Need some help getting what's left of thermovac out of intake manifold

Was trying to remove thermovac from intake manifold port in preparation for new gauge sender for water temp on triple gauge install. Made a mistake when I put this part in about a year ago by not using any antiseize. Couldn't budge it with a wrench. Wound up breaking top off to expose brass fitting. Couldn't get off with sockets and tried to chisel off part. Not much left on top and can not get a wrench, channel locks, or vice grips on it. Bought a set of easy outs and still can't break it loose with the largest shaft one. Even borrowed a friend's propane torch and heated up part to no avail. Wasn't my day as I even broke off the knob on the torch for cutting the fuel on! I'll need to buy 2 torches now with one to replace the one I broke. I don't want to have to take the intake off and don't want to drill out what's left as I'll get brass shaving in water jackets. What can and should I do at this point?? I need a game plan folks. Any and all help greatly appreciated. I stopped on it for today but will regroup in a few days after hearing from you experts. Why is it that what are perceived to be the easy tasks turn out to be the catastrophes?? o No:

 

ouch....

Sounds like your intake may need some special attention by the machine shop.

Is this on a cast iron intake? You must have really muscled that thing on there when you put it on last:eek2: I got mine off pretty easily and it had been on there for 30 years:gt: But the temp sending unit was a different story. Yeah I didn't get that one off...It's still sitting in the attic with half stuck inside it.

 

Yes, it's on the stock factory cast iron intake. Wish I hadn't tightened quite so much.:ball:

This may prevent my GS from getting to the Reynolds meet for the second consecutive year!! Maybe I can get it fixed and sorted out before Nov. 7th. Man... this really bums me out.:gt:

 

Forget propane. Not hot enough. I've got no experience with MAPP gas, but it's supposed to be hotter.

If l was you, I'd step right up to oxy-acetelyne. Warm the manifold up, spin it out. I'd also do it with the manifold bolted to the engne. "maybe" having it bolted down will prevent any warpage.

 

I hate to say it, but if you really want the car by the 7th, I say yank the manifold off and drill that sucker out. Pain in the butt, but hey I replaced a ball joint Saturday- I had to have the car for work, you know? And now I probably have lifter trouble, so off the manifold comes this weekend to fix her up. Gotta do what you gotta do Stinks, I know. Easier in the summer to deal with these things.

 

Last resort here. Use a dremel to cut into it. Cut a square as best you can so the nub of a 3/8s extension will fit in it. Have one of your buddies push down while you focus your energy on turning. If you can't cut a square into it, cut any shape the corresponds with any tool that you think will fit. You can even cut a single line in it like for a screwdriver, but instead of a screwdriver, use a four way wheel wrench with the one flat tip end. Good luck. I think outside the box for McGyver-like solutions as often as I need to. My success ratio is better than it should be!

 

I use times like these as excuses to go buy more tools.:Brow: :grin:

Good luck, sounds like most of its out already. I say drill it, a couple of brass shavings are not going to hurt anything. You should be able to shopvac them out anyways. Maybe you could have someone hold the vac nearby during drilling. o No:

 

Perhaps you could let some mouse milk work on the threads for a few days before applying the torque.

 

update... still not out yet

Well I bought a set of easy outs and used the largest one which had about a 3/8" shaft. Got it to thread pretty deep and put the torque to it. Sheared the easy out clean with the level of the brass fitting. Started drilling but it was a slow go in the brass. My dabate is now whether to continue drilling with the manifold on or remove the manifold for the drilling? I have another valley pan gasket. A friend of mine didn't want to use his oxy-acetelene torch on it if removed. Last option for me is to not get it drilled out, remove intake, and take to the machine shop. I'll start back again tommorrow. Trying to torque it out is no longer a possibility since the easy out is sheared and broken in the middle of this fitting level clean. Which route would you advise if this were your plan??

 

Personallly.... At this point I'd remove it and let a Machine shop handle it... They will have the tools to get it out, plus be able to fix any damage and check for warpage while its there. Plus... I wouldn't want all those metal shavings from drilling floating around in my engine:eek2:

Just my .02

Good Luck:TU:

 

Yeah, I think at this point you should pull it out and let a machinist do his magic. With the proper equiptment iit will be a quick fix without any more damage.
Been there - done the same thing. Split the cast. Tossed it!:ball:

 

Evans
Do you know if the easy-out drilled all the way through the bottom of the unit? If not, I would drive it to Reynolds as is, then do the removal/machine shop deal afterwards. I've driven years with one of those with the top broken off... Unless you think you can do the machine shop deal before Reynolds...
Unfortunately, I won't make Reynolds this year
:ball:

 

Another thing to think about. Grab a chisel, hammer and eye/ear protection. Knock the broken e-z out clockwise with the hammer 'n' chisel. MAYBE you can spin the broken chunk out! Drilling brass should be dead easy from there.

 

Evans
One additional tidbit...
I had to put the mechanical gauge in the original sending unit hole (pass side) and the factory sending unit in the thermovac hole. For some reason that water passage is more shallow on the thermovac side, and the bulb on the end of the mechanical sending unit was too long for the fitting to thread in.
Good luck

 

Finally got it out!! Yee Haw!

After several hrs, it's finally out with no foreseen damage. I decided to drill it out on the car without taking the intake off. My plan was to drill with a small size cobalt composition bit around the broken easy out shaft in an inner circle. I thought that may compromise the structural integrity of the piece allowing me then to work out the side chunks around the threads. When I got to almost a circle with the drilling, I took a hammer and whacked the center point on the broken shaft and saw it move ever so slightly. Then I was able to grasp the shaft with vice grips and the remainder of the fitting screwed out very nicely! For clean up, I took a drinking straw and duct taped the suction end carefully on the shop vac where the straw would suction and was able to get out best that I could the brass shavings from inside. This worked well! I also plumbed the gauge lines thru the main firewall grommet and mounted the triple gauge cluster under the dash with small C clips. Nick is right, that the auxillary mechanical water temp sender will not fit in the port where the thermovac was. Definitely too shallow and I had trial fitted that to an intake I had off the car. I did as Nick did and swapped the factory sender to thermovac port and vice versa. I have a couple of questions now with my gauge install. First is what color wires/ connectors is the one for factory clock? I want to hook my triple gauge lighting wire to it to retain lights only with main lights on and dimming capability. I have this wire/ connector I know as I've seen it I have an in-dash tach so it's dangling somewhere?? Second question is where the positive wire from volmeter attaches to alternator. At positive main connector at rear of alt? I suppose I can ground the lead from rear of gauge inside car under dash too? After those, I'll only need to hook up brass T fitting for oil pressure sender as I'm planning to use both the aux and factory ones. Thanks to all who helped with me on this thread and to those who may give me further insight. I'll have what's left of the brass fitting with me at Reynolds next month if anyone wants to see it. ou:

 

oh yeah... forgot one other thing

I did use teflon on the threads to the fittings this time in case anyone's wondering. Lesson learned there! :spank:

 

Your tach is using the same lighting wires that the clock would have used--two gray wires with black bulb holders. Clock power would be a yellow wire (I think), but that will be 12v all the time, not what you need...

I believe I tapped into the ashtray light for my gauges. I'll look today and post additional info.