How do I remove a stripped m10 head bolt?
 

Can I pound a torx bit in or drill head off?

Unfortunately I can weld anything to the bolt.

Any ideas...

What car/engine?

The head is stripped, or the threads? I'll assume the head.

You can drill the bolt head off, it will release rather suddenly though and that probably isn't very good for the head.

I've had good luck with the IRWIN internal-helix easy-out sockets available at Autozone/Napa/Advance Auto/et al. (used on OM603 head bolts).

you will have to drill a pilot hole then fit an extractor in it to remove it. If that doesnt work you will need to drill the hole and tap it.

300sdl

I doubt you could use a screw extractor.

Try these first!
 

Assuming its a M10 XZN head bolt and that you've stripped out the head before you go crazy on it you should try these"

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/irw53227.html

You can use the largest one that will barely fit, pound it into the stripped hole and maybe get it out that way. They don't always work but when they do it saves a lot of other work to get to the happy ending. The other style with internal flutes which fit outside the bolt head also work good if you can get them onto the bolt head.

Using a small pencil type torch to direct heat onto the damaged bolt head just before you apply force to it is a good technique, you don't need it red hot or anything like that, "too hot to touch" might give you just enough elongation to make things possible under these bad circumstances.

I've never had or heard of someone stripping out one of these bolt heads who was being careful and using a high quality tool!

use the Force Luke !!!!
 

Whack it with a 2lb hammer and pin punch inside the socket head several times . Hopefully it will get broken a bit loose. Or you could pound your 12pt bit in with one of those manual impact drivers that you hit with a hammer.
Get all the rest of the head bolts out first before destroying your tools though. If these do not break it loose go ahead and try the torx bit it might work. If all else fails drill the bolt head off & pull the head straight up over the bolt stub. You should be able to get the stub out with a stud extractor or even vise grips. Cheers Dan

If you can drill the bolt I suggest you then tap it with a left hand thread...
and screw an aircraft quality left hand bolt into it...
this often works for me...
you will want a close fit on the threads to bolt... like 90 percent compared to the usual maybe 78 percent...and use a bottoming tap for the final tapping...
If you use a spiral grove tap it should be easier to get it started straight... it may be called a gun tap at your specialty nut and bolt place....
And put Kroil on it for a few days while you try to round up these proper tools... you can build up a lake with RTV around it... and let it sit as long as you are able...good stuff...

I assume that this is a Head bolt
 

If this is indeed a head bolt then it is several inches long & not necessary to drill all the way down to the block. If it is something else then I am off base. Cheers Dan

I'll try the pound in bolt extractor.

Just drill it out. Then when teh pressure is relieved and teh head removed, use vice grips. Use plenty of oil when your drilling and it should be out in 15 minutes and that includes the time to find a good drill bit.

If you choose to drill the head off, just do it. I've done this once and it didn't hurt the head, but I worried about it.

Do NOT remove the other bolts first, I suggest doing this with all of the other bolts tight so that you don't risk warping the head. If you remove all of the bolts except this one it is much more likely to warp the head, especially if it's an aluminum one.

There will be plenty of bolt shank to grip to extract the bolt once the head is removed, and it will likely turn out by hand.

I wonder?
 

Any thoughts as to how this advice contradicts the head bolt removal procedure, sequence, and cautions detailed in the FSM particularly regarding the relatively long length of this in-line six alloy head and the price for a replacement. Do you suppose that having a single bolt torqued to spec out of the 26 total securing the cylinder head in position is advised? Unless of course you already know its trash and it will be un-salvageable.

reverse drill bits.
 

Ya' know, the ones that cut anti-clockwise. VERY handy for stuck bolts. Have you tried tightening the bolt? If you can get it to move, even 1/64th of a turn tighter, it will probably come out with a reverse bit and/or an easy out.

I like the 2 lb sledge hammer idea, too. Impact is a wonderful thing!

Jay.

Just a note to anybody who might be wanting to take off these head bolts with the allen tops:

This problem was most probably caused by not clenaing out the recess in the top of the bolt where the allen fits in. If you clean that out and are very diligent about getting the allen pushed down all the way I don't believe you will ever strip out the insides. You also need to be very careful about keeping it straight while you are applying torque. You have to put one hand on the top of the joint between the arm and the axle of the breaker bar and hold it straight as you apply force. This job is not for the faint of heart and does take some strength to do.

They take a tremendous amount of torque to break loose. Each one which is removed with the breaker bar with cheater applied will feel like something is going to break just before it breaks loose, but nothing ever does. Use a good quality breaker bar though.

I have a craftsman and I use a 3/4" piece of conduit that is about 16" long as a cheater bar. It is just a little too small to slip on and has to be pounded on which is nice because it stays that way. I generally just leave it on there.

A highly experienced and wealthy mechanic such as yourself out to treat himself to a proper 18" breaker bar.;)