broken crossmember bolt. need ideas

This is for my 92 cherokee with 3 inch lift. I am pulling the engine to swap in a newer one,and wanted to lower the transmission so i could reach the top 2 e12 bolts for the engine/transmission. well,I only got one of the crossmember bolts off before I quit for the day because it broke off flush with the "frame". what can i do to stop the other ones from breaking off? can i get pb blaster into the framerails and let it soak for awhile? what about the broken bolt? I guess i will have to try to drill it out and tap it with a bigger tap,right? I really don't want to cut up the "frame" or floor boards if i can avoid it. thanks

cjben said:

This is for my 92 cherokee with 3 inch lift. I am pulling the engine to swap in a newer one,and wanted to lower the transmission so i could reach the top 2 e12 bolts for the engine/transmission. well,I only got one of the crossmember bolts off before I quit for the day because it broke off flush with the "frame". what can i do to stop the other ones from breaking off? can i get pb blaster into the framerails and let it soak for awhile? what about the broken bolt? I guess i will have to try to drill it out and tap it with a bigger tap,right? I really don't want to cut up the "frame" or floor boards if i can avoid it. thanks

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Ez Out bit might get the bolt out with out you have to drill and then tap a new hole. I would try that 1st. If that does not work than drill and tap for a new bolt.

would heat work for the ones that aren't broke off(yet )? just a thought. i am not sure if it would since I can only heat the head of the bolt and not the threads.

cjben said:

would heat work for the ones that aren't broke off(yet )? just a thought. i am not sure if it would since I can only heat the head of the bolt and not the threads.

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yes, heat would possibly work. even though only the head is being heated directly, the rest of the bolt will also be heated because the metal conducts heat. it may or may not be enough to break the bond holding it in. overall, i have had good results with heat. just be carefull to know what is arround the area being heated and have a fire extinguisher handy if needed (within arms reach).

also, pb blaster supposidly has "capilary action" that pulls the product into the threads even when not sprayed directly. i use it extensively and still have had to deal with broken bolts. my favorite method of removal when i cant weld a nut onto it is to drill it out to just a bit smaller than the bolt size. then i take a dremel tool with a small grinding or borring bit and slice the "doughnut" out like a pie getting to just the start of the threads and using a punch to break the threads off and remove it slice by slice. it usually ruins the bits on a grade 8 bolt, but is easier for me than drilling and tapping.

hth
stewie

I took up my carpet, and drilled a 1.5 hole with a hole saw inbetween the unibody and put a regular bolt in there. Later I am gonna tack a nut or the bolt. But for now it works!

well,looks like i will be doing the hole saw thing. worked on it awhile tonight. the side with the broken bolt,the other bolt the nut is spinning in the frame. funny the passneger's side bolts came loose just fine