Broken header bolt

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by jcslocum

Be very careful with the easy out. They are brittle like candy canes and very, very hard. If you break it off in there it will NOT drill out. Heat is your friend here, I will disagree with Ben above (he makes a great shifter!!) about the heating. Heat the surrounding head area to grow the hole larger not the bolt. Propane might not be hot enough but it is worth the try. Propane isn't hot enough to harm aluminum so heat for 2 min and try to loosen. Then addd 2 more min. Then let it cool down and start again. Do not heat with the easy out in there.

What size have you drilled it out to???

Do you have all of the other studs out already???

Stomski makes this kit for exactly this job:

https://www.stomskiracing.com/products/boxster-996-997-exhaust-bolt-repair-kit

Please heed his advice. Take the easy out now and throw it away. It will break off and you will not get it out. I learned that lesson with a moto. I broke off an easy out in the motor case. It cost me $750 to have a machine shop use a laser to vaporise the easy out.

[tommy583]

Did you ever get this sorted out. I hope it ended well.

[brewerbry]

I was able to clean out all of the old bolt with a tap and the threads are strong enough for an original (new) Porsche header bolt to not only hold but get torqued down and not leak.

What a pain in the butt! I spent 2 hours very slowly and carefully cleaning out the hole with the tap and got lucky that I did not mar the original threads.

No more exhaust work on this car for me!!