Changed spark plugs today; snapped a COP bolt
 

Hey guys,

Due to rust probably, one of the bolt of the coils-on-plug (cop) snapped in half and is now stuck inside where it threads. Problem is, I can't thread the cop to the engine assembly. I replaced the spark plug anyway, put the cop back in with the wires plugged in. Engine runs fine and I did a 15 minutes drive in the mountains where there are dips and crests running high rev and low rev. No issues, no CEC light. The cop was still properly sit when I got back from my drive, but I expect that one day, it will pop out from the spark plug and this will create misfire. I am also concerned about moisture getting in if it gets loose.

Long story short : How can I remove the snapped bolt from the threads on the engine assembly ? I quickly tried with a vise-grip but it was destroying the bolt threads. It is very well stuck and I get about 1/3 inch of thread to grip on.

Should I try some liquid wrench, let it penetrate for few hours and then try again to loosen it with a tool ? I don't want that stuff to get inside the spark plug area or in the engine however.

In case you have no clue what I'm talking about, it's the bolt in that picture

Thanks,

Neo.

tighten the vice grips more until it broken bolt actually moves with the vice grip.

Worred about destroying thread? Who cares? It's broken anyway.

The threads are actually in your way of removing the broken bolt, so you HAVE to destroy them until the bolt turns with the grip.

If you had room, normally a power drill and something like this is used.

Thanks, I'll look into this tomorrow or the next day. I should have enough thread left to grip on it, but there's not much room on our GE8 as you know.

I was doing some Googling as well and found out about those easy-outs/extractors. I have a very good drill (Milwaukee), but there's no way my drill can get in there due to the room there is (or isn't). This is one of the reason why I decided to create this post and look for alternatives. Is the WD-40 or Liquid Wrench a good idea or I should give it a go only with good old elbow grease ?

Tomorrow I'm going to Honda dealership and buy 4 of these bolts. I'll replace them all even tho I was able to remove the 3 others. They were still pretty rusted.

I'm actually quite satisfied about the spark plugs change I did today even with that fuck up. I'm no mechanic and changing the spark plugs on the Fit is another milestone for me. However, I was expecting the 220,000 kms original spark plugs to look at least a bit used, but all 4 look like they are out of the box. I knew they were still working fine and decided to change them by preventive maintenance, but I'm impressed at how to look after all these years.

You could also heat cycle it a few times to try to loosen it. Be careful catching it on fire especially if you've sprayed lubricant nearby

WD40- is useless... use Kroil, PB Blaster, or even Armor-All (I kid you not!) as a penetrant.


+++++++


Regards Easy-Outs: I call those "Pain-In-The-Neck-Outs". Grrr. NEVER had much success with them.

You might try to find a pair of vice grips with more aggressive jaws. Gripping the exposed portion of the bolt is going to be the easiest way to extract it.

I had a valve cover bolt break on my Ridgeline V6 when I was reassembling after doing a valve adjustment (on the back side head, too) and it was below the surface. Had to center punch and very carefully drill a hole and then use a conical easy out. Slowly got it done, but it was very tedious work, and risk of damaging threads in the head.

What you have is much much easier, and if you can grip it, you're good. If not, you may have to try an easy out, either cone shaped, or cup shaped, with reverse threads. They sometimes work, and sometimes don't, just depends on the bolt shape at the fracture, and how stuck it is.

The goal is to find a way to keep the coil in its hole securely.
That could be coat hanger, bailing wire, zip ties, or maybe you could fabricate a bracket that would keep the coil pushed down and use the bolt holding the next coil to secure it. Or come up with something completely different.


We've seen some creative stuff over the years that worked pretty dang good.

I suspect that the bolt was excessively tightened in prior work. When you extract it and insert the new bolt, tighten lightly only to 6 FT/LB (72 IN/LB) or 7 FT/LB (84 IN/LB). I've read both of these specifications as correct; they're very close.

Hi all,

So I spent all morning trying to remove that bolt. I bought brand new Vise-grips (2 different models), sprayed some Liquid Wrench on it but that bolt in not moving at all. I tried fitting my drill in to see if an extraction kit would fit but my drill fits just fine with less than 1/4 inch between the drill's end and the bolt itself. After 2 hours on it, I gave up and spent some time trying to keep the coil in place as @ezone suggested. I had to bailing wire around and I eventually found a way that the coil isn't moving much.

The coil with the bolt issue is the second from the left (when looking at the engine from the front). There is a small hole between the bolt of coils and the coil themselves. So I passed created a loop from coil #1 to coil #3 passing on coil #2 (which is problematic). Using some plyers, I use as much as possible to tight the wire loop and then twist both wires together fitting it behind a metal plate. Using one hand, I am not able to lift or move the coil in any way. So I'll revisit in a few days to see if it moved (unless I get a CEL before). The good thing, is that the coil #2 is accessible by hand without removing the wipers assembly/sill. I can at least see if everything stay properly in place.

But I created another problem. I'm standing besides my car because it is smoking white near the exhaust manifold. I believe it is the penetrating oil that is burning; probably some leaks in the exhaust manifold. There's nothing to wipe away...so let it burn off ? I don't see much other option :/

If that's all it is, it will burn off as the manifold and engine heats up a few times. As long as it doesn't continue very long, you're fine.



If that was an issue, you'd probably hear it.

The white smoke is almost certainly penetrating oil burning off. I had the same thing happen when using Kroil on rear cat bolts on my V6 Ridgeline. When we started the volume of smoke was outrageous. If you had a leak in the manifold, you'd not only hear it but it would likely throw a CEL code.

Thanks guys. I'll run it off with the fire extinguisher just in case !

Sorry, I didn't mean that I had a leak into the manifold, but that the penetrating oil probably leaked in there.

Did you ever get that bolt out?
I have a suggestion. I saw a Snap-on bolt extractor device that heats up a bolt to help you get it out.
Now of course it was used for mainly big bolts holding an engine together.
For you I suggest using a soldering iron. Heat the bolt up as hot as you can and then use the vise grips.
Of course clean off any flammable liquid first.