVERYTHING you do that follows MUST, of necessity...SLOW DOWN...! Now the reason for this is because if you are hasty and just tighten up the Specialty Drill Bit that you MUST use into just any old Right-Hand-Twist Electric Drill...and then decide to quickly stick the point of the Drill Bit down the Bolt Hole inside your Aluminum Engine Head and just SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER... Then you are just asking for trouble.

Unfortunately, the only way this process can be successful, is by the gradual reconstruction of a hollow, conical shaped cavity at the very top of the Broken Bolt. This area of the bolt was wrenched and twisted off with such an enormous, sudden force that it actually changed the very molecular and crystalline structure of the metal remaining in the Bolt Segment. This process is called, “Work Hardening” and it happened in that instant to the Three Steel Shanks still stuck inside the Aluminum Engine Block. These three segments are stuck to such a degree, that if you try and use any High Speed Drill at very high RPM..., the only thing that would happen is that the point of the drill will turn Cherry Red from the extreme friction involved, thereby losing its tempered strength and burning off the razor thin cutting edges of your very expensive Drill Bit. At that point, the Drill Bit will become next to useless and will merely sit on top of the ultra-hardened Bolt Shank...and spin. And so from there...The harder you push down on the drill...and the faster the drill is allowed to spin...the worse things will get!

And so you can see the very evident value and benefit of the Hitachi Speed Control. When married to the use of the Proper Drill Bit(s) and then held carefully in place at the Proper Angle of Attack, in the presence of sufficient lubricating Cutting Oil, at LOW SPEED AND IN THE PROPER DIRECTION OF ROTATION for very brief periods of time while drilling, then the metal at the top of the bolt will yield... and gradually, these Special Drill Bits will cut inside of the Broken Bolt Segment. If you follow these procedures carefully, stopping occasionally to use a Slender Magnet to clean the Metal Drill Shavings out of the Bolt Hole, and using fresh Cutting Oil, you'll discover that using both Special Drill Bits in their proscribed manner will prepare the Broken Bolt Segments well enough for the Sturdy Carbide Bolt Extraction Tool to BITE into the center of each prepared bolt and allow for them to removed in a Counter-Clockwise direction. And so finally, you will achieve the complete extraction of these Snapped Off Bolt Segments from inside of an undamaged Aluminum Engine Block.

In a very short time from now... we'll get started... (it is around 02:00 AM... time for me to get some sleep before the fun begins...)

http://www.manualslib.com/manual/807679/Hitachi-D10vh.html

 

[mrrsm]

View attachment 72938

The German Military Strategist Helmuth von Moltke has been recorded in the history books as having been the first to coin the expression:

“No Battle Plan Survives Contact with the Enemy.”

Boy... Was HE ever right... I got the TB SUV opened up with the Sun shining and a fairly good breeze and started to clean out the open bolt holes on the engine head and then use the Marked White Wire Depth Gauge to compare the depths and by Jehovah... the marks matched up to the holes that were clear...and also helped to identify the presence of the Broken Off Bolt Stubs in the three locations near the front of the Aluminum Engine Head.

After tidying up the adjacent areas, I set up the Hitachi Drill with the proper drill bit to begin the "Coning" Process the Special Extreme Angle Drill Bit and immediately encountered an insurmountable problem. Unfortunately, the Key-less Drill Chuck's outside diameter was such that the drill would begin to bind on close contact with the inner part of the Intake Camshaft. I had to come to a dead halt.

Shortly afterwards, My son called about being late for work and stranded in the '03 Silverado with a Flat Tire... I went to his rescue in my Z-28...but the electric fans failed to come on and just as I dropped him off at work...the water temp gauge climbed up over 260+ Degrees!... I had to pull off the road and wait an hour and a half for the engine/radiator to stop steaming and cool off. I always carry extras of everything...so I was able to pour in enough Preston 50/50 Green Coolant to get me home. So basically my whole day has been a total bust and pretty much gone looking like the attached image I snapped of a painting on the wall of the Scooter Shop Men's Room I had to to pull in to when the engine was overheating. That painting pretty much sums up where I have been all day! Until I can make the Z-28 Homeo-Thermic again... the TB will have to wait.

 

[mrrsm]

All right... Just so everybody knows that I have NOT been dragging my feet or sitting on my hands on the TB HEAD R&R... lets catch up:

Okay... I solved the Silverado's woes against all odds that in combination, sorted out (1) One Flat Tire (1) Spun Wheel Stud and the need to buy (4) Brand New Cooper HT Tires.

And as for the near catastrophic Thermal Runaway inside the Corvette 350 CID LT-1 Engine in my 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 DD with only 98,000 Mikes on her... because of the 23+ years of age on her otherwise reliable AC-Delco and Delphi Sensors, I decided to apply a "Shotgun Repair Strategy" that should eliminate investigating any/all of them and just replace them, en masse, as follows:

(A) "Apples" is a Thermister in the Water Pump: Which communicates directly with the ECM/PCM and signals either one or both Electric Fans to engage when the water temperature rises above 180 Degrees...and...

(B) "Oranges" is a Thermister which sits in the Upper Front Engine Head water column and communicates ONLY with the Dashboard Instrument Cluster Analog Temperature Gauge.

(C) The two Electric Relays located in the Engine Compartment Fuse Box:

(a) The first relay (LOW TEMP FAN RELAY) controls and turns on only one fan when the Water Pump Temp Sensor signals the ECM/PCM that the Engine Coolant Temp has risen above 180 Degrees F.

(b) The second relay (HIGH TEMP FAN RELAY) controls and turns on BOTH fans when either the A/C is engaged... or.... when the Engine Coolant Temp rises above 232 Degrees F.

(D) The Delphi Reverse Flow Thermostat is the last of the components being R&R-ed here.

(E) The Dual Electric Fans....? We'll see what happens after replacing A-D.

Unfortunately, when all this ["Flat Tire" Tsunami] was hitting my "coastline" , the TEMP GAUGE pegged at 260+ Degrees F and the Coolant Reservoir was beginning to boil out pure steam. Because the Z-28 LT-1 Engine is cooled in reverse because of the higher engine compression and the presence of an Aluminum Head on an Cast Iron Engine Block... I had no choice but to dive into the parking lot of a small business, kill the motor and wait for everything to cool down. Hopefully, between the extra protection afforded by using Mobil1 exclusively and the quickness of my reaction, I was able to stop in time to prevent the delicate Aluminum Engine Head from warping.

(Whew... What a week...!)

Moving right along...

EDIT:

FROM HERE ON OUT...ALL THESE ACTIONS LEAD TO A NEAR DISASTER BECAUSE i SHOULD HAVE JUST REMOVED THE ENGINE HEAD FIRST BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THESE PROCEDURES!:

During the last effort, I was focused on prepping all the specialty bolt extraction tools and the top front engine area for the attempt to remove the 3 Broken Head Bolts in the front of the I-6. But, I had to stop the preliminary drilling using the Hitachi Reversible 3/8"-10MM Drill Non-Key Clutch was impacting against the inside of the Intake Camshaft. Upon further investigation using my High Quality, Highly Calibrated Ocular Light Reception Orbs, I "Eyeball Gauged" the reality that, even if I were to remove the entire dual overhead camshafts and hardware assemblies... the machined in angles adjacent most of the bolt holes presently occupied with the three broken bolts will ultimately prevent the introduction of practically any standard drill chuck.

So I dug in my heels and researched an array of Drill Bit Extenders (mostly made for woodworking...but Hey...if I can adapt any or all of these to the present need for more drilling freedom... so be it...). I have ordered almost all of these, partly because their spec sheets all don't specify the ID of the tool where the bit is introduced and tightened into place with a pair of hex screws. As soon as these adapters arrive... I will get back to working on removing the "Three Stooges" stuck inside my GM 4.2L Engine Block. The one other thing I added as a Just In Case scenario was to pick up a good quality, but fairly inexpensive Jacob's Drill Chuck that sports 1/2" (13MM) drill diameters and which is almost universal among the major electric drill and grinder manufacturing companies. (See the attached images)

 

[mrrsm]

Tried looking up in a few online microfiches, nada for bolts

@Mooseman Well... I know you are not going to believe me... but I had another one of those weird, inspirational, "Einstein Notepad & Pencil by the Lamp on the Nightstand" sort of moments during a foreshortened sleep cycle. You remember my dilemma about trying to find sturdy bolts of the proper length and thread pitch to be able to bolt the Engine Head Sling to the Intake Manifold side of the New Engine Head?... Well in this dream...I was speed searching in my mind all of the images I have posted out on Photobucketand I mean these images were flying by like I was flipping through the Tokyo, Japan Public Phone Book, like at a thousand pages per second looking for Mr. Miyagi from "The Karate Kid"!

And then, all of a sudden BAM!.... I had just jammed my index finger down on some random page and when I lifted it, the images I had taken months ago of the Gerotor Oil Pump were RIGHT there. I could clearly see two or three shots of the Gerotor Viton Oil Seal, surrounded by the Oil Pump FASTENERS. And I woke up suddenly and blurted out, "Helloooooo Mr. Miyagi!" I got up off the couch, grabbed my cane and hobbled into the back BR where all of the parts of this project are boxed up and waiting to go in. I rifled through the small one holding the Gerotor pump and opened up the Zip-lock Bag holding Viton Seal and Fine Thread Black Steel Hex Headed Screws.

I lifted the top of Big Plastic Baby Cradle holding the New Head...and after tilting that 90 Lb unit slightly, I tried threading several of them dry and clean into one of the Intake Manifold mounting holes... And you know what?... They all threaded right on down! I busted out LOL ...mostly just because I'm astonished how that process can happen when I am sleeping and dead to the world...but not think of it when I am wide and staring deliberately and intentionally right at the Engine Head. I mean really... How weird is that? The photos tell an even better story and I am happy to report to The Nation" that this problem has been solved WITHOUT me having to leave the house and wander around Home Depot bumping into "The Great Unwashed" in the Fastener Hardware Aisle... :>)

It's starting to thunder right now and a brewing, big storm is rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico... so I think I'll try and catch me Forty Winks. Who knows... maybe someday, I'll dream up a solution to the problem of World Peace... starting with the Middle East.

 

[mrrsm]

EDIT:

IN SPITE OF MY EFFORTS AT BEING CLEVER IN SOLVING THIS "UPLIFTING" PROBLEM... I LATER CAME UP WITH A VERY SIMPLE MEANS OF LIFTING THE HEAD OFF OF THE ENGINE BLOCK BY SNAKING A CLEAR VINYL COVERED BICYCLE CHAIN DIAGONALLY BETWEEN THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST CAMSHAFTS WHILE SECURING THEIR POSITIONS WITH A CAMSHAFT HOLD DOWN TOOL. THIS TECHNIQUE WORK FLAWLESSLY!

Okay... The two primary Drill Adapters finally arrived and as usual, I had to do my Macguyver imitation to marry the Special Bolt Extraction Drills to the interior of each extension. In the case of the Extreme Angle Pilot Drill... I found an intermediate Steel Sleeve that made up the distance precisely between the OD of the shank of the drill and the interior space of the Long Adapter. That was almost TOO easy...so I continued on with trying to fit the 5/32" Revers Drill Bit into the other smaller ID 6" long adapter and of course, I had to put on my Thinking Cap to realize what I came up with as a fairly simple and effective method of closing the linear ID of the extension: I took a pair of S/S Kitchen Shears and cut out a segment from the side of an Aluminum Cat Food can into a 3/4" wide strip about 2" long and then I simply wrapped it around the shank of the Reverse Drill Bit...and by removing small slices of the Aluminum bit by bit I was able to find a nice tight fit between all three components. If I get the chance tomorrow, I will put a little Red Thread-Locker on the all of the small Hex-head Locking Screws for both of these tools and return to working on the extraction of the infamous "Three Stooges" Broken Head Bolt Segments.

 

[mrrsm]

Several days ago, I took @Mooseman to heart on his recommendation that I follow my own advice and walk away (in my case that meant *Hobbling with Cane Assist*) from working on the “$85,000.00 GM 4.2L Engine Repair for a few and days and try to enjoy my Thanksgiving without the distraction and worry concerning the removal of the three broken head bolts. And so just as he suggested... having a break was very helpful and then yesterday, I spent some time using the preparation of the Fellowes Oil as a Cutting Oil and followed on with using those amazing woodworking drill adapters to clear the narrow and obstructive areas of the Aluminum Engine Head and also the camshaft obstructions.

I first tried using the Extreme Angle Pilot Drill and then found a very small telescoping Pocket Pen Magnet stuck to the inside of my Roll-Around Tool Chest and test as to whether it was cutting the metal on the top of the broken bolt at all. I was pleasantly surprised when it slid all the way to the bottom of the holes in the Engine Head and it collected an abundance of steel metal particles and shavings from the first preparation drilling. Keep in mind that I merely wanted to have a concave hollow space at the very top of the Broken Off Bolt Stub and also create a small hole drilled counter-clockwise at very slow speed to serve as a guide to any errant drilling motions and guide the drill point of the Reverse Twist Carbide 3/16” Drill Bit downwards in a funneling action that would keep me from drilling off-angle into the threads of the hole inside the Aluminum Engine Block. This seemed to work very well, and upon feeling the drill tip and finding it cool to the touch, I could see that the Cutting Oil was doing its job very nicely.

Next I employed the other drill-to-drill-bit-extender with the 3/16” Counter-Clockwise Cobalt Drill Bit and had to use substantial downward pressure to get the drill to start cutting...but once the backwards facing flutes got a firm bite into the metal...with staggered heavy downward pressing and multiple stopping times to allow the device to cool down, it managed to very effectively drill down into the bolts leaving proof of its success on the tip of the magnetic probe as abundant oily blobs of the pulverized metal. It is worth mentioning that by using the rolled strip of aluminum cut from the cat food can and then dripping Red Thread Locker down inside in quantity and then tightening down both Hex Head Lock Screws... both Special Drill Bits remained locked in place and did not slip once during these dual drilling episodes. I managed to finish drilling out two of the three bolts until the afternoon shadows from the house began blocking the direct sunlight around the TB and driveway. This somehow coaxed out every hungry mosquito in the western hemisphere to descend upon my back and arms and drive me damned near insane enough to want to to quit early. I needed to stop anyway as my back surgery serves as a constant proof and reminder of the need for me to pace my work on this project.

I should note that I tried using the Cobalt-Carbide Left-Handed Thread Bolt Extractor held by a 10MM Impact Deep Socket that gave nice access to being able to turn the tool... but I could not get the tool to reverse itself downward into the hollowed out bolt and get a good enough grip to back the bolt out. What I suspect is that it will be necessary to blow out all of the Cutting oil residue and remaining small pieces of metal and then and spray some Brake Cleaner down inside the hole to make the metal surfaces inside cleaner and more inclined to allow the tool to grab the bolt surfaces inside. Doing so might also help to prevent the tool from just spinning there in place.

That job will happen today... but just know that even if the Bolt Extraction Procedures underway while the Aluminum Engine Head is still sitting atop the Engine Blocks turn out to be unsuccessful... at the very least...when I pull the head with “The FrankenLifter Hoist”... the preparatory drilling of these holes into the three misbehaving broken off bolts will make it easier to work more directly upon them. All of this work completed so far serves to prevent the unnecessary risk of damaging the areas around the flat surface of the Aluminum Engine Block if I had to drill out the bolts without having the engine head in place. One way or another, I will complete these extractions as soon as possible..

Here are some useful Youtube Instructional Videos on How to remove Broken Off Steel Bolts from Aluminum Engine and Manifolds:

This is arguably the Very Best Video of How to Extract a Broken Bolt with Drilling AND the Use of a MIG Welder AND the use of a Nut to accomplish the job. At the very least... it is a Proof of Concept to any doubters that this is even remotely possible to pull off and not ruin the Engine Block or Manifold:

Note that this Mechanic was very clever when he employed the use of a 10 penny Finish Nail as a post weld lever and only made contact with the broken stud a little at a time so as to minimize any damage to the Aluminum substrate:

This Mechanic patiently drills out a Broken Steel Bolt lodged in an Aluminum Head and does so in a manner of short, controlled drilling motions, punctuated by spraying lubricant inside the the offending bolt hole that serves to cool down the friction heat and prevent him from either breaking any drill bits or over heating them by being too anxious to get the job done or disrespectful of what will happen if he snaps off the drill inside the broken bolt. Patience is always the byword and a real ally to any Mechanic who finds him/herself in this predicament:

 

[mrrsm]

This is a small side bar...but since it relates directly to the Broken Bolt Problem and the actual performance of the Broken Bolt Extraction Tool Kit... I think it is worth covering:

I had been lurking and looking on eBay for some time now for a set of 4th Gen Late Model Pontiac Firebird 10 Spoke Silver Rims that I wanted to get to replace the tired "Salad Shooters" on my 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28, but on average they were running used for around $600-$800 and FINALLY... some guys in upstate NY were parting out performance cars and placed a decent, clean full set out on eBay for only $200.00... so I grabbed them.

They arrived yesterday morning and while I sitting on a plastic folding chair trying to tidy and scrub them up before a trip to AK Tires in Clearwater for the swap, I could see my neighbor diligently cutting his grass (yeah... Florida... in December, huh?.....go figure, right?) and suddenly on almost the last leg of his lawn cutting efforts, the rear axle drive wheel of his Honda Lawn Mower just snapped off and he came to an abrupt halt. So I knew how this event would progress, but I wanted to give Gary some time to decide if he would be able to fix the problem. He knows me well enough from prior occasions that whenever my neighbors are in trouble, I never refuse them requests for help... (within reason).

So after he eyeballed and assessed his situation, he finally crossed the road and approached me with, "Bob... How is it going... Listen... I think I just broke a bolt off in the back wheel of the Honda Mower... I have been meaning to change them out for some time... so I have all the new wheels and hardware"....." But.... Do you know how to get out a Broken bolt?"

I was still sitting and beamed him a broad smile and said, "Sure Gary... Wheel it on over here and lets get that thing out of there." He sense of relief was profound and he smiled back with, "Really...? Awww Man... That would be GREAT!" So I brought out the three Broken Bolt Removal Kits and cobbled together the three required tools to do the job. After propping up the mower on an angle, I didn't even bother Center Punching the broken off bolt...I just used the Extreme Angle Pilot Drill to prime the top of the bolt and then went right to using the 3/16" Left Hand Twist Drill bit held by a Ryobi Cordless Drill...and I swear in just a few seconds... it drilled backwards into the top of the broken bolt only to a depth of about 1/16" and then... it unwound and removed that Broken Bolt segment like it was BUTTER... and all done in about 2 minutes!

I said..." Gary... why don't you go get all your New Wheel Hardware and we'll put them all on right now... I've got some spray de-greaser and some Red Thread Locker and we'll have it all done in no time. " And so within the span of 10 minutes or less... he went from a catastrophic dead stop caused by a broken axle bolt... to being "Wheels Up" and Number One of the Lawn Mower Runway... in nothing flat. You have just GOT to love it when a plan comes together! I headed off to AK Tires and so I managed to put Eight (8) Wheels back on solid ground yesterday...!

 

[mrrsm]

Okay... Just a short update of the status of things:

Unfortunately, I have to divert to another "Mission Creep Prior Project" involving the complete replacement of the entire front end of my DD: 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 as I just discovered all of my neglected Brake Pads have thinned down to the point where you could read the headlines of The Daily News through them.

Even though I have stockpiled ALL Brand New LS1 Replacement Hardware: Discs, Pads, Knuckles, Hub-Axles, Upper and Lower A-frames with New Ball joints, Coil Springs, Monroe McPherson Struts, LS1 Brakes, Calipers and Pads.... In order for me to get to the pile of all this Brand New Hardware, first... I will need to clean my two-car garage. I have been out there working at it now for the last few days and it has been a long time since the place was ship-shape. God... I can remember when I could walk from one end to the other and scrub the deck with powdered wash soap and hose the damned thing out. Now... I can barely get a few feet inside the joint. So THAT has to be the priority before I can continue on with the TB. I'm about to head back out there and "hit it" again.

In doing so, hopefully I will also finally have enough room to push "The FrankenLifter" Hybrid Hydraulic Electric Hoist out of the back of the garage and out under the TrailBlazer and remove the busted GM 4.2L Atlas Engine Head and finally get back on this mission and see how the Electric Hoist portion functions after all the fanfare. I will probably document this job in photos for the 4th Gen F-Body sites... but since I don't see a separate section for "Other Vehicle Projects" here on GMT Nation... I won't be able to share the work directly with any members here who own F-Body style vehicles as well as the GMT vehicles. It should prove challenging but very interesting... especially when I get to try out my Front End Alignment Tools and Tactics to set the camber and caster and front end alignment, with a bit of toe-in, square to rights. I think everyone will get a real kick out of that process...

 

[mrrsm]

Because of the issues involving safety and because "The FrankenLifter" is extensively mentioned here... I am posting the information I entered over on my "Hybrid Hydraulic Electric Hoist" post:

Okay... I finally was able to play Garage Rubik's Cube well enough to make the necessary room I needed to finally test out "The FrankenLifter". I conducted a pretty good series of very successful tests and I observed some issues regarding Common Sense Safety that I will address below. I posted the 42 additional images on my Photobucket at this link:

http://s557.photobucket.com/user/60dgrzbelow0/library/HYBRIDHYDRAULICELECTRICHOIST?sort=3&page=1

A Word or Two about How to Use this Device SAFELY!

If you create your version of this device or use the design I have described, you assume full and entire responsibility and liability for doing so and shall hold harmless all, corporations, entities, and persons, living, dead and even those not born yet, harmless for any actions you take regarding the use of this device in every imaginable manner.

Do NOT....:

Do NOT Run the Hoist Cable all the way to the Top Outer Pulley and THEN also try to use the Hydraulic Lift Pump handle afterwards! DOING THIS IS DANGEROUS!
Why? Because when the cable Hook is foreshortened right up against the Upper Pulley... actuating the Hydraulic Arm has enough built in force to PULL THE CABLE TO HOOK CLEAN APART ...WITH OBVIOUS DISASTROUS RESULTS!
What should I do instead?
First... if you need a greater lift angle from the Lift Arm...you should lower the cable hook to be below the upper support arm by AT LEAST ONE FOOT! Then as you use the Hydraulic Jack Handle to elevate the Lift Arm...you will notice that as the Lift Arm rises... the Cable Hook to Upper Pulley distance will get closer and closer to one another ...if need be ...keep lowering the cable again to keep at a least 1 Foot between them. Once the Lift Arm is where you want it... THEN you can use the Electric Hoist to once again raise the object on the hook much higher and not risk snapping the cable!
Do NOT hold the cable while the hoist is being actuated either Up or Down.
Why? Because you can have your hand crushed and your fingers amputated if you get them caught between the Hook End and the Upper Pulley attached at the Lift Arm.
Do NOT allow a Second Person or an Assistant to actuate the device on their own when you are near the cable or working on anything being suspended.
Why? Because if you get snagged on anything...he won't react fast enough to stop it!
Do NOT hoist ANYTHING and then work on it while it is suspended just from the Hoist Cable.
Why? "The FrankenLifter" is like a hydraulic jack... in that you would NEVER get under a vehicle unless the vehicle is safely sitting on Jack Stands. Likewise with "The FrankenLifter" If you intend to work on anything suspended by the Hoist Cable...you MUST use a Strong SAFETY HOIST CHAIN to secure the suspended item to the Hydraulic Lift Arm... just in case the Hoist Cable SNAPS!
Do NOT place any part of your body or hands underneath any objects being lifted.
Why? In case the Cable Snaps and you get crushed, injured or killed when the object being lifted falls on you!
Do NOT allow children, family members or by-standers anywhere NEAR this device when it is being used.
Why? Because this device can be DANGEOUS to the Uninformed, the Unaware, and the Incompetent who may encounter it and think it would be fun to try and use it like a Toy!

 

[mrrsm]

Follow up on "The FrankenLifter"...

Yesterday... As I was lowering the Chains of the nasty 350 Lt1 Project Motor... I noticed that the motor had a distinctive "Forward Lean" and even though it looked right when I was putting the H-F 1,000 Lb Stand together....it just looked like something was really wrong. So I used the Electric Hoist feature again after doubling checking the fastener tightness of the twin chain harness and when the weight of the engine vs. The Stand was free... I pulled the Lock/Roll Pin and slid the "Black Tube " out of the "Orange Frame Tube" and inspected everything thing about it...top to bottom. Sure enough... I had put the upright frame on back-a**wards and so I rectified this problem in a matter of just a few minutes. So I guess the moral of the story is...

"If it Looks Wrong... It IS Wrong... Fix it Right Away..."

I'll be more careful in the future...

 

[mrrsm]

I know that some of us have been wondering why this project seems to have dropped off the radar because, "Bob has been sitting on his Big Ass and not doing anything about it..." and to some degree... of absolute necessity... its true. I'm dealing with sufficient nerve damage and swelling in my left leg from the cause, origin and surgical outcome that brought me to GMT Nation in the first place back in October of 2015.

Since then I have had a "One Step Forward--Two Steps Back" rehab situation that no matter how much of my enthusiasm for doing things on a whole range of mechanical projects is always driving me... I have to listen to the Old Body and give it the rest it needs... when it needs it. So... I am as frustrated as most of you are about getting to the end of this Atlas Engine Repair Nightmare as soon as possible.

Meanwhile... I have not been sitting entirely on my hands in trying to move things along... albeit at a Snail's pace...there were other GMT Nation threads and contributions from other Members that may prove serendipitous in this case and very helpful on this very project. The latest example involves a thread concerning an Overheating Exhaust Manifold penned here by @webdawg that made me sit up and take extreme notice. This occurred when he examined the interior of his CAT using an inexpensive Low-Light Endoscopic Camera capable of getting into very tight locations and using its own light source of six (6) Variable level LEDs... and managed to take extremely useful and definitive images of the conditions inside the CAT that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye.

I considered his report of the event and after looking at his images, I decided to purchase one (under $30 Free S&H via Amazon) and hope that the reported 10 MM OD of the tubular lens would be sufficiently narrow to stuff down the Head Bolt Holes of the three remaining broken head bolt shanks that remain to be extracted so far in the pace and present stopping point of this complicated repair.

The attached images show an Aluminum Coke Can being used as a common scale sizing reference object when using this camera at various distances to test the focal plane and image quality while using the variable light level adjustment dial to test the device at very Low Lux conditions. What you see in the images tells the story and shows why this device should be in the hands of every GMT Owner. In our present situation... when I can navigate out to the TB... I will use this device by snaking it down into the three bolt holes to examine my prior work in drilling them in preparation for extraction. Afterwards... I'll post the results here and describe what actions I took in response to seeing the broken bolt shanks "up close and personal".

I can see the value in using this device to examine areas inside of the 4.2L Engine in ways that would be very helpful in determining the absence or presence of broken or damaged parts and the condition of some mechanical devices that would otherwise be impossible to view without being dismantled. Soon I will test this theory by looking over the Aluminum Wedge in its present state between the Front Cover Support Bolt and the Pressure Pad of the Timing Chain Tensioner to ensure it REALLY is properly located. Those of us working on 4WD Gear Box and Trans-Axle problems would appreciate being able to get still shots and actual AVI movies of the tool in action to take the guess work out certain repairs as well.

As far as the speed at which I can accomplish the job to the end... I remember the Old Proverb that the Jiu-Jitsu Fighter-Detective, Mr. Moto mentioned about being determined AND patient in one of his old Suspense-Mystery movies to a Police Chief who was in too much of a hurry to close a case. I am paraphrasing it here:

"Slowly... Slowly... Catchee Monkey..."

Big Props... and Huge "Thank You"... to @webdawg for bringing this Great Idea to all the members of GMT Nation!

 

[mrrsm]

View attachment 74740 View attachment 74741 View attachment 74742 View attachment 74743 View attachment 74744 View attachment 74745 View attachment 74746 View attachment 74747 The attached images include some Screen Prints from the first two movies in Post #57 that cover some concerns specific to the R&R of this Engine with embedded questions and comments on each image. I think some help from @Mooseman is probably necessary for the definitive answers required.

As for the subject of assembling the valve train AFTER the de-nuded engine head has been installed back onto the engine block... this will prove to be an unnecessary burden that can be avoided by simply assembling all of the valve train components (except the Timing Gears) onto the head while it is sitting conveniently on the bench... using the special Camshaft Holding Tool to align both camshafts just prior to and while installing the head back on the engine.

It is essential that the Special Camshaft Alignment Tool remain in place at the back of the head in the horizontal position with the two camshaft flats facing upwards, both before..and during the Bench Assembly and also while doing the final Engine Head Installation to avoid damaging either the piston tops or bending the valves when putting the head in place on the engine block on top of a brand new head gasket.

 

[Mooseman]

I'm not an "all knowing, all seeing" mage but I think I can answer one of your questions. The two hoses attached to the back of the head are vent hoses for the transmission and transfer case. Shouldn't be too complicated to remove, could probably do it as the head is being lifted off. Just going from memory when I did my engine swap 5 years ago, there isn't anything else attached to the back of the head IIRC.

My only concern with your plan of installing the cams on the bench is even if everything is properly indexed with the cam holding tool, some valves will be open and can be damaged if bumped on anytime during the installation process. If they're closed, at least they are protected in the combustion chamber. I would think that's the reason why the manual says to install the cams after the head is in place. Just less risk.

 

[mrrsm]

@Mooseman = "Mage" "Guardian Angel"... and ... "GENIUS"... THANKS!!!

Will do on removing those connections AFTER I have the Old Head unbolted and on its way upwards so I can sneak around behind block and unfasten whatever happens to be attached to the head.

As ever... Your abundance of Common Sense and Caution has prompted yet another opportunity for me to Brainstorm and Break some New Ground. And so it goes without saying... that since I am assuming all the risk, engine parts and tools... (...and life and limb have ALREADY taken a toll from the very beginning of this project) ...as "The Guinea Pig" of my own ideas.... I am NOT advocating that ANYONE try to perform this unorthodox procedure. I am NOT making a recommendation here! I am simply going to document what happens with anything that occurs in the future of this work... and be absolutely honest as to whether anything Good...or Bad... comes from what follows:

The Irony here is that @Mooseman 's observations that doing things "By the Book" should be the First Order of the Day during all phases of this work prompted my thinking about a possible alternative solution. I am going to try something that my mechanical instincts tell me will work... but I have the advantage of A Brand New Engine Head to examine on the spot, photograph and develop a strategy to solve this problem without having to resort to the using the OEM Procedures... So ... Follow the Instructions in the Manuals and NOT what you are about to see here:

Here is What I Have in Mind to Do:

(1) I un-boxed the New Engine Head and using a Large Crescent Wrench... I carefully rotated the Intake and Exhaust Camshafts at the HEX location near the #1-#2 cylinders so that the Camshaft Flats were situated flat and horizontal, in a face-up condition.

(2) I examined and photographed the positions inside the Cylinder Head and found that when the #1 Piston is perfectly located at TDC (Top Dead Center)...the Intake Valves are open in the #2 Cylinder while the Exhaust Valves are open in the #3 Cylinder... ALL other Valves in the other Cylinders #1 , #4, #5 and #6 were completely closed. (See Attached Images)

(3) It occurred to me that by using the New Head Gasket as a Template.... I can Prepare a Laminated Cushion out of Soft Cardboard as an Impact Barrier approximately 3/4" thick to match the shape of the open upper Engine Block and then cut and fix them together for the purpose of laying the temporary soft barrier on top of the BARE Engine Block and taping it down... after I HAVE SLICED THE BARRIER DOWN THE MIDDLE to create Two Halves as the means for their ease of use and later...for their ease of extraction from either side of the engine block at the appropriate time during the Engine Head Lowering and Installation Procedures.

(4) It also occurred to me that since I have a unique advantage of employing the use of "The FrankenLifter" Hybrid Hoist... I will be able to lower down or elevate the Engine Head using micro-graduations... allowing for any necessary slight adjustments as the Engine head comes down to its permanent resting position on top of the Head Gasket and ensure that any of the exposed Valves inside #2 and #3 Cylinder Engine Head positions will NOT bang against anything and become damaged.

(5) I think I can further improve this possibility of proper alignment and damage control by preparing Four Extra-Long Head Bolts that can be inserted from the Top Down near each of the four positions, thereby pre-aligning the Head to the Block. At the right moment... these "pinbolts" will allow for the careful removal of each half of the Soft Engine Head Protective Cardboard Barrier Halves... and continue using the lightly threaded long bolts at four points to act as the Final Guide:

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View attachment 74770

 

[Mooseman]

For me, the "book" is just an initial guide. Rarely do I actually follow it to the letter. If I can use a shortcut, I do but I have been burned in the past.

If your cams are already installed, I wouldn't take them off neither and use extreme caution. The extra long bolts with the heads cut off is an excellent idea and may even negate the need for the cardboard cushion. Once the head is threaded onto the headless bolts, it can go only into the proper position. The lifter will make it easy to do.

You are a brave man. I would not tackle this job, opting to just get another truck.

 

[mrrsm]

Thanks... @Mooseman ... "Praise from Caesar..." is indeed helpful ...and has been very encouraging all along while on this "Campaign" and I am very grateful to have it...

I've been re-thinking the "Headless Bolts" part of this soon-to-be-tried Experimental Procedure and I have decided to go against Henry VIII and just leave the Hexed Bolt Heads right where they should be and simply getting much longer matching Metric sized bolts to act as Guide Pins. These will have to be at least 2" longer than the measured length of one of the 14 Long Head Bolts at 6.15" or 156.25 mm in Length...which means that I will need Four of them around 8" Long to do the Trick (... I know Guys... There is Bad Joke in here...Somewhere... LOL)

But the "Not So Funny" issue now ...is that while I have a precise known length involved...for the life of me... I could NOT find the Metric Bolt MM Size or Thread Count...Neither at the Fel-Pro site ...Nor listed or mentioned anywhere on the factory Fel-Pro Box that the Bolts came in. Also none of my usual "Deep Mind Googling" tricks came up with anything solid enough to trust. So if there is anybody out there in GMT Nationland who knows what the "GM Atlas Engine Metric Head Bolt Size" Secret Sauce is... I could use the recipe so I can keep moving this project A"HEAD"...

What WOULD be helpful is having this to search for the specifications...