welding a nut to a snaped bolt with a engine head.

[jord4n]

hi all

looking for advise on just welding a steel nut to a steel bolt which has snaped very close ( only 1mm sticking out) from the head on my vw golf engine.

i think the head is alloy so what are the implications for this, or should i just tack
the nut ont he bolt and go for it.

only just got the golf on satday and all ready have had a bolt snap on me.

thanks

jordan

 

[wyn]

If there is only 1 mm sticking out try welding a washer to the stud then a nut to the washer.

 

[jord4n]

good idear, was thinking that to..

im more worryed about the head melting as i got told the alloy head dont like welders or is this rubbish

 

[wyn]

As long as you're only welding the steel bits it should be ok.

The heat from the welding should also help free it up......But let the weld cool down before trying to undo it.

If that doesn't work then it's on to drilling it out

 

[jord4n]

thanks Wyn, top banana!

 

[Sparkey]

VW Golf eh? sweet!!! what type is it?
Got an mk3 myself and had an mk2 before thisone....aaahhh gotta love'em!

 

[bucko]

i love golfs lol
wen i can aford i wont to put vag 1.8t in a mk 1 golf or mk 2 pickup

 

[jord4n]

its a mk2 driver with a gti engine in as is ed only got it satday, went to give it a flush out last night and trying to undo the water hose on the side of the engine that comes fromt he matrix, and bang the bolt jsut snaped.

tbh this is my 1st golf iv had if it carrys on like this it will be my last

 

[bucko]

you cant abondon it it like terning you back on a kid its a pain in the asre but its worth it in the end

 

[jord4n]

we'll have to see, really looking for info on ally heads as im sceard its going to melt

 

[bucko]

i would of thort it would be ok for welding a nut on but just take your time and do it in cople of go's to keep the heat build up down if your wored

 

[jaykay]

ease-it -out?????

 

[zzr1200]

ease-it -out?????

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/snap-on-screw...39:1|66:4|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 .............

 

[hotrodder]

Jord4n,
Don't worry about the head, unless you miss and arc up on the head itself it'll be fine. Even if you were to miss a large chunk of ally (like a cylinder head) takes some serious heat to melt as Al's such a good conductor of heat- when i weld cylinder heads and the like (repair/modify) it takes some serious preheat before my 200A TIG can make a proper weld puddle

As said, weld a washer on the remains followed by a nut if using a MIG (i typically use stick or TIG and just build up a pad of weld before welding a nut on or using a stilson to unscrew it) and let it cool before trying to remove- the heat from welding will result in expansion which'll almost certainly break the corrosion and leave it loose once it's cooled

If you snap off a screw extractor in the stud/bolt you'll be left with a hardened chunk of (almost undrillable) steel right where you'd want to drill

 

[piman]

Hello Jordan,

as the head is a large lump of aluminium alloy, it conducts the heat away from it very quickly.
As suggested, weld on a washer first, that won't take a lot of heat. Quench with a wet towel, if you like then weld the nut on and quench again.

Alec

 

[knoba]

I agree with the heating method and have used it a few times with good results. The washer should protect the surrounding area from any of the more serious spatter / parent burn-away (if there is any). Most times putting a nice big hot MIG lug on the stud end is enough to able to unscrew it easily. Expansion of the surrounding parent metal, is partly, part of the freeing process. To get all of that stud nice and hot you'll have to keep the heat on for a fair few seconds though.

Stud extractors can cause more work & damage than they mean to solve.

 

[zardoz]

Ally takes more heat to melt than people realize, as it dissipates the heat much quicker than steel.

 

[fingers99]

It won't melt -- at least, not doing what is proposed here.

Yes, aluminium melts at lower temperatures than steel, but it's also a much better conductor of heat, and the engine is a lot bigger than the little nut. Effectively it'll just leech the heat away from it. The heat will almost certainly break the bond (caused by years of corrosion) between the steel and the alloy.

I tend to leave it till it's just warm. then get a spanner on it.

Next time, use plus gas!

I like the Mk.1 (apart from the brakes!), but without a turbo or a V6 the others are just Cinquecento turbo fodder.

 

[jord4n]

sorted now welded a thin square nut stright onto what was sticking out job done, came out like butter. plus the HEAD DIDNT MELT lol

thanks for all the advise, even tho i read from post no.12 this morn

all good stuff and can get out in it.

pluys im sure ill be back on here when it comes to stich welding my nova rally car shell up.

jordan

 

[piman]

Hello Jordan,

if you are talking about seam welding, I can't remember the name of a comany that used to to Ford's Escorts and they brazed the seams?

Alec