Snapped a bolt in a block at 6 PM on a Friday, here's what saved me

I was at my shop in Tulsa finishing up a head gasket job when the last manifold bolt sheared off flush with the deck. Tried the extractor set and it broke too, so I grabbed a cheap MIG welder, welded a nut onto the stub, and it backed out in one turn. Has anyone else had better luck with welding vs. extractors on seized bolts, or am I just getting lucky so far?

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1 Comment

shane_morgan15d ago

Thats exactly what I do now after the same thing happened to me on an old Ford manifold. I fought with extractors for two hours and they just kept snapping, then a buddy told me to try the welder. It took maybe ten minutes to build up the nut and it came out so smooth I almost laughed. Now I dont even bother with the extractor sets unless the bolt is sticking up enough to grab with vise grips, the heat from welding seems to break the rust loose better than anything else Ive tried.